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Scrivener Review: Price, Features and Score

Scrivener: Desktop and iOS app for drafting and structuring long manuscripts. $59.99 one-time, on Mac, Windows and iOS. We did not test it; the facts come from its own pages.

Prices and data checked October 7, 2026 · Author Score computed by a published formula, not paid for

Scrivener on the BookBird Author Score

Author Score · book writing software · #4 of 16 ·

Best for: Mac or Windows authors who want a one-time licence

BookBird Author Score7.7/10 #4 of 16 book writing software. Worked out from Scrivener’s own pages, its price and US searches for its name, not typed in. Author jobs50 pts43.8/50Each of the 8 author jobs on the book writing software list is worth an equal share of 50 points, and counts only when Scrivener’s own pages confirm it. 7 of 8 confirmed = 43.8 points. A job the vendor does not mention earns nothing.Cost25 pts23.2/25Scrivener costs $20 a year on its cheapest plan. Free earns 25 points; the dearest book writing software product with a US price, Dabble at $228 a year, keeps 5; prices in between fall in a straight line. $20 = 23.2 points.Adoption25 pts10.3/25Searches, 20 points: 720 a month for “scrivener software”, against Google Docs, the most searched in this category (20,400,000), on a log scale = 7.8. Trend, 5 points: up 0% (last three months against the first three of the year) = 2.5; a fall of half or more earns 0, no change 2.5, a rise of half or more 5. 77.3 of 100 points= 7.7 out of 10 The full method, with every product’s points →

Author jobs, from Scrivener’s own pages

  • Yes: Chapters and scenes you can reorder
  • Yes: Word-count goals
  • Yes: Notes beside the manuscript
  • Yes: Version history or snapshots
  • Not stated: Works offline (not stated)
  • Yes: Exports to Word (DOCX)
  • Yes: Exports a book file (EPUB or print PDF)
  • Yes: Syncs across devices

Visit Scrivener

Scrivener pricing

One-time licence. Free trial: 30 days. Plans, in US dollars:

  • Standard Licence for macOS: $59.99 one-time
  • Standard Licence for Windows: $59.99 one-time
  • Scrivener 3 for macOS and Windows (bundle): $95.98 one-time
  • Scrivener for iPad and iPhone: $23.99 one-time (shown as US$23.99 on the store iOS tab; sold separately per platform)
  • Educational Licence (macOS / Windows): price in USD not confirmed

macOS/Windows/bundle USD prices from the Paddle price API the store uses (product ids 558657, 558662, 648447, customer_country=US); the store page itself shows PLN to a Polish visitor. Separate licence per platform.

What Scrivener offers

  • Binder, corkboard and outliner over the same text; moving a card moves the section
  • Research files (PDFs, images, web pages) kept inside the project beside the draft
  • Word or character targets for the manuscript, sections or a session, plus writing history
  • Snapshots of a section before revising, with a compare view
  • Compile to Word, RTF, PDF, ebook, Final Draft or plain text with separate formatting per output
  • Split editor with up to four documents open at once
  • Labels, status and custom metadata on every section
  • Syncs with the iOS app through Dropbox

Runs on: Mac, Windows and iOS. Exports: Word, RTF, OpenOffice, PDF, EPUB, Final Draft and TXT.

Scrivener alternatives

SoftwareScorePrice fromBest for
Novlr8.7Free plan; paid from $8 a month (billed yearly)Writers wanting a free web app with no built-in AI
Google Docs8.3FreeAuthors sharing drafts with editors at no cost
LivingWriter7.8Free plan; paid from $179 a yearPlotters writing on web, desktop and mobile
Ulysses7.6$39.99 a yearApple-only writers who like plain-text markup
Storyist7.5$19 one-timeApple users who want a one-time purchase with ebook export

Compare: All book writing software · All software for authors

How the score is computed: the formula, step by step.