Updated 8 November 2026
Best free novel writing software
The best free novel writing software is Reedsy Studio if you plan to self-publish, Google Docs if you just want to draft and share, and Feldar's free Starter plan (ours) if you want scene planning and some AI help. Here is what every free option actually gives you.
Free forever, free with limits, or a trial
"Free" covers four different deals in writing software, and mixing them up is how writers end up paying for something they thought was free:
- Free forever: the app costs nothing and the core features never expire. Google Docs and Reedsy Studio.
- A free plan with limits: free for good, but capped by words, characters or AI use. Feldar Starter, Campfire, LivingWriter and Squibler.
- A free trial: the full app for a few weeks, then you pay. Scrivener, Plottr, Novelcrafter, Dabble, Sudowrite and Microsoft Word.
- Pay once: not free, but no subscription. Scrivener, Atticus and Plottr's lifetime licence.
Every free option, side by side
What the free version of each app includes, where the limit is, and whether you can get your book out without paying.
| App | Free option | The limit | Export on the free version | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feldar Ours | Starter plan, free for good, no card | 500 AI credits, once. Writing and organizing never use credits | DOCX, PDF, Markdown, TXT | Scene planning and a story Canvas, with a taste of AI |
| Reedsy Studio | Free for good | Browser only; no offline writing yet | Print PDF and EPUB | Self-publishing on a budget |
| Google Docs | Free with a Google account | No novel structure beyond headings | .docx, PDF and more | Drafting and sharing with readers |
| Campfire | Free plan | 25,000 manuscript words, 10 characters, 20 timeline events, 2 maps | Not stated for the free plan | Trying the worldbuilding modules |
| LivingWriter | Free plan | AI and .docx export need a paid plan | Boards and story elements on any device | |
| Squibler | Free, 500 AI credits a month | Export needs a paid plan | None | Trying AI book generation |
| Scrivener | 30-day trial (Mac, Windows) | Then $59.99 once on Mac | Not checked for the trial | Testing before a one-time purchase |
| Plottr | 30-day trial | Then $60 a year or $150 once | Outline to Word and Scrivener | Testing visual outlining |
| Novelcrafter | 21-day trial, no card | Then from $4 a month; AI billed by your provider | .docx, Markdown | Testing a deep story bible |
| Dabble | 14-day trial, no card | Then from $15 a month billed yearly | Word, text; stays exportable after you stop paying | Testing the Plot Grid |
| Sudowrite | Free trial, no card | Then from $10 a month billed yearly | .docx | Testing AI drafting |
From each company's own pricing and help pages, checked 5 to 8 November 2026. The table scrolls sideways on small screens.
Which free option for which writer
Your first novel
Start in Google Docs if you just want to write. If you want a shape for the book from the first page, Feldar's Starter plan gives every chapter a scene list and keeps your characters and places beside the draft, free.
You plan to self-publish
Reedsy Studio. It is the only free option here that typesets a print-ready PDF and an EPUB, which is the step most free tools leave out.
You are building a world
Campfire's free plan lets you try maps, timelines and characters, but 25,000 words will not hold a novel. Use it for the world and write the book somewhere else, or upgrade.
You want to try AI
Feldar's Starter plan (500 credits, once) inside a full writing app, or Squibler's free plan (500 AI credits a month) if you want the AI to generate more of the book. Sudowrite and Novelcrafter offer trials.
You write with a group
Google Docs, for comments and suggestions anyone can use. Reedsy Studio also has free collaboration with tracked changes.
You hate subscriptions
None of the free options are perfect for you. Scrivener ($59.99 once on Mac) and Atticus ($147 once) are the best pay-once tools; take their trial or refund window seriously.
The catch with free
The real cost of a free writing app is usually not money. It is the day you want to leave. Before you put 60,000 words into any free tool, export a chapter and open it in Word. If it comes out clean, you are safe. If export is locked behind a paid plan, as it is on Squibler's free plan and for .docx on LivingWriter's, you are renting your own book.
The second catch is AI. Credits and allowances run out fastest when the AI drafts for you, and slowest when you write yourself and use AI to revise. In Feldar, writing, planning and organizing never use credits at all; only AI features do.
Third, read the training policy of anything free with AI. Feldar, Sudowrite, Novelcrafter, Dabble, LivingWriter and Reedsy say they do not use your writing to train AI. On free consumer chatbots, OpenAI may train on your chats unless you opt out.
Questions
Is there completely free novel writing software?
Yes. Google Docs and Reedsy Studio are free for good with no limit on manuscript length. Feldar's Starter plan is also free for good for writing and planning; only its AI features use credits, and Starter includes 500 of them once.
Is Scrivener free?
No. Scrivener has a 30-day free trial on Mac and Windows, then costs $59.99 once on macOS, with Windows and iOS licences sold separately.
Is Google Docs good enough to write a novel?
For drafting, yes; plenty of novels have been written in it. It has no scene cards, story bible or ebook output, and offline editing has to be set up in advance in Chrome or Edge. Many writers draft in Docs and move to a dedicated tool when the book gets big.
What is the best free novel writing app with AI?
Feldar's Starter plan if you want AI inside a full novel workspace, with suggestions you accept or dismiss. Squibler's free plan if you want the AI to generate more of the text. Both are free without a card.
Can I write a whole novel on a free plan?
In Google Docs, Reedsy Studio and Feldar Starter, yes. Campfire's free plan stops at 25,000 manuscript words, and Squibler's free plan cannot export, so neither works for a finished book without paying.
- Best novel writing softwareAll 12 apps compared: table, reviews and questions.
- For MacNative Mac apps, browser apps, and what works offline.