# Page 3 | Plottr Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra

> Page 3 - Is Plottr the right Note-Taking solution for you? Explore 237 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/264561/Plottr/reviews

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Plottr

4.8 (237)

[View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/264561/Plottr/alternatives/)

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Last updated March 13th, 2026

# Page 3 - Reviews of Plottr

## Showing most helpful reviews

Showing 51-75 of 237 Reviews

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Reviewer's Role

Length of Use

Frequency of Use

ZJ

Zoe J.  
Author  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Amazing Software for Novel Planning"

February 10, 2023

5.0

This is helping store my plot. It will also help with my editing process as each scene can be tagged, characters, places added so I can see the big picture.

Pros

As a writer who likes to plan, this software is easy to use and apply. The freedom to move boxes around, drag and drop means changes can be simply and quickly applied. Change streams can be altered to be shown in parallel, so you can easily keep track of story changes and how they will fit in. Character templates and ability to store external data like photos and links is priceless. Series link although I have yet to try it will be brilliant

Cons

It has taken me a long time to find a template that works for me and how to set it up. Now I have, I’m never going back.

Review Source

Nikolai W.  
IT Desktop Support Technician  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Plottr - A Must-Have Tool for the Writer in You!"

January 16, 2023

5.0

Pros

Great tool for writers (both old and new) and world builders. I've always had a hard time organizing my thoughts and various plot points and most 'solutions' online require a subscription service as well as a constant online connection. Plottr is used offline, the advantage of a non-sub payment option, as well as having various tools for writers to lay things out makes this a must!

Cons

One thing as a writer I wish this had was some sort of character/plot relationship mindmap tree... showing maybe how one character knows/feels about another character or what plot points are dependent or touch on other plot points in a more visual 'tree' or 'mindmap' cloud sort of view would help immensely and visually.

Review Source

Zara A.  
Authro  
Arts and Crafts  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Plan, Organize, Personalize"

February 15, 2023

5.0

Pros

Plottr is a fabulous tool for collecting and organizing the information (data) that goes into creating a book. It's much more than an outlining tool. For fiction, you can create character backgrounds including context for each character. Templates create a story foundation which you can then customize adding timelines for character roles, events, etc. Notes captures and stores research. Everything is in one place. Easily export what you need to MSWord, Scrivener, and, for me, Ulysses. For non-fiction, Plottr helps create an outline that leads your reader toward the desired result you want them to achieve.Support is responsive and helpful. Awesome tool for writers!

Cons

Issues I had were removed with Plottr Pro. Highly recommend jumping in and using the Pro version.

Review Source

PD

Patrick D.  
Comic Creator  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "Useful and convenient tool"

December 19, 2022

5.0

I have been mostly satisfied with my Plottr experience. I have enjoyed recording my thoughts and developing a backlog of information.

Pros

I like how the tool allows me to better organize my thoughts as I come up with them. Very useful and convenient for when I come up with an idea and need to record it. Search and filter helps me find if I have any existing ideas already related to it, and tagging helps me avoid writing the same idea multiple times. I like how tags can be colored and grouped.

Cons

When removing a bullet from a bulleted list, the newlines are slightly offset, requiring each bullet to be manually modified to fix it.

Review Source

JA

Jessica A.  
Writer  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great product for authors"

June 28, 2023

5.0

Plottr has been a great tool in mapping out stories. Customer service has been very responsive and helpful when I've needed them too.

Pros

I like seeing a visual progression of my plots and being able to track what's happening as I build my stories. I also really enjoy the character feature. I use it as a mini story bible to collect key details about each character, which is especially helpful in developing a series with recurring characters.

Cons

I wish I could switch plot templates in an existing project. This would be nice if one wasn't working. It's definitely not a deal-breaker, though.

Review Source

ML

Mariana L.  
Owner  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Essential and intuitive software for writers. "

June 7, 2023

4.0

Pros

Plottr is a very intuitive bit of software for writers. I has become an absolutely essential tool in my writing. It’s various functions, such as organizing characters, places, tags, notes, are easy to use and so helpful, and the outline function is life changing. When I get overwhelmed or lost in the weeds I can simply refer to my color-coded timeline and I feel back on track. It’s drag and drop feature is smooth and it’s general visual layout is excellent.

Cons

Because this app is still in development, it sometimes has little quirks and issues, but the customer service is so fast and helpful. The lack of fonts sometimes feels limited as well.

Review Source

SM

Steven M.  
Author  
Publishing  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "I'm a fan of Plottr!"

January 18, 2023

5.0

Plottr not only helps with the outline that precedes the first page I write, but provides a way to edit the outline after I complete a rough draft. I then have a way to easily track my narrative timelines, check for inconsistencies, and either delete tangential material or fill in narrative gaps. E.g. in the former case, if I bog down in composing, I pull up my Plottr outline to provide a prompt. As I write and the story takes on its own life, I can revise the Plottr outline so that chapters still to be written will connect to what's already done. In the latter case, once I'm done with a rough draft, I use Plottr to create a more detailed outline in order to check my timeline and interior logic.

Pros

As a writer, I have always begun a new book with an outline. However, Plottr provides a way to organize it to create a better visual schematic. It also reminds me not to forget things as I build and gives me places to toss in notes I might or might not use, placing them in relevant categories (rather than sticking them in the margins of a traditional outline),

Cons

There's nothing I don't like. However, I've not used all the tools (e.g. Templates).

Review Source

EH

Elizabeth H.  
Author and editor  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "Indispensable Writing Companion"

November 9, 2022

5.0

Honestly, I've solved a lot of problems by using Plottr. I was struggling to organize this massive book series I was writing and figure out a timeline, but Plottr has allowed me to plan out through book ten, set up the stories, and organize the characters in ways I never had before. I have previously used World Anvil and other software, and I found it too overwhelming, but Plottr? Plottr is perfect for my needs.

Pros

The timeline feature has become absolutely necessary for me as I plan out my monstrous (30-book) series. The ability to track characters, create sheets, notes, and make myself a comprehensive but not overwhelming (like World Anvil) series bible is just... chef's kiss. Incredibly helpful, and I will never plot alone again.

Cons

I think the notes feature and the characters could be set up a little different. I'd like to see the ability to link things like a Wiki and/or have family trees and such. I think having the notes segment be given some more love and attention would be a huge help.

Review Source

Frank C.  
Senior Consultant  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "A very clever way to work with story planning"

January 3, 2023

5.0

On the whole this software has really helped me visualise and play with my story ideas which has greatly strengthened and improved the result.

Pros

Plottr is very easy to get started with, particularly when starting from one of the many customisable templates, and makes it easy to visualise and experiment with story structure, while also providing tools to get words "in the can"

Cons

The structure options are still inherently timeline-based and could benefit from features such as stacking or manually re-arranging cards (see Scrivener) or alternative layouts such as a multi-row layout for a single sequence (See Save The Cat)

Reason for choosing Plottr

The flexible timeline-based approach and the wealth of immediately-usable templates

Review Source

Response from Fictional Devices

January 4, 2023

Thanks for the review! Unless you mean something else, you can already stack and rearrange cards – see here: https://docs.plottr.com/article/283-timeline-scene-cards

VLW

Victoria LK W.  
author  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "An Essential Tool"

June 7, 2023

5.0

I can't believe how organized I have become using Plotter. I love that I can use the product in my own fashion. I rarely use templates, creating my own per series. The ability to smoothly work from either my laptop or tablet and not loose any info is great!

Pros

The ability to move things around on the timeline, having several books within one project, color coding, being able to be "on the go" with my projects by switching from computer to tablet. Where do I stop?

Cons

Not being able to easily print character or setting cards. Or printing all the characters on one page for ease of use

Alternatives considered

[Otter Systems](https://www.capterra.com/p/205069/Otter/)

Review Source

JR

Joanne R.  
Writer  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: I used a free trial

### "Perfect for this Pantser Who Needs to Outline"

November 2, 2022

5.0

I've been trying to write fiction for years and every time I started with a vague idea and began to scribble along, I ended up feeling lost. The look and feel of Plottr is restful and it seems to put an extra layer of creativity between my brain and the blank page. For example, I read many books on outlining and I have tried to outline a dozen times and each time I came up with a fancy plot outline I ended up stuck. It's one thing to know where to fill in all the turning points but it's another thing to keep the flow going. So I always felt constricted. Maybe it was just trying to use an outline that threw me off. When I try beginning and just telling the story as it appeared in my head, I also felt constricted. It was like traveling without a road map. A lot of the time, I questioned whether or not writing fiction was even a good idea because I couldn't do it as a pantser and I couldn't do it as an outliner. In Plottr, I can tell the snippets of the story as they blossom and I don’t have to care know that they're all out of order and out of sync and out of synchronicity. Basically, in Plottr, I don't feel like I'm working an algebraic equation. I am creating my story stroke by stroke.

Pros

What I like best about Plottr is that I can write a scene and not fret over where to place it because it's so easy to shuffle it to another more pertinent part of the story. Oh yeah, I can also flip from one project to another.

Cons

It all seems easy to use. I have no additional expectations or requirements of my writing program.

Review Source

PA

Pete A.  
writer  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "DO NOT BUY for multiple install on different PC or Android app"

March 19, 2023

1.0

They sell a multi license pack and charge one license for each install regardless of platform. The app for android does not work properly always losing data between saves. Also on the initial import from a copy you have saved somewhere else, only half the data is imported. Additionally, if you install on 3 PCs for example, you can open the original file from a shared location, but when it saves after you have made changes, it saves locally, rather than to the place you opened it from. This leads to out of sync conditions when you then go back to a different PC and try to open it...its the old version! Making it worse is that when it performs it's "backup" to the shared location, literally, it misses half the info you entered so its not really a backup. Overall, its pretty terrible and useless if you expect to use it without if losing your content continuously. My guess is that it works fine for a single install, but for multiple installs for yourself or to deploy to say a collaborator, it simply does not work. Their CS is nice, but are helpless as its the programming that is bad. OneNote, while not as cool, does a way better job and with 100% reliability. DO NOT BUY if you want multiple installations to work from different computer.

Pros

It looks cool and if it worked would be very useful. Nice simple UI and good features but could use some refinements.

Cons

It's unreliable and you will not be happy when you lose a full days work or worse. Plus the Backup can not be counted on as backup if used to a shared repository like OneDrive

Switched from

[Microsoft OneNote](https://www.capterra.com/p/227211/Microsoft-OneNote/)

It works must more reliably

Review Source

JB

John B.  
Writer  
Publishing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "A Great Strategic View of Work Being Created or Analyzed"

February 20, 2023

5.0

I have been with Plottr since close to the beginning, so seeing the functionality grow and improve and seeing the response of the business team to user needs, wants, and help requirements has been invigorating. Coming from a background of Business IT Systems development, the dynamic of the Plottr team and the users has been refreshing.

Pros

Creating a structure of horizontal Acts and Chapters and vertical scenes gives a clear view of the timelines and throughlines being developed. Using the Small version of the timeline and the roll-over scene card view offers a solid overview of any work you are writing.

Cons

As with any tool, from wood shop to garden to writing, I use the functions I want for the functionality I need, so I don't feel held back by any functions I don't want to implement.

Switched from

[Microsoft Word](https://www.capterra.com/p/227146/Microsoft-Word/)[Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/)

The left-to-right timeline structure with the vertical depth creates a very full strategic view of the work I am developing.

Review Source

ST

Sara T.  
Illustrator  
Fine Art  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Best program for plotting!"

May 24, 2023

4.0

I occasionally use it for children's books but mostly hobby writing between work. It's great for both and helps me keep organized. I've tried other similar programs in the past, but Plottr is the easiest and most thorough plotting program that I have used to date.

Pros

How easy it is to organize books, characters, and settings. It's perfect for working out my ideas and making sure each character is well fleshed out.

Cons

The inability to change the font throughout the interface. I don't really like the default font as I find it hard to read. It would be nice if they used something more standard like Helvetica or gave us the option to change the program's font style.

Switched from

[Scrivener](https://www.capterra.com/p/180597/Scrivener/)

Scrivener is fantastic but I found the learning curve confusing and much preferred the intuitiveness of Plottr after a free trial.

Review Source

RW

Rebecca W.  
Writer  
Publishing  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Excellent writing and organizational tool that easily integrates with my scrivener. "

November 5, 2022

5.0

Overall my experience has been wonderful. I love using it and it just keeps getting better and better.

Pros

I love the layout and organizational options. The timeline especially is helpful as I can see a linear representation of my story. There are so many great functions though it is hard to list them all.

Cons

Most of the issue I had with Plottr when I first started using it have since been resolved as they are constantly updating and adding new features. They only thing I would like is a separate timely in project or series view so we can keep track of important events across the entire series.

Review Source

PM

Puja M.  
NA  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Why Plottr helped me finish writing my book"

May 21, 2023

5.0

Writing is mostly re-writing and revising. You cannot move forward in the publishing process until you have a first draft. Something that took me a long time to come to terms with. As an indie author, Plottr has made it easy to get through the writing process faster. Its robust templates feature makes it easier to get through the first draft much quicker. It's also easier to keep track of research notes (which is crucial not to get lost in the sea of research notes), retrieve them when you need them, use them in your writing, and give proper citations.I also use the templates for sales descriptions, video scripts, and blog posts, simplifying the process and making it easy to integrate storytelling into the messaging.

Pros

The Templates Feature of Plottr sold it for me. The training materials, especially the educational videos, are extremely useful.

Cons

As with any writing app, you must get used to the features, which takes time. If you are not someone who has used other writing apps, it might feel overwhelming at first.

Review Source

Kristin M.  
Writer  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Plottr for writers "

November 27, 2023

5.0

Overall Plottr has been a great tool that has made writing and plotting much easier and more enjoyable

Pros

I love the templates that Plottr offers and the way you can utilize them with a timeline. It’s made plotting my writing projects so much easier.

Cons

Saving documents to your computer is a little tricky. I worry about losing projects if something were to happen to the program.

Review Source

CS

Cecile S.  
writer  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Awesome outlining software"

July 29, 2023

5.0

It is my "go to" outlining and writing software. I have customized it to work exactly as I need it to.

Pros

I love the visual timeline feature, where I am able to see several different timelines at the same time. It works very well for me in the organization of what happens when.

Cons

I would love to be able to move entire timelines from one book to the next, that is copy and save them from to the other.

Review Source

SH

Suzanne H.  
President  
Publishing  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "The most versatile and powerful tool I have found for plotting"

November 28, 2022

5.0

We use this product for developing books series and plotting specific books. I know it would be just as useful in developing plans for many purposes. It's my intention to use it for other aspects of my business as well. I love Plottr. I have a background in software and coding and find this package particularly appealing. I couldn't have dreamed up anything better myself.

Pros

I love how easy it is to move things around. You can insert new chapters, scenes, timelines, character sheets, etc, anywhere and add as much or as little description as you want. Adding notes doesn't bog down your plot. It's all easily accessible. I do a lot of research and develop many aspects to my characters and plots that never enter my books, and Plottr is the only tool I have found that is MORE helpful for plotting than the collection of programs and methods I devised for myself before. We have a team of authors working together that Varida publishes for and Plottr is one of the main tools we offer to all of them.

Cons

I haven't used all of Plottr's features. They are always adding new ones and they have quite a few tutorials I ought to check out. Is that a con? Not really. But it's my only regret. I don't take the time to learn more about it. When I first bought it, it was immediately useful and I just barreled ahead with what I needed it for.

Review Source

Nicole B.  
Author  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "A Pantser’s Dream"

December 2, 2022

5.0

Overall this program is amazing and something I always recommend, especially to new authors needing help with outlining. Plottr is versatile and easy to use.

Pros

I’m not a plotter, although I’ve tried. This program makes it easy for me to get my thoughts in order and have some semblance of planning without the complexity I’ve experienced with other programs.

Cons

I can’t think of a major con. The creators are amazing at listening to their customers and implementing asked for features.

Review Source

GR

Greer R.  
Author  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "I recommend this to literally everyone"

November 18, 2022

5.0

I am loving plottr and I will never go back. I recommend it to literally everyone and it was amazing to use for my six-book series instead of my 142 page google doc. The price is outstanding for what it offers.

Pros

Love the character feature and the timeline features

Cons

It has been buggy in the past but the customer service is the best I've ever encountered. I would like the option of putting things off the timeline, like just out in the open on the backboard if that makes sense, because it's a floating idea

Switched from

[Google Docs](https://www.capterra.com/p/160756/Google-Docs/)[Scrivener](https://www.capterra.com/p/180597/Scrivener/)

I loved the outline feature and being able to organize characters

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
writer  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Plottr review"

January 5, 2023

5.0

I'm keeping track of characters, locations, and relationships within my book series. It's much easier than using a spreadsheet as I find plottr to be a more visual tool. I love the customization options for the characters.

Pros

I like the ability to add photos and descriptions of characters, locations, create multiple plot lines within a long series, and color code everything.

Cons

Nothing really. I appreciate that they're always adding a new feature to the platform.

Review Source

KC

Kait C.  
Author  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Keeps me on point and on plot"

June 14, 2023

5.0

Fabulous. It's easy to use, the Plottr team are constantly working out bugs and developing new features and they are extremely responsive to questions and problems.

Pros

Plottr is easy to use and extremely efficient. I write mysteries and there are various ways to plot a mystery. Plottr offers multiple templates that I can use and stack to be certain my story makes sense. I can keep track of red herrings (and their resolutions), clues, subplots, my villain, and hero in one place and on one timeline. Just perfect.

Cons

The conversion to Scrivener isn't as clean as I would like. It's not an insurmountable problem, but it does take time to make the manual conversions.

Review Source

WD

Willie D.  
Screenwriter / Producer  
Motion Pictures and Film  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Plan Your Work, then Work Your Plan"

December 23, 2022

5.0

Makes my writing life way easier than it was.

Pros

This software helps me plot out the many steps of my stories. Just coming up with the premise is excellent, but how do all the other elements of the story fit? I've found many writers sloppy with their stories, hoping no one will question the logic. You paint yourself into a corner with no way out. With Plottr, you can find that creative way of getting out, and the audience loves how clever you were to do it.

Cons

Early on, it was jerky and slow, but now... it's fast and smooth.

Review Source

BN

Brent N.  
Novelist  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Excellent software for outlining novels"

January 3, 2023

5.0

This has streamlined my process with outlining new manuscripts, and with tracking details in existing manuscripts as I edit. It's also good as a series bible; it's a good place to fill in details about characters, locations, etc. before tackling a new book in an existing series.

Pros

It's pretty intuitive and the learning curve is extremely shallow. It's full of features I use all the time, without being cluttered with extraneous stuff. It performs a moderately simple function, very well. For example, I played briefly with Scrivener and abandoned it because it was hopelessly complex. Plottr is specialized; it's an excellent tool for outlining and for tracking endless details about characters, places, events, etc.

Cons

I'd really like it if there was a timeline feature. I've worked around it by adding a row to the scene list with the day of the week for each scene, but I wish it was integrated. I'm also mildly irritated by the way I have to move the mouse to the bottom of the screen and scroll right every time I insert a new scene in the timeline. It's exasperating when I'm filling in a dozen scenes in a row.

Reason for choosing Plottr

Excel is not optimized for novel outlining. Scrivener is expensive and Mac-oriented.

Review Source

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