Checked 17 October 2026
Every tool writers weigh, honestly compared.
17 writing tools beside Onwarder, from each maker's own pages, with a source under every fact. Each one is better than Onwarder at something, and its page says what. If a fact is out of date, tell us and we will change it.
At a glance.
Each cell states the maker's published scope or says when a feature was not found. Each tool's page has the sources.
| Tool | Price | Runs on | Writing with no connection | Story bible linked to the book | Checks the book against your notes | Ebook and paperback files | AI, and training on your writing | Getting your work out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onwarder | Free for good, with no account. Cloud is $10 a month or $99 a year. | On the web, Mac, Windows and Linux, with iPhone in beta, and Android coming. | Books kept on your device open and save with no connection in the desktop and phone apps. | Characters, places, factions and items, a click from the page. | Built in, no AI: warns when a dead character acts or a lost item turns up again. | EPUB, Word, Markdown and PDF, and paperback interiors at three trim sizes. | Optional and off for every book. Bring your own. Never used to train AI. | Every book exports whole, at any time, on any plan. |
| Scrivener | $59.99 once for Mac or Windows, licensed per platform; $23.99 for iPhone and iPad. A trial of 30 days of actual use. | Mac, Windows, iPhone and iPad. No web, Android or Linux.Source [1]Source [4] | Yes: projects are files on your computer.Source [5] | Character and place template sheets and research in the binder, beside the manuscript.Source [1] | No check of the manuscript against recorded facts found.Source [1] | Compile to Word, EPUB, PDF, Markdown and more, including print-ready PDF.Source [7]Source [8] | Literature & Latte says Scrivener has no built-in AI and does not scrape data.Source [10] | A project folder on your computer; export documents in common formats.Source [5]Source [9] |
| Microsoft Word | Free on the web. Microsoft 365 Personal is $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with a one-month trial. | Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and the web.Source [1]Source [4] | The installed apps write local documents with no connection.Source [3] | No character or place records linked to a novel.Source [1] | No check of a manuscript against recorded facts found.Source [1] | Word and PDF, and book layouts by hand. No EPUB export.Source [7]Source [8]Source [9] | Copilot in eligible plans, which can be turned off. Microsoft says file contents in its home Copilot apps are not used to train foundation models.Source [5]Source [6] | DOCX files on your computer or in OneDrive.Source [3]Source [7] |
| Google Docs | Free with a Google account. Gemini features come with paid Google plans. | Web, plus iPhone and Android apps.Source [1] | Offline editing after you set it up while online, in Chrome or Edge, or per file on a phone.Source [4]Source [5] | Notes in tabs or other documents, linked by hand.Source [7] | No check of a manuscript against recorded facts found.Source [1] | Download as Word, EPUB, PDF or Markdown. No print interior layout.Source [8]Source [9] | Gemini in eligible plans. Google says Workspace customer data is not used for model training without prior permission or instruction.Source [11]Source [13] | Download any document, or everything through Google Takeout.Source [10]Source [14] |
| Novelcrafter | Scribe $4, Hobbyist $8, Artisan $14 and Specialist $20 a month. A 21-day free trial. | Web, installable as a web app.Source [3]Source [4] | Novelcrafter says it currently needs an internet connection.Source [2] | The Codex: characters, places and lore, linked to the manuscript automatically, with progressions over time.Source [5]Source [6] | No automatic fact check found; its guides use the Codex and AI context to keep books consistent.Source [7] | Word and Markdown export, Codex included. No publishing-format workflow yet.Source [10]Source [11] | Optional; you connect your own models. Novelcrafter says it does not use users' creative content to train AI.Source [8]Source [9]Source [13] | Your books live in its cloud; export the novel with its Codex.Source [10] |
| Dabble | Writer $19, Author $29 and Bestseller $49 a month, or $699 once for lifetime Author access. A 14-day free trial. | Mac, Windows and Linux apps, and the browser; on phones it installs from the browser.Source [4]Source [5]Source [6] | Edits save on the device first and go up when you reconnect.Source [7] | Character profiles and story notes, linked from scenes with mentions.Source [9]Source [10] | No check of the manuscript against recorded facts found.Source [13] | Word and Markdown export; PDF by printing from the browser. No ebook or print interior builder.Source [11]Source [16] | Dabble describes itself as AI-free and says content is not used to train generative AI models.Source [13]Source [14] | Export a project or your whole local library; after a plan ends, work stays readable and exportable.Source [12]Source [1] |
| Sudowrite | Hobby & Student $10 a month yearly or $19 monthly; Professional $22 or $29; Max $44 or $59. | Web, and iPhone and Android apps.Source [4]Source [5] | The iPhone and iPad app drafts offline.Source [4] | A Story Bible of characters, world, outline and style that guides generation.Source [6] | Chapter Continuity uses AI to compare chapters with the Story Bible.Source [7] | Word export; the Story Bible is not included.Source [9] | AI drafting and revision. Sudowrite says it does not use your writing to train its own or OpenAI's AI models.Source [1]Source [10] | Your projects live in its cloud; export as Word.Source [9] |
| Atticus | $147, a one-time payment with future updates. No free trial found; a 30-day money-back guarantee. | Web, installable as an app on computers and phones.Source [3]Source [4] | You can keep writing in a book already open; changes upload when you reconnect.Source [3] | No character or place records linked to the manuscript found.Source [1] | No continuity check found.Source [1] | EPUB, Word and print-ready PDF, ready for KDP and IngramSpark.Source [5] | No generative AI found; no statement on training found.Source [6] | Your books live in its cloud; export Word and the finished files.Source [5] |
| Vellum | Vellum Ebooks $199.99, Vellum Press $249.99, once, for unlimited books. Free to try; pay to generate files. | Mac only.Source [2] | Yes: a Mac app with local files.Source [3]Source [7] | No character or place records; it formats a finished book.Source [1] | Spelling and grammar only; no fact check found.Source [7] | EPUB and print-ready PDF with 24 trim sizes, full bleed and store-specific editions.Source [5] | Apple Intelligence writing tools, off by default.Source [4] | Project files on your Mac; export Word and RTF.Source [3]Source [5] |
| Reedsy Studio | Writing and formatting free; Craft $4.99 and Outline $7.99 a month, each with a 30-day free trial. | Any browser; there is no app to download.Source [6] | Reedsy says offline use is not available yet.Source [4] | Boards hold character, place and lore profiles beside the book.Source [3] | No automatic check found.Source [2] | EPUB and print-ready PDF with designed templates and trim sizes.Source [2] | No generative AI found. Reedsy says it does not use your book to train AI.Source [3] | Export the typeset book, and the manuscript as Word.Source [5] |
| Campfire | A free plan capped at 25,000 manuscript words and 10 characters; Standard is $12 a month. | Browser, Mac and Windows apps, and iPhone and Android apps.Source [2] | The desktop app has an offline mode for writing.Source [2] | Characters, locations, lore, maps, calendars, languages and relationships, tagged in the manuscript.Source [1]Source [3] | Tags and cross-references help by hand; no automatic check found.Source [3] | Compiled manuscript as EPUB and print-ready PDF.Source [1]Source [5] | No generative AI found; no statement on training found.Source [6] | Projects live on its servers; export elements and the manuscript.Source [4] |
| World Anvil | A free public account; Guild membership from $4.50 a month billed yearly. Manuscripts need a paid plan. | Web.Source [2] | World Anvil says a connection is required.Source [2] | Manuscripts link to your world's articles: characters, places, maps and timelines.Source [3]Source [6] | Linked articles help by hand; no automatic check found.Source [6] | Manuscripts export as HTML; Word and EPUB need another tool.Source [4] | No generative AI found. World Anvil says it does not train AI models on users' work.Source [2]Source [7] | Your world lives online; members can export it.Source [5] |
| Plottr | $60 a year or $150 lifetime; Plottr Pro $9.99 a month, $99 a year or $599 lifetime. A 30-day free trial. | Mac and Windows apps; the browser for Pro.Source [1]Source [5] | The desktop app plans offline with local files.Source [6]Source [10] | Character and place records linked to scene cards and series timelines.Source [6]Source [7] | Filters help you check by hand; no automatic check found.Source [7] | Exports outlines to Word and Scrivener. Plottr is for planning; it recommends drafting elsewhere.Source [8]Source [9] | Plottr says the current product has no AI and it does not use story data to train its own language model.Source [11]Source [12] | Local .pltr files; export every category.Source [9]Source [10] |
| Ulysses | $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year, or $199.99 once. A 7-day free trial with a subscription. | Mac, iPhone and iPad only.Source [1] | Yes: the library is local text files.Source [6] | Material sheets, keywords and internal links you keep by hand.Source [7]Source [8] | Grammar and style checks only; no fact check found.Source [9] | Word, EPUB, PDF and Markdown with export styles.Source [7] | Optional Apple Intelligence writing tools. Ulysses says text sent to these tools is not used to train AI models.Source [10] | Human-readable text files, with iCloud or Dropbox between devices.Source [11]Source [12] |
| LivingWriter | A free plan for one manuscript up to 25,000 words; Pro and Pro + AI are paid. We could not confirm current prices. | Browser, Mac and Windows apps, and iPhone and Android apps.Source [6] | Offline mode on desktop is on its roadmap.Source [5] | Story Elements for characters, settings and objects, linked to the manuscript.Source [7] | Optional AI analysis of the story; no recorded-fact check found.Source [3] | Word, PDF and EPUB, with Amazon KDP options.Source [2]Source [8] | Optional AI. LivingWriter says manuscripts, notes and Story Elements are not used to train its AI.Source [3] | Your books live in its cloud; export in common formats.Source [8] |
| Obsidian | Free, with no sign-up. Obsidian Sync is $4 a month billed yearly or $5 monthly. | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android.Source [10] | Yes: notes are files on your device.Source [5] | Character and place notes you link to chapters yourself.Source [4] | Links and search help by hand; no check in the core app.Source [7] | Markdown, and PDF per note. No novel compile or ebook export in the core app.Source [6] | None built in; community plugins can add it.Source [7]Source [8] | Plain Markdown files in a folder you own.Source [5] |
| bibisco | Community Edition free; Supporters Edition $69 once; bibisco Everywhere $3.49 a month or $29.99 a year. | Mac, Windows and Linux; iPhone, iPad and Android with Everywhere.Source [1]Source [9] | Yes: projects are stored on your computer.Source [4] | Guided character interviews, locations and storylines with the novel.Source [3]Source [6] | Analysis and timelines help; no automatic fact check found.Source [3] | PDF and Word free; EPUB with the Supporters Edition.Source [3] | No generative AI found; no statement on training found.Source [5] | A local project folder of JSON and images, with archives.Source [7]Source [8] |
| Manuskript | Free and open source. | Mac, Windows and Linux.Source [3] | Yes: projects are local files.Source [4] | Character, plot and world records alongside the manuscript.Source [5] | Tracking helps by hand; no automatic check found.Source [5] | Markdown and HTML; Word, EPUB and PDF through Pandoc.Source [6] | No AI found; no statement on training found.Source [1] | Readable text files in a folder, or one archive.Source [4] |
Tool by tool.
Onwarder vs Scrivener
A desktop workbench for long documents: a binder, corkboard and outliner for arranging a draft, research beside it, and Compile for multiple output formats.Source [1]
Scrivener is better at: Compile settings for multiple output formats, including screenplays, from one manuscript.Source [1]Source [4]Source [7]Source [8]
Scrivener holds your notes beside the draft; Onwarder records what happened to whom and checks each scene against it.Source [1]
Onwarder vs Microsoft Word
A document word processor. Free on the web, with desktop apps through Microsoft 365, phone apps and Copilot in eligible plans.Source [1]Source [2]Source [5]
Microsoft Word is better at: Tracked changes, comments and document comparison for working with an editor.Source [1]Source [7]Source [9]
Word offers document editing; Onwarder brings chapters, scenes, a story bible and continuity checks together. You can still export to Word for your editor.Source [1]Source [7]
Onwarder vs Google Docs
A free online word processor with real-time co-editing, comments and revision history, and Gemini in some plans.Source [1]Source [12]
Google Docs is better at: Real-time co-editing with editors and beta readers, with comments and revision history.Source [1]
Docs offers documents with tabs and online collaboration; Onwarder keeps a novel, scene by scene, with a story bible and checks, on your device first.Source [1]Source [7]
Onwarder vs Novelcrafter
A browser-based novel workspace with a Codex of characters and lore, and optional connections to AI models you choose.Source [4]Source [5]Source [9]
Novelcrafter is better at: A configurable AI workflow: many models, custom prompts and previews, if you want AI to write with you.Source [4]Source [5]Source [6]
Novelcrafter offers a Codex and optional AI connections; Onwarder checks continuity without AI and makes the ebook and paperback files.Source [4]Source [8]Source [9]
Onwarder vs Dabble
A novel-writing app with a plot grid, story notes and goals, and co-authoring and editor review on its higher plans. It describes itself as AI-free.Source [1]Source [13]Source [15]
Dabble is better at: Co-authoring, comments and tracked changes with editors and beta readers on its higher plans.Source [1]Source [15]
Dabble is a paid subscription with collaboration; Onwarder is free for writing and adds a continuity check and the ebook and paperback files.Source [1]Source [15]
Onwarder vs Sudowrite
An AI writing partner for fiction: it drafts, rewrites, describes and brainstorms, guided by a story bible.Source [1]
Sudowrite is better at: AI tools for alternative prose, rewriting and sensory description.Source [1]Source [4]Source [5]Source [6]Source [7]
Sudowrite's checks and drafting are AI; Onwarder's continuity check is rule-based, needs no AI and no account, and AI stays optional.Source [1]Source [7]
Onwarder vs Atticus
A writing and book formatting app for web and installed use, with ebook and print export.Source [1]Source [3]Source [5]
Atticus is better at: Interior design depth: chapter themes, many fonts, full-bleed images and large print.Source [1]Source [5]
Atticus offers writing and book formatting; Onwarder brings the manuscript, story bible and continuity checks together, then makes the ebook and paperback interior.Source [1]Source [5]
Onwarder vs Vellum
A book formatter for the Mac: import a finished manuscript and produce ebook and print editions.Source [1]
Vellum is better at: Print and ebook controls: widow control, spread balancing, 24 trim sizes and PDF/X.Source [1]Source [5]
Vellum formats a finished book on a Mac; Onwarder helps you write the whole book on any device, then makes the ebook and a paperback interior.Source [1]Source [5]
Onwarder vs Reedsy Studio
A free online book editor with typesetting for ebook and print, planning boards as a paid add-on, and Reedsy's marketplace of editors and designers.Source [1]Source [2]Source [3]
Reedsy Studio is better at: Typesetting templates for ebook and print, free.Source [2]Source [3]
Reedsy Studio offers free writing and typesetting; Onwarder is a free novel studio that also keeps the story straight and works with no connection on your device.Source [2]
Onwarder vs Campfire
A worldbuilding and writing suite of eighteen modules, from characters, maps and timelines to magic systems and languages, with a manuscript editor.Source [1]Source [3]Source [5]
Campfire is better at: Modules for magic systems, languages, calendars and relationship webs.Source [4]Source [5]
Campfire offers worldbuilding modules and a manuscript editor; Onwarder records what happens in the story and checks each scene against it, free and without a word cap.Source [3]Source [5]
Onwarder vs World Anvil
An online worldbuilding platform with a wiki-style world bible, interactive maps, timelines and family trees, community tools, and Manuscripts for paid members.Source [1]Source [6]
World Anvil is better at: Interactive maps, fantasy calendars, family trees and diplomacy webs.Source [1]Source [6]
World Anvil publishes your world; Onwarder keeps your novel consistent with it and finishes the book.Source [3]Source [6]
Onwarder vs Plottr
Visual outlining software: timelines with parallel plotlines, scene cards, character and place records, and 30-plus story templates. Its guide recommends drafting elsewhere.Source [6]Source [8]
Plottr is better at: A dedicated visual timeline with parallel plotlines and filters.Source [6]Source [7]
Plottr plans the book; Onwarder plans it and writes it, then checks the draft against what you planned.Source [7]Source [8]
Onwarder vs Ulysses
A Markdown writing app for Mac, iPhone and iPad, with a shared writing library and export styles.Source [1]Source [7]
Ulysses is better at: A native Markdown editor for Mac, iPhone and iPad.Source [1]Source [7]Source [9]
Ulysses is a writing library for every kind of text; Onwarder is built for one long novel and the facts behind it, on every platform.Source [1]Source [7]
Onwarder vs LivingWriter
A cloud writing app with story elements, planning boards and outline templates, and optional AI that can generate and revise.Source [1]Source [3]Source [6]Source [7]
LivingWriter is better at: Planning boards and outline templates, plus a screenplay workflow.Source [2]Source [3]Source [7]
LivingWriter keeps your book in its cloud; Onwarder keeps it on your device for free and checks continuity without AI.Source [7]Source [8]
Onwarder vs Obsidian
A free note-taking app for plain Markdown files on your own device, with links, a graph view and community plugins.Source [4]Source [5]Source [7]
Obsidian is better at: Plain Markdown files in a folder, open in other Markdown editors.Source [4]Source [5]Source [7]
Obsidian stores linked Markdown notes and supports community plugins; Onwarder brings novel structure, continuity checks and book export together.Source [5]Source [7]
Onwarder vs bibisco
Novel-writing software focused on character development, with guided character interviews, locations and storylines, on your own computer.Source [3]Source [6]
bibisco is better at: Guided character interviews with structured questions.Source [3]Source [4]Source [6]
bibisco helps you develop characters; Onwarder records what happens to them scene by scene and warns you when the draft contradicts it.Source [3]Source [6]
Onwarder vs Manuskript
Free, open-source novel software for the desktop, with an outliner, index cards, story strands and a Snowflake planning assistant.Source [1]Source [5]
Manuskript is better at: Open source: you can read, change and keep the code.Source [2]Source [5]
Manuskript is a free desktop outliner; Onwarder is free on any computer or phone, checks continuity and makes the ebook and paperback files itself.Source [1]Source [5]
Competitor prices are as shown on the linked pages, in US dollars where stated, before tax. Product names identify the tools compared and do not imply endorsement.
Product names are trademarks of their owners. Facts are from each maker's own pages, checked on the date shown. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.