Writing a novel is enough of a challenge. You shouldn’t also have to worry about paying a monthly fee just to keep access to your own manuscript.
Whether you want the comfort of a one-time purchase or a reliable free app that won’t suddenly disappear behind a paywall, there are great tools out there that let you stay fully in control of your writing. No subscriptions required.
Below are the best options for novelists who want to focus on their words, not their billing cycles.
Storywriter Pro
A clean, modern space built for fiction (one-time purchase)
If you love structure but hate clutter, Storywriter Pro is designed with you in mind. It gives you what you need to build a novel (scenes, chapters, character notes) without the endless panels and complexity that slow you down.
No accounts. No cloud dependency. No recurring payments. Just a tool that works offline, keeps your files local, and gets out of the way so you can write.
Best for: Writers who want a simple, dedicated novel-writing environment — without subscriptions.
Scrivener
Feature-rich and customizable (one-time purchase)
Scrivener is the heavyweight of the writing world. It’s been around for years and is packed with tools for planning and research. If you enjoy tinkering with labels, corkboards, metadata, and deep organization, you’ll enjoy the power here, once you learn it.
Best for: Authors who like to plan intensively and don’t mind a learning curve.
iA Writer
Minimal and beautiful (one-time purchase per platform)
For writers who just want a blank page and calm focus, iA Writer nails the drafting experience. It strips everything back to words and flow. Though it’s not specifically for novels, many authors love it as their drafting zone before moving to a more structured tool later.
Best for: Writers who crave distraction-free drafting and don’t need structure features.
Google Docs
Free and familiar
Google Docs is available everywhere and great for collaboration between editors, co-writers, or writing groups. But when your book grows beyond a few chapters, it becomes a scrolling labyrinth. Managing chapters and story structure takes a lot of manual effort.
Best for: Writers working closely with collaborators.
LibreOffice Writer
Fully offline and fully free
LibreOffice gives you a traditional word processor with no strings attached. It handles long documents well enough, but you’ll be setting up your own folders, spreadsheets, and systems to keep everything straight.
Best for: Budget-focused writers who don’t mind old-school organization.
Quoll Writer
Free and fiction-focused — but feels dated
Quoll Writer offers character and story tools without a price tag. It has potential but development is slow, and the interface is less polished than more modern options.
Best for: Writers who want a structured fiction tool for free.
So, Which One Should You Choose?
It comes down to how you like to work:
- If you want total simplicity, iA Writer keeps your page clean.
- If you want feature depth, Scrivener can do almost anything.
- If you want Google-style collaboration, Docs is effortless.
- If you want core features and control of your work without ongoing costs, that’s where Storywriter Pro shines.
Final Thoughts
A novel lasts a lifetime. The software you write it in shouldn’t vanish if your monthly payment stops.
Whether you choose a free tool or a one-time purchase, look for something that supports your process, protects your work, and helps you stay in the flow.