novelWriter is a desktop text editor for writing novels built from many small text files, with simple notes and cross-references inside them. It is for authors who want to plan and write long books on their own computer.
Has 1 of 5
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does the whole job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
Manuskript is a free desktop program that helps writers plan, organize and write books and long stories. It is for authors who want a tool to draft and edit a novel on their own computer.
Has 3 of 5
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does the whole job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
bibisco is a free application for planning and writing novels. It is meant for fiction writers who want to organize chapters, scenes and characters in one place.
Has 1 of 5 · Exports e-books ✗
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Nobody has changed its code in over a year. It may still work well, but help is less likely.
Does the whole job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
None of these match. Try another device.
Help me choose
I want to pick an open-source replacement for Ulysses. Below is a list from Open Source Everything (CC BY-SA 4.0), in the order its website shows it. The order is a starting point, not a verdict.
- novelWriter: novelWriter is a desktop text editor for writing novels built from many small text files, with simple notes and cross-references inside them. It is for authors who want to plan and write long books on their own computer. [Easy setup; Windows · Linux; replaces fully; GPL-3.0; https://github.com/saga-soft/novelWriter]
- Manuskript: Manuskript is a free desktop program that helps writers plan, organize and write books and long stories. It is for authors who want a tool to draft and edit a novel on their own computer. [Easy setup; Windows · Mac · Linux; replaces fully; GPL-3.0; https://github.com/olivierkes/manuskript]
- bibisco: bibisco is a free application for planning and writing novels. It is meant for fiction writers who want to organize chapters, scenes and characters in one place. [Easy setup; devices not listed; replaces fully; GPL-3.0; no changes in over a year; https://github.com/andreafeccomandi/bibisco]
Setup rating: "Easy setup" means you can install it like a normal app, use it in a browser. "Advanced setup" means you must run it on your own server or use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Full details: https://opensourceeverything.org/data/groups/writing.json
Before recommending anything, ask me these three questions (one at a time, in plain words): 1) Which device or devices will I use it on (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone)? 2) How comfortable am I with technical setup: only installing apps from a store, happy to follow a step-by-step guide, or comfortable with servers and the command line? 3) What is my budget: free only, or willing to pay for hosting or support? Then recommend one to three projects from this list only, and for each say why, using how fully it replaces the app, its setup rating, and the devices it runs on. If nothing on the list fits me, say so plainly instead of stretching.
Before you build
Read the list of open-source projects at https://opensourceeverything.org/data/groups/writing.json. Compare it with my project or idea below. Tell me which projects overlap, what I could reuse instead of rewriting, and what mine does that none of them do.
My project or idea:
