Compare
Novel writing software, compared honestly
Most writing tools do one part of the job well: planning, AI drafting, or formatting. This page sets seven of them side by side, from first outline to published book, so you can see which parts each one covers. Every fact about another product comes from that company's own website, and the sources are at the bottom.
45 days free, no card required. We make Mythwrite, so this page is not neutral; we have tried to be fair, and we list where Mythwrite is weaker.
At a glance
From outline to published book
Which stages of writing a book each tool covers, according to its own site.
Mythwrite
Write, revise and publish, in the browser
- Plan: Yes
- Story bible: Yes
- AI help: Yes
- Proof: Yes
- Publish: Yes
- Listen: Yes
- Any computer: Yes
Novelcrafter
Planning and AI-assisted drafting
- Plan: Yes
- Story bible: Yes
- AI help: Yes
- Proof: Partly
- Publish: No
- Listen: Not listed
- Any computer: Yes
Sudowrite
AI-first fiction drafting
- Plan: Partly
- Story bible: Yes
- AI help: Yes
- Proof: Yes
- Publish: Not listed
- Listen: Not listed
- Any computer: Yes
Atticus
Book formatting with a writing editor
- Plan: Partly
- Story bible: Not listed
- AI help: No
- Proof: Partly
- Publish: Yes
- Listen: Not listed
- Any computer: Yes
Vellum
Book formatting for Mac
- Plan: No
- Story bible: No
- AI help: No
- Proof: Not listed
- Publish: Yes
- Listen: Not listed
- Any computer: No
Scrivener
Desktop writing and research
- Plan: Yes
- Story bible: Partly
- AI help: Not applicable
- Proof: Partly
- Publish: Yes
- Listen: Not listed
- Any computer: Partly
Dabble
AI-free writing with sync
- Plan: Yes
- Story bible: Yes
- AI help: Not applicable
- Proof: Yes
- Publish: No
- Listen: Partly
- Any computer: Yes
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not listed
- Not applicable
A higher bar is not a better tool. It means the tool covers more stages itself, so you juggle fewer apps. A dedicated formatter like Vellum covers fewer stages, and does its one job extremely well.
Feature by feature
The full comparison
Scroll the table sideways to see every tool.
| Mythwrite | Novelcrafter | Sudowrite | Atticus | Vellum | Scrivener | Dabble | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan and draft | |||||||
| Planning and outlining | Yes: Acts, chapters, scenes and beats | Yes: Grid, matrix and outline views | Partly: Outline, chapter beats and a canvas | Partly: Chapter and scene ordering, goals | No: A formatter, not a planner | Yes: Corkboard and outliner | Yes: Plot grid |
| Story bible (characters, places, lore) | Yes: Archivum | Yes: Codex, shareable across a series | Yes: Story Bible | Not listed: Not listed | No: A formatter | Partly: Character and place templates | Yes: Story Notes |
| AI drafting help | Yes: Optional, on your own key | Yes: Optional, on your own key | Yes: Built in, paid for with credits | No: None listed | No: None listed | Not applicable: No AI, by design | Not applicable: No AI, by design |
| Revise | |||||||
| Proofing and editing help | Yes: AI proofing, plus a Privacy Mode that runs in your browser | Partly: Word statistics and heatmaps; advanced review is marked as planned | Yes: AI feedback; line and developmental edits on higher plans | Partly: Editor role with tracked changes | Not listed: Not listed | Partly: Snapshots you can compare | Yes: Grammar and style checks on Author plan |
| Accept or reject each suggested change | Yes: Tracked changes on every proofing pass | Not listed: Not listed | Not listed: Not listed | Yes: Tracked changes for editors | Not listed: Not listed | Not listed: Not listed | Yes: Track changes on Author plan |
| A record of how much AI wrote | Yes: AI word tracking, useful for retailer AI disclosures | Not listed: Has an AI-isms phrase highlighter, not an authorship record | Not listed: Not listed | Not applicable: No AI | Not applicable: No AI | Not applicable: No AI | Not applicable: No AI |
| Publish | |||||||
| Publish-ready EPUB and print PDF | Yes: Themes and three trim sizes | No: Exports Word and Markdown only | Not listed: Word and ZIP exports listed | Yes: 17+ themes and a theme builder | Yes: 24 trim sizes, paperback and hardcover | Yes: Compile to EPUB, PDF and Kindle | No: No EPUB; PDF through browser printing |
| Read aloud and audiobook audio | Yes: Read aloud, and an audiobook download with cloud voices | Not listed: Not listed | Not listed: Not listed | Not listed: Not listed | Not listed: Not listed | Not listed: Not listed | Partly: Read to Me, for editing |
| Where and how you work | |||||||
| Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook | Yes: In the browser | Yes: In the browser | Yes: In the browser | Yes: Desktop and browser | No: Mac only | Partly: Mac and Windows | Yes: Desktop and browser |
| Phone and tablet | Partly: Write and use the Archivum in the browser; publish on a bigger screen | Partly: Notes and review on the go | Partly: iOS app; Android in beta | Partly: Installable web app | No: Mac only | Partly: iOS app; no Android | Yes: Installable web app |
| Works offline | No: Needs an internet connection | Not listed: Not listed | Not listed: Not listed | Yes: Online or offline | Yes: Desktop app | Yes: Desktop app | Yes: Syncs when back online |
| Working with others | Partly: Shared workspaces with roles on Publisher; no live co-editing | Partly: Invite others on Specialist; take turns | Partly: View links and reader comments | Yes: Co-writer, editor and beta-reader roles | Not listed: Not listed | Not listed: Not listed | Yes: Co-authoring and comments |
| Bring your book in | Yes: Word, Markdown, EPUB, Novelcrafter ZIP with codex, Atticus backup | Yes: Word, Markdown and HTML | Yes: Word, RTF, ODT, text and Scrivener backups | Yes: Word | Yes: Word | Yes: Word, OpenOffice, text, Final Draft and more | Yes: Paste or import |
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not listed
- Not applicable
Last checked: 26 October 2026. Prices and features change; check each company's own site before you buy.
Price
What each one costs
Prices as each company shows them. Most competitors price in US dollars; Mythwrite prices in pounds.
| Tool | How you pay | Price | Try it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mythwrite | Monthly subscription | £7.99 to £14.99 a month. EPUB and print PDF are on the £14.99 Publisher plan. | 45 days, no card |
| Novelcrafter | Monthly or annual subscription | US$4 to US$20 a month. AI needs Hobbyist (US$8) or above. | 21 days, no card |
| Sudowrite | Monthly or annual subscription, AI included as credits | US$10 to US$44 a month, each with a monthly allowance of AI credits. | Free trial, no card (length not stated) |
| Atticus | One-off purchase | US$147 once, updates included. | 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Vellum | One-off purchase | US$199.99 for ebooks, US$249.99 with paperbacks. | Free to try; pay to create the files |
| Scrivener | One-off licence for each platform | Mac, Windows and iOS licences are sold separately. | 30 days of use (Mac and Windows) |
| Dabble | Monthly, annual or lifetime | US$15 to US$39 a month, or US$699 and up for lifetime access. | 14 days, no card |
A fair comparison counts everything you would need. If you draft in one tool and format in another, add both prices together.
Choosing
Which one fits you?
Choose Mythwrite if…
You want one place to plan, draft, proof and publish your book, on any computer, with AI optional and on your own key.
Choose Novelcrafter if…
You want the widest choice of AI models, including ones you run on your own computer, and a large community of users.
Mythwrite and Novelcrafter in detailChoose Sudowrite if…
You want AI to do much of the drafting, with AI bundled into the price rather than on your own key.
Mythwrite and Sudowrite in detailChoose Atticus if…
You mainly need to format and publish, want to pay once, and want more design choice than Mythwrite offers.
Mythwrite and Atticus in detailChoose Vellum if…
You work on a Mac and want the most polished formatting, with the widest choice of trim sizes.
Mythwrite and Vellum in detailChoose Scrivener if…
You want a mature offline desktop app with deep compile options, or you do research-heavy or non-fiction work.
Mythwrite and Scrivener in detailChoose Dabble if…
You want a deliberately AI-free tool with live co-authoring, offline use and grammar checking.
Where Mythwrite shines
- The whole route in one place: plan, build your story bible, draft, proof with tracked changes, and publish a print PDF and EPUB, without a separate formatting tool.
- AI is optional and on your own key, and AI word tracking keeps a record of how much AI wrote, ready for a retailer's AI disclosure question.
- Privacy Mode proofing runs in your browser rather than through an AI provider.
- Read your book aloud while you edit, and produce audiobook audio from the same manuscript.
- Runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, and imports a full Novelcrafter export, codex included.
Where Mythwrite is weaker
- It needs an internet connection. Atticus, Vellum, Scrivener and Dabble all work offline.
- It has three trim sizes. Vellum lists 24 and Atticus has a deeper theme builder.
- AI runs on your own key (OpenRouter, Anthropic or OpenAI). Novelcrafter supports more providers, including models on your own computer, and Sudowrite bundles AI into the price.
- There is no live co-editing yet. Dabble offers live co-authoring.
- It is younger, with a smaller community than Novelcrafter's.
Questions
Good to know.
Which is the best novel writing software?
It depends on the job. For the whole route from outline to published EPUB and paperback PDF in one place, Mythwrite covers the most stages. For AI-led drafting, Sudowrite. For formatting alone, Vellum on a Mac or Atticus anywhere. For an offline desktop app, Scrivener.
Which of these can publish an EPUB and a print PDF?
Mythwrite, Atticus, Vellum and Scrivener. Novelcrafter's help pages list Word and Markdown export only, and Dabble does not support EPUB. Sudowrite's export guide lists Word and ZIP files.
Can I move my book and story bible from Novelcrafter?
Yes. Export a full ZIP from Novelcrafter and import it into Mythwrite. Your manuscript comes across with its chapters and scenes, and supported codex entries become Archivum entries. Our switching guide lists exactly what transfers.
Do I need to pay for AI separately?
With Mythwrite and Novelcrafter, AI is optional and billed by the AI provider on your own key. Sudowrite includes AI as monthly credits in its price. Scrivener and Dabble have no AI.
Is this comparison neutral?
No. We make Mythwrite. We have only stated what each company says on its own site, linked our sources, and listed where Mythwrite is weaker. Where a vendor's site does not mention a feature we say "Not listed" rather than assume it is missing.
Switching? Read our guides for Novelcrafter, Scrivener, Word or Google Docs and Atticus.
Try it on your own book.
Import a chapter, look around, and decide for yourself. 45 days free, no card required.
Sources
- Novelcrafter pricing (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Novelcrafter features (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Novelcrafter help: exporting your novel (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Novelcrafter help: collaboration (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Sudowrite pricing (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Sudowrite FAQ (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Sudowrite docs: exporting files (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Sudowrite docs: importing files (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Sudowrite help: mobile app (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Atticus home page (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Atticus collaboration roles (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Vellum home page (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Vellum specifications (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Vellum purchasing help (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Scrivener overview (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Scrivener FAQs (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Literature & Latte: Scrivener and AI (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Dabble pricing (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Dabble features (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Dabble docs: exporting (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Dabble docs: AI-free (accessed 26 October 2026)
"Not listed" means the feature was not described on the vendor pages we read, not that it is missing. All product names are the property of their owners and are used here only to identify them. Mythwrite is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of these companies.