Novelcrafter Alternative
Novelcrafter and AethelWrite share one principle: the AI runs on your own key. After that, they part ways. By its own account Novelcrafter currently does not format books for publication; AethelWrite does. Here is the comparison, including the points where Novelcrafter comes out ahead.
As of October 2026
The short version
- Both use AI with your own key (BYOK). Per its help center, Novelcrafter connects to more providers, including local models.
- Novelcrafter exports DOCX or Markdown; per its help center, formatting currently happens in another program. AethelWrite creates print PDFs and EPUBs itself.
- By its own account Novelcrafter currently only works with an internet connection. In AethelWrite you can keep writing offline after the first visit with a connection.
- Novelcrafter is a subscription with a 21-day trial. AethelWrite has a free Starter plan with no time limit.
At a glance
| Feature | AethelWrite | Novelcrafter |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | In the browser on Windows, macOS and Linux, in a current version of Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox; installable as an app (PWA) in Chrome, Edge and Safari | Web app, per its help center installable as an app through Chrome, Edge or Safari; per the vendor, works on mobile |
| OfflineAethelWrite ahead | Yes, after the first visit with a connection: writing continues offline; sync, AI, cloud voices and cloud dictation need a connection | No: “Right now you can only use Novelcrafter with an active internet connection.” |
| Pricing | Starter is free; Author $11/month, $99/year or $299 once (Author Lifetime: every Author feature and all 53 book designs, with no end date for as long as we operate AethelWrite); Writing Studio $28/month | Subscription: Scribe $4, Hobbyist $8, Artisan $14, Specialist $20 per month; cheaper yearly; AI from Hobbyist up |
| Our prices are final prices; as a small business under § 19 of the German VAT Act (UStG) we charge no VAT. Customers in Europe, including the UK, pay in euros; all other countries in US dollars. Competitor prices as listed by the vendor, retrieved October 12, 2026, not converted; sales tax or VAT may apply depending on your country. | ||
| Trying it outAethelWrite ahead | Starter is free with no time limit – no trial period, no credit card: up to 35,000 words per book, every book export format, end-to-end encrypted sync for 2 books | 21 days with all features, per the vendor no credit card; to keep working afterward you choose a plan, otherwise your data stays read-only; no free plan |
| AINovelcrafter ahead | Optional, with your own key (BYOK): Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Kimi – your browser calls the provider directly | BYOK: per its help center OpenAI, Anthropic (Claude), Groq, OpenRouter and OpenAI-compatible providers, among others, plus local LM Studio and Ollama |
| Formatting for publicationAethelWrite ahead | Print PDF of the interior in grayscale with embedded fonts and bleed, with the format specifications of KDP and IngramSpark (paperback and hardcover): with “Create PDF” as PDF/X-1a:20011, for books in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Hindi via the browser’s print dialog; from Author up: print cover to KDP dimensions with calculated spine and EAN-13 barcode | Not at present – per its help pages, “you cannot format your novel within Novelcrafter for publication”; per the vendor, the feature is on the roadmap |
| ExportAethelWrite ahead | EPUB per store: Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, Nook, tolino; DOCX, RTF, Markdown, TXT, MP3 audiobook (one file per chapter, with your own key for a cloud voice) | DOCX or Markdown |
| Wiki and planningEven | Story Bible with characters, places, relationship network and timeline; Series Bible from Author up | Codex for characters, places and lore; grid, matrix and outline planning; series (universes listed as planned on the pricing page) |
| Data and encryption | Built-in sync, end-to-end encrypted: chapters, titles, structure and Story Bible are encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM; active once the Recovery Vault is set up, for 2 books on Starter | Per its privacy policy, stored on AWS (mainly EU/Frankfurt, also US), encrypted in transit to industry standards |
| Right-to-left languages | Arabic and Hebrew in the interface and on the page | Per its help pages, the formatting options currently do not support right-to-left languages |
| CollaborationNovelcrafter ahead | No shared editing with roles | Invite others on the Specialist plan, teams; anyone on any plan can be invited |
Note on PDF/X-1a: The print PDF that AethelWrite writes itself via “Create PDF” conforms to PDF/X-1a:2001 (ISO 15930-1). Excluded are PDFs made with “Print / Save as PDF” (the browser’s print dialog) and books in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Hindi, which AethelWrite currently outputs via the print dialog.
The markers refer only to the individual feature and are based on the sources listed below. They are not an overall rating – which program suits you better depends on how you work.
Where AethelWrite differs
From manuscript to finished book
Novelcrafter’s own help pages say a novel currently cannot be formatted for publication there; you export it as DOCX or Markdown into a program of your choice.
In AethelWrite, formatting follows the writing in the same program: 53 book designs (Starter 4, Author 18, Writing Studio and Author Lifetime all 53). The print PDF of the interior comes out in grayscale with embedded fonts and bleed, with the format specifications of KDP and IngramSpark for paperback and hardcover. With “Create PDF”, AethelWrite writes it itself, as PDF/X-1a:2001 (ISO 15930-1); this excludes PDFs made with “Print / Save as PDF” – the browser’s print dialog, which AethelWrite currently uses for books in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Hindi. From Author up, you also get the print cover to KDP dimensions, with a calculated spine and an EAN-13 barcode. The e-books come as a separate edition per store for Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, Nook and tolino.
Writing offline
By its own account, Novelcrafter currently works only with an active internet connection.
After the first visit with a connection, AethelWrite keeps working without one – on a train, on a plane, in a cabin; installed as an app, it launches like a program. Once the device is back online, it syncs. AI, cloud voices and cloud dictation need a connection.
Start free instead of a trial
According to its maker, Novelcrafter offers 21 days to try it, with no credit card; to keep writing afterward you take out a subscription, otherwise your data stays read-only. There is no free plan. AethelWrite’s Starter plan is free with no time limit and no trial period: up to 35,000 words per book, every book export format, 4 of 53 book designs and end-to-end encrypted sync for 2 books. No credit card needed.
End-to-end encrypted
According to its privacy policy, Novelcrafter stores data on AWS, mainly in the EU (Frankfurt), and encrypts the connection to your devices to industry standards. The privacy policy does not describe end-to-end encryption – which says nothing about how well the data is actually protected.
AethelWrite encrypts chapters, titles, structure and the Story Bible on your device with AES-256-GCM before they sync. For completeness: cloud dictation and read-aloud with cloud voices – except Amazon Polly – are relayed through our server to the provider. We don’t store the text, the recording or the key along the way; all we record is when a request came in (for the hourly limit). This path is not end-to-end encrypted.
When Novelcrafter is the better choice
- AI is at the center of how you work, and you want many providers – through OpenRouter or locally with LM Studio and Ollama.
- You work as a team or invite collaborators into your project.
- You plan with the Codex, grid and outline views and format your book in another program anyway.
- You want an inexpensive subscription without AI: per the vendor, Scribe costs $4 a month.
Moving from Novelcrafter to AethelWrite
Export your novel from Novelcrafter as DOCX or Markdown and import the file into AethelWrite; before anything is brought in, a preview shows the chapters it found. AethelWrite reads DOCX, ODT, RTF, PDF, EPUB, Markdown, TXT and Scrivener 2 and 3 projects (as a .scriv folder or .zip).
Add your AI key in AethelWrite again. It is kept on your device and, if you wish, also synced end-to-end encrypted with your other devices; keys are stored per address and per device.
Frequently asked questions
Can I format a book for KDP with AethelWrite?
Yes, with the Book Formatter on every plan. The print PDF of the interior comes out in grayscale with embedded fonts and bleed, with the format specifications of KDP and IngramSpark for paperback and hardcover. With “Create PDF”, AethelWrite writes it itself, as PDF/X-1a:2001 (ISO 15930-1); this excludes PDFs made with “Print / Save as PDF” – the browser’s print dialog, which AethelWrite currently uses for books in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Hindi. From Author up, you also get the print cover to KDP dimensions, with a calculated spine and an EAN-13 barcode. You also get EPUB files for each store.
Does AethelWrite work without internet?
AethelWrite is a web app. There is no native desktop or mobile app; you work in the browser or install AethelWrite as a progressive web app in Chrome, Edge or Safari. After the first visit with a connection you can keep writing offline; sync, AI, cloud voices and cloud dictation need a connection.
Which AI providers does AethelWrite support?
Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek and Kimi, each with your own key. Your browser calls the provider directly; we add no markup. AethelWrite does not currently connect to local models such as Ollama.
What does AethelWrite cost after the trial?
There is no trial that expires; the Starter plan is free with no time limit. Author costs $11/month, $99/year or $299 once; Writing Studio $28/month or $252/year.
Try it yourself
The Starter plan is free with no time limit – no trial period, no credit card – including every book export format and 4 of 53 book designs.