Scrivener Alternative
Scrivener is writing software for novels and other long texts. Here is how AethelWrite differs – for example in writing on several systems with one account and in print-ready formatting – and where Scrivener comes out ahead.
As of October 2026
The short version
- According to its maker, Scrivener needs a separate license for macOS and for Windows, and the iOS app is extra; it does not cover Linux, Android or the browser. AethelWrite runs with one account in the browser on Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Scrivener syncs through Dropbox. AethelWrite has its own sync, end-to-end encrypted.
- According to its maker, Scrivener contains no AI. AethelWrite offers it as an option with your own key. The interface comes in 21 languages; according to its maker, Scrivener for Mac in 10.
- You can import your Scrivener projects, with synopses, notes, footnotes and comments.
At a glance
| Feature | AethelWrite | Scrivener |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | 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 | macOS 11+, Windows 10+ (64-bit), iOS/iPadOS 12+; no Linux, no Android, no browser version |
| Native appsScrivener ahead | No – web app, installable as a PWA in Chrome, Edge and Safari | Yes, for macOS, Windows and iOS |
| Offline | Yes, after the first visit with a connection: writing continues offline; sync, AI, cloud voices and cloud dictation need a connection | Yes, as an installed program |
| 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 | One-time purchase per platform: macOS $59.99, Windows $59.99, bundle $95.98; iOS $23.99 on the App Store |
| 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 out | 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 | 30 days of actual use with all features (no trial version for iOS) |
| Sync without an extra serviceAethelWrite ahead | 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 | Through Dropbox, a service from another company; per the vendor, the iOS app needs a Dropbox account |
| Formatting and export | 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; 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) | “Compile” to Word, RTF, OpenOffice, PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Final Draft, plain text, MultiMarkdown/Pandoc |
| Book designs | 53 book designs (Starter 4, Author 18, Writing Studio and Author Lifetime all 53) | Compile formats you configure yourself |
| Planning and outliningScrivener ahead | Chapters and structure via drag and drop, Story Bible with characters, places, relationship network and timeline | Binder, corkboard, outliner, research folders |
| GoalsEven | Daily goals, word goals, streaks, heatmap | Manuscript, section and session targets, writing history |
| AI | Optional, with your own key (BYOK): Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Kimi – your browser calls the provider directly | None (“Scrivener itself contains no artificial intelligence”) |
| Dictation and read-aloud | Read-aloud on every plan with your device voice or, with your own key, seven cloud providers; dictation from Author up: the browser’s speech recognition (Chrome, Edge, Safari) or, with your own key, Whisper or Deepgram | Dictation through the operating system; read-aloud with the macOS or Windows system voices (per the manual, via “Edit ▸ Speech”) |
| Interface languagesAethelWrite ahead | 21, including Arabic and Hebrew (right to left) and Japanese, Chinese, Korean | Mac version in 10 languages, according to its maker |
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
One account instead of a license per platform
According to the vendor, each Scrivener license covers only one platform. If you write on a Mac and on Windows, you buy two licenses (bundled at $95.98), and the iOS app comes on top for iPhone and iPad. Scrivener does not cover Linux, Android or the browser.
With AethelWrite, your plan belongs to your account, not to a device. You sign in through the browser on Windows, macOS or Linux, and once you have set up the Recovery Vault you find the same books there (up to 2 on Starter). 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.
Print-ready formatting built in
Scrivener outputs your manuscript to many formats through “Compile”, including PDF and EPUB; you set up the layout there yourself.
AethelWrite starts from the book design: 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-book comes as a separate edition for each store: Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, Nook and tolino.
Built-in sync, end-to-end encrypted
Scrivener syncs through Dropbox; according to its maker, the iOS app needs a Dropbox account for that.
AethelWrite encrypts chapters, titles, structure and the Story Bible on your device with AES-256-GCM before they sync. No second service needed. 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.
AI if you want it, with your own key
By its maker’s own account, Scrivener contains no AI. If that is exactly what you want from writing software, it is a good reason to choose Scrivener.
In AethelWrite the AI Ghostwriter is an option, not a requirement: you add your own key for Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek or Kimi, your browser calls the provider directly, and we make nothing on your requests. AethelWrite does not train AI on your writing; the request itself falls under the terms of the provider you choose.
21 interface languages
According to the vendor, Scrivener for Mac comes in 10 languages. AethelWrite’s interface comes in 21 languages, including right-to-left Arabic and Hebrew as well as Japanese, Chinese and Korean. For typesetting the book: Typography and chapter headings work in all 21 languages, hyphenation in the languages written in Latin or Cyrillic script; Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Hindi are not hyphenated, in line with their typesetting conventions.
When Scrivener is the better choice
- You want to pay once and install the software locally, with no subscription.
- You need native apps for macOS, Windows and the iPad.
- You want to test the full feature set for 30 days of use.
- You work with the binder, corkboard, outliner and research folders.
- You specifically want no AI features in your writing software.
- You also write screenplays and export to Final Draft.
Moving from Scrivener to AethelWrite
AethelWrite imports Scrivener 2 and 3 projects directly: choose the project folder (.scriv) or a .zip of the project; on a computer you can also drag the folder into the window. Folders become chapters and the texts inside them scenes; characters and locations go into the Story Bible, synopses and notes go there too as note cards; footnotes and comments are kept.
You can also export from Scrivener as DOCX or RTF and import that file. In all, AethelWrite reads DOCX, ODT, RTF, PDF, EPUB, Markdown, TXT and Scrivener 2 and 3 projects (as a .scriv folder or .zip). Your Scrivener project stays untouched.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring my Scrivener projects over?
Yes. AethelWrite imports Scrivener 2 and 3 projects as a .scriv folder or a .zip: folders become chapters and the texts inside them scenes; characters and locations go into the Story Bible, synopses and notes go there too as note cards; footnotes and comments are kept. You can also export DOCX or RTF from Scrivener and import that file.
Does AethelWrite run on Linux?
Yes. AethelWrite runs in the browser, so on Linux too, in a current version of Chrome, Edge or Firefox. In Chrome and Edge you can install it as an app.
Do I need two plans for Mac and Windows?
No. Your plan belongs to your account, and the same account works on any computer with a current browser.
Do I have to use the AI?
No. The AI Ghostwriter only works once you add your own key from a provider. Without a key, AethelWrite is a writing and formatting program with no AI.
How much does Scrivener cost?
According to the vendor’s store (as of October 2026), $59.99 per platform for macOS or Windows, $95.98 for a bundle of both, and $23.99 for iOS on the App Store. It is a one-time purchase; the license covers one household and one platform.
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.