# Scrivener Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra > With the help of Capterra, learn about Scrivener Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Proofreading products and more. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/180597/Scrivener --- # Scrivener Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on December 14, 2025 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. Independent research methodology Capterra’s researchers use a mix of verified reviews, independent research and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or speak to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology. 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[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-ensure-transparency/) [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[Users](#users)[Pros and Cons](#pros-cons)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Scrivener ## What is Scrivener? Proofreading solution designed to help writers, novelists, and students arrange researched data, notes, and references into manageable sections. The platform enables team members to add comments and annotations, insert images, edit text size, and highlight phrases in the document. Scrivener also allows businesses to set word or character targets, track the progress of revisions, use labels to color-code specific sections of the write-up, and auto-save projects on a unified interface. ## What is Scrivener used for? [Proofreading](https://www.capterra.com/proofreading-software/) Overall rating Based on 202 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 94% Neutral 5% Negative 1% Pros & cons Streamlined writing workflow features Comprehensive project organization tools Challenging initial learning experience Starting price $49 Flat Rate, One Time Free trial available Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for Scrivener?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=https://www.literatureandlatte.com&name=Scrivener) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Scrivener 4.7 (202) VS. [4.6 (5,726)](https://www.capterra.com/p/147657/monday-com/reviews/) Starting Price $49 Flat Rate, One Time Starting Price $9 Per User, Per Month Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 3.9 (202) Ease Of Use 4.5 (3) Value For Money 4.6 (166) Value For Money 4.3 (3) Customer Service 4.3 (97) Customer Service 4.4 (3) ## Scrivener alternatives [4.6 (2,222)](https://www.capterra.com/p/146652/Airtable/reviews/) Starting price $20.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 96% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars Highest Rated [4.8 (417)](https://www.capterra.com/p/178111/Ziflow/reviews/) Starting price $199.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 100% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.4 (2,887)](https://www.capterra.com/p/76113/Wrike/reviews/) Starting price $10.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 89% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.8 (51)](https://www.capterra.com/p/163308/PageProof/reviews/) Starting price $249.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 98% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/180597/Scrivener/alternatives/) ## Who uses Scrivener? Based on Capterra reviews from the past 6 years ## Pros and Cons Streamlined writing workflow features 95% positive reviews out of 110 Most users comment writing process benefits from flexible outlining, editing, and tracking tools for various writing formats. Michael G Writer, 1 employee. "Scrivener streamlines the writing process a great deal, and is a must-have for any budding novelist. " Challenging initial learning experience 49% negative reviews out of 47 Some reviewers feel training and learning curve is steep, with complex features and unintuitive navigation for beginners. Comprehensive project organization tools 100% positive reviews out of 39 Most reviewers describe organizing projects as seamless, enabling structured management of ideas, documents, and resources. Paul T ESL Teacher, 1 employee. "The best thing about Scrivener is the way that you can visually organize the sections of your project." Integrated research and writing platform 95% positive reviews out of 21 Most reviewers indicate research management allows storing, accessing, and organizing notes and references within one workspace. ## Features Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically. Text Editing 4.6 (52) 69.23% of 52 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important With Scrivener’s text editing capabilities, you can easily rearrange chapters, edit scenes, and switch between different editing modes. Reviewers appreciate the flexibility, user-friendly interface, and quick navigation, though some mention complex formatting and a learning curve. Spell Check 4.1 (47) 59.57% of 47 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Scrivener offers a built-in spell check that helps catch errors and allows you to add custom words. Some users say it’s reliable and convenient, but others find it basic compared to dedicated tools and sometimes prefer using external spell checkers. Grammar Check 4.0 (42) 50.00% of 42 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important This capability provides integrated grammar checking and supports third-party tools like Grammarly and ProWritingAid. Reviewers indicate it’s helpful for catching mistakes, but many prefer using external grammar checkers for more thorough suggestions and advanced corrections. Reporting & Statistics 4.5 (40) 45.00% of 40 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important It gives you detailed word counts, progress tracking, and writing targets. Reviewers appreciate the ability to set daily or project goals, monitor progress, and view word frequency, though some feel the presentation could be improved and only use basic metrics. Document Review 4.4 (34) 55.88% of 34 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Review and analyze existing information across documents Customizable Templates 4.7 (22) 36.36% of 22 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Pre-designed layouts that can be customized to match preferences and requirements Scrivener 12 features Centralized repository to store content and assets Handles digital content throughout its lifecycle, from creation and storage to distribution and archiving Pre-designed layouts that can be customized to match preferences and requirements Import and export data to and from software applications Review and analyze existing information across documents This capability provides integrated grammar checking and supports third-party tools like Grammarly and ProWritingAid. Reviewers indicate it’s helpful for catching mistakes, but many prefer using external grammar checkers for more thorough suggestions and advanced corrections. It gives you detailed word counts, progress tracking, and writing targets. Reviewers appreciate the ability to set daily or project goals, monitor progress, and view word frequency, though some feel the presentation could be improved and only use basic metrics. Input different types of content and edit text formats, fonts, font sizes, and colors Scrivener offers a built-in spell check that helps catch errors and allows you to add custom words. Some users say it’s reliable and convenient, but others find it basic compared to dedicated tools and sometimes prefer using external spell checkers. Create, save, and re-purpose templates for emails, forms, etc. With Scrivener’s text editing capabilities, you can easily rearrange chapters, edit scenes, and switch between different editing modes. Reviewers appreciate the flexibility, user-friendly interface, and quick navigation, though some mention complex formatting and a learning curve. Set up connections to third-party platforms to improve business processes Features 4.6 (202) 4.6 Based on 202 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.6 (166) Free Trial [View pricing plan details](https://www.capterra.com/p/180597/Scrivener/pricing/) Standard Licence for macOS $49.00 Flat Rate,One Time Educational Licence for macOS $41.65 Flat Rate,One Time iOS $19.99 Flat Rate,One Time Standard Licence for Windows $3,890 Flat Rate,One Time Educational Licence for Windows $3,306.5 Flat Rate,One Time Bundles $6,500 Flat Rate,One Time Value for money 4.6 (166) 4.6 Based on 166 reviews ## Integrations [ ProWritingAid](https://www.capterra.com/p/170745/ProWritingAid/) ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.3 (97) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.3 (97) 4.3 Based on 97 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.7 Based on 202 reviews Filter by rating 5(151) 4(38) 3(10) 2(1) 1(2) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent LM Lisa M. Author Writing and Editing ### "Scrivener makes creative writing projects easier to visualize, plan, and edit" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 March 26, 2025 Love it. I use it for all my creative writing projects - both fiction and non-fiction. I'm currently using it to draft out my third book. Pros I really love the cork board features. It makes it so easy to move pieces of text or themes around so that you can get a sense of how everything fits together and flows. Also love how easy it is to customize your binder with different folders for different types of research so that you can keep everything in one binder while still having a clear sense of what your word count is on the main draft. Cons I don't find it easy to work with images in Scrivener. Inserting images straight into a draft leads to a massive file size on compile, with no easy way to resize images straight in the draft in ways that commensurately reduces the size of the image file. There are work-arounds for this, but they feel a bit fiddly. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. GC Gil C S. President Information Services ### "Scrivener Is Okay, But That's Not Enough" 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 January 16, 2025 I did complete 2 books on it, but the 4 works in progress remained in a state of limbo until I opted for another writing app. I'd say that, for me, Scrivener was great 25% of the time, so-so 50% of the time, and a pain to deal with 25% of the time. Enough to get me through 2 books, not enough to make me stay. I may try it again if I get a free copy, but not until them Pros It does a wonderful job of guiding a novice writer to understand the structure of fiction and non-fiction. The app helps to organize ideas, concepts, research, and notes, plus it supports multiple editing passes, a must for truly improving your writing. Cons If your solution takes a one-hour to video to explain its best usage, that's a problem. I came to Scrivener having written well over 2 million published words, and while other pro writers swear by it, I often found myself swearing at it. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. TW Todd W. Author Entertainment ### "Great for writing!" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 January 8, 2025 I've enjoyed using Scrivener. I have started writing a book and it is able to keep all my thoughts in order as well as the actual story line. Pros The ease of use and the multitude of features. Cons No real cons. This program is easy to use and has a ton of features Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. KR Karen R. Artist and Writer Arts and Crafts ### "Okay for Writing, Not Good for Worldbuilding" 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 2.0 2.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 6/10 January 6, 2025 I've spent a lot of time using Scrivener to organize my stories and worldbuilding. Although I did appreciate the layout in terms of being able to readily access written documents, I got frustrated with the formatting abilities and eventually chose to use Evernote. Another drawback with Scrivener is the lack of cloud syncing. Because I only could access the file on one computer, I had to transfer ideas from other sources, such as Google Tasks, into the scrivener file on that specific computer. It would have been easier if I could access Scrivener online, so I didn't have to keep transferring notes over to the file. Pros My favorite part about Scrivener is that you can access your notes side by side. It's easy to put your different notes in folders and easy to organize the different pages. This makes it a better choice than Microsoft Word or a similar program for writing stories. Cons I did not like the formatting at all in Scrivener. I had used Scrivener for writing for a while, but I stopped because the ability to format text was strange. I wanted to use it for world-building documents, which requires a variety of text (bold, underline, bullet points, etc.). However, in Scrivener, the indents were off and the inserted tables hard to work with. The bullet points would line up with the left side of the title text which didn't look right. The final product didn't look as good as it does in other programs such as Microsoft Word or Evernote. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. BM Blake M. Author Writing and Editing ### "Every writer needs this software " 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 September 27, 2024 I love it. It’s so helpful once you get the hang of it. Pros I was having trouble with the pace of my books and this software has helped me so much. I’m always top ten in my genre with every release now. Cons I wish the proofreading was more thorough. It catches misspelling but not grammar. I wish it had that so I don’t have to scan my document with additional software. Switched from [Microsoft Word](https://www.capterra.com/p/227146/Microsoft-Word/) For help with the pacing of my novels. It’s easier to review in Scrivener. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AU Anonymous User Owner Entertainment ### "Scrivener... A Work Library for All My Masterpieces" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 August 29, 2024 I have tried other writing tools, but I keep going back to Scrivener. Once I learned how to maximize the platform there hasn't been another tool l've liked more! Pros Scrivener makes keeping my writing organized super easy! I love the fact that I can use it both on my computer and my phone. Cons It took a while to get the hang of some of the features, but it was worth the work! Alternatives considered [Microsoft Word](https://www.capterra.com/p/227146/Microsoft-Word/) Reasons for choosing Scrivener The number of features made it an obvious choice to use! Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AS Amanda S. Author Publishing ### "The Only Thing You Need to Write a Novel with. " 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 June 9, 2024 I love Scrivener. Been using it for a long time, at least seven years. I could never go back to Word or contemplate using Google docs. The software is a beast for authors. Based on the price point, the free upgrades, and zero subscription fees is worth it alone. Pros Scrivener makes it easy to write a full length novel. It was next to impossible for me to not just keep track of my manuscript in Word but to jump around the document to random scenes. I love the binder and the inspector features. The way the software is designed it's an all-inclusive word process with tools to help me keep my manuscript organized which means more time spent on writing. Cons The only con is that it takes a quite a bit of a learning curve. If you want to use the simple word processing features then no added lessons needed. However, if you want to use the other features, which aren't necessarily obvious, be prepared to take a course in how to use the software. It's the only way I was able to unlock/figure out all the features I love using currently. Switched from [Microsoft Word](https://www.capterra.com/p/227146/Microsoft-Word/) Word couldn't handle my document and didn't have the features I needed. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. NB Nicole B. Editor Writing and Editing ### "Best novel-writing software" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 10, 2024 Pros I've been using Scrivener for over five years as a fiction writer, and I love having all my materials in one place--outline, character profiles, location info, research and more. And the word processing feature is robust and makes it easy to break my writing up into chapters or scenes. I use it for all my first drafts. Cons There's definitely a learning curve if you want to get the most out of its features, but they've gotten better with tutorials and walk-throughs than it was when I first started using it. Other than that, I think it's a fantastic tool for authors. Switched from [Microsoft Word](https://www.capterra.com/p/227146/Microsoft-Word/) So many more features, and the ability to have all my materials together in one program without having to keep switching windows or opening multiple files. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RC Richard C. CEO Human Resources ### "Writing's on the Wall" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 February 13, 2024 I generally love it. It's my go to software for writing and compiling documents for books, presentations, trainings, business plans, and SOR, and much more I'm probably forgetting. Overall very positive. And if I recall when I had interactions with support they were responsive and extremely helpfully. I think it was related to installing on a second computer. Pros I like that I can map out, plan, write, rearrange, reorder, and edit, documents easily. In my case this is presentation scripts, books, and also business plans, and SORs. It's so nice to just be able to move sections of writing around easily. Which leaves time for just writing without worrying about the order. Cons There's little I didn't like about it. I know I'm only scratching the surface with what I use it for, even as a writer, marketer, and author. So nothing stands out as an 'I don't like' for me. Switched from [Pages](https://www.capterra.com/p/229116/Pages/) [Google Docs](https://www.capterra.com/p/160756/Google-Docs/) [Microsoft Word](https://www.capterra.com/p/227146/Microsoft-Word/) Scrivener is powerful, full-featured, yet simple and easy to use. Just the navigator and being able to easily rearrange sections and keep things organised did it for me. Reasons for choosing Scrivener Evernote. Hemmingway. Microsoft Word. Apple Pages. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. PB Per B. Professor Research ### "Scrivener, best for writing longer documents" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 January 2, 2024 Scrivener is an excellent tool for writing longer publications, but I wish it will provide a better integration with more reference managers in the future. Give it a go and see how it can revolutionise your writing experience. Pros Scrivener is a fantastic tool for anyone who needs to write longer publications. Whether you're working on a book or a thesis, Scrivener offers a range of features that can greatly enhance your writing process. The most notable feature of Scrivener is its outline system. Instead of working with a single, linear document, Scrivener allows you to break your writing into smaller, manageable chunks. These chunks, known as "scrivenings," can be easily rearranged, edited, and viewed in a way that suits your needs. This makes it incredibly easy to maintain an overview of the document even when it is becoming substantial. Cons The integration between Scrivener and the reference manager I use (Bookends) is not so well developed yet, forcing me to export to MS Word to run Bookends to generate the reference list when the document is done. It works, but is a hassle when wanting to change anything in the document and having to redo the entire process. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/180597/Scrivener/reviews/) Popular comparisons [monday.com vs Scrivener](https://www.capterra.com/compare/147657-180597/monday-com-vs-Scrivener)[Airtable vs Scrivener](https://www.capterra.com/compare/146652-180597/Airtable-vs-Scrivener)[Ziflow vs Scrivener](https://www.capterra.com/compare/178111-180597/Ziflow-vs-Scrivener)[Filecamp vs Scrivener](https://www.capterra.com/compare/133218-180597/Filecamp-vs-Scrivener)[Wrike vs Scrivener](https://www.capterra.com/compare/76113-180597/Wrike-vs-Scrivener) [ClickUp vs Scrivener](https://www.capterra.com/compare/158833-180597/ClickUp-vs-Scrivener)[Smartsheet vs Scrivener](https://www.capterra.com/compare/79104-180597/Smartsheet-vs-Scrivener)[ProofHub vs Scrivener](https://www.capterra.com/compare/118040-180597/ProofHub-vs-Scrivener)[Filestage vs Scrivener](https://www.capterra.com/compare/162035-180597/Filestage-vs-Scrivener)[Admation vs Scrivener](https://www.capterra.com/compare/180597-252371/Scrivener-vs-Admation)  Independent research methodology Capterra's researchers use a mix of verified reviews, independent research and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or speak to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/proprietary-data-research/) How Capterra verifies reviews Capterra carefully verified over 2.5 million+ reviews to bring you authentic software experiences from real users. Our human moderators verify that reviewers are real people and that reviews are authentic. They use leading tech to analyze text quality and to detect plagiarism and generative AI. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-verify-reviews/) How Capterra ensures transparency Capterra lists all providers across its website—not just those that pay us—so that users can make informed purchase decisions. Capterra is free for users. Software providers pay us for sponsored profiles to receive web traffic and sales opportunities. 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