What is Novelcrafter?
Novelcrafter is a writing platform for novelists and other long-form authors. Its core is the Codex, a wiki-style story bible where you record characters, locations and lore; the Codex tracks and links these entries automatically across scenes and across books in a series.
AI is optional and you control how much you use. Depending on your plan you can summarize scenes, extract characters, generate drafts from scene beats, or chat with a model about your manuscript. You can connect your own API key from providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral or OpenRouter, or run local models through LM Studio or Ollama. Planning modes help spot plot holes and continuity issues, and the tool is also used for collaboration with co-authors, editors and writing teams.
Key features
- Codex story bible tracking characters, locations and lore automatically
- Planning modes for spotting plot holes and inconsistencies
- Series and shared Codex across books
- Scene summarization and character extraction with AI (paid plans)
- Connection to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, OpenRouter and local models
- Collaboration with editors, proofreaders and writing teams
Who is it for
- novelists
- series authors
- fiction writers across genres
- co-authors and writing teams
Pros and cons
- Codex keeps world-building consistent across a series
- Choice of AI model or fully local models, with no lock-in
- Advanced AI and collaboration features require higher-tier plans
- AI usage on some plans requires your own API key
Novelcrafter pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Scribe | 4 USD / month | Unlimited books, series, basic review tools, Codex; no AI features |
| Hobbyist | 8 USD / month | Adds AI with your own key (BYOK), scene summarization, character extraction, generation from scene beats |
| Artisan | 14 USD / month | Adds chat features, workshop chat, advanced review features (planned) |
| Specialist | 20 USD / month | Adds collaborative writing and creating and managing teams |
Prices copied from Novelcrafter pricing, checked October 12, 2026. Currency as shown by the vendor; taxes may apply.
Novelcrafter pricing details →
Is Novelcrafter free?
There is a free trial. 21-day free trial with all features unlocked, no credit card required.
Novelcrafter alternatives
| Tool | Price from | Free plan | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
 LanguageTool | 49,90 PLN/mo | yes | Writing & editing |
 Grammarly | 12 USD/mo | yes | Writing & editing |
 QuillBot | not listed | ? | Writing & editing |
 Compose AI | not listed | yes | Writing & editing |
 Teal | 13 USD | yes | Writing & editing |
 Hemingway Editor Plus | not listed | trial | Writing & editing |
All alternatives to Novelcrafter →
FAQ
What is Novelcrafter used for?
Novel writing software with a story bible (Codex), planning tools and optional AI assistance for authors writing books, series and other long-form fiction.
Is Novelcrafter free?
There is a free trial. 21-day free trial with all features unlocked, no credit card required.
How much does Novelcrafter cost?
The cheapest paid plan is 4 USD/mo (vendor pricing, October 12, 2026).
What are the best Novelcrafter alternatives?
Closest alternatives: LanguageTool, Grammarly, QuillBot, Compose AI, Teal.
Data checked October 12, 2026 on the vendor website (novelcrafter.com).