Novelist
A genuinely free mobile novel planner with boards, scenes, goals, history, and no ad slot lurking under the keyboard.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-11
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Free tier / Free tool)
- License
- proprietary, free
- Hosting Model
- Local (on your machine)
- Platforms
- mobilewebone-click install
- Installation
- Install from Google Play or the App Store, or open the companion web app in a browser
- Where Your Data Lives
- Projects are kept in the app/browser's local storage; backups can be exported to device storage or a user-selected cloud provider such as Google Drive, and manuscripts export as EPUB, ODT, or HTML
- The Catch / Trade-off
- It is strong for mobile planning, but its editor, export and desktop workflow are less substantial than Dabble's full cross-device manuscript environment.
Replaces 3 paid apps
up to $34/mo ($408/yr) in subscriptions
Novelist FAQ
Common questions
Is Novelist free and open source?+
Novelist is a free tool that runs on local. A genuinely free mobile novel planner with boards, scenes, goals, history, and no ad slot lurking under the keyboard.
What paid software does Novelist replace?+
Novelist serves as a free replacement for 3 paid SaaS applications: Dabble, LivingWriter, Novelcrafter, saving up to $34/month ($408/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up Novelist?+
Installation: Install from Google Play or the App Store, or open the companion web app in a browser.
What is the catch or trade-off with Novelist?+
It is strong for mobile planning, but its editor, export and desktop workflow are less substantial than Dabble's full cross-device manuscript environment.