NovelPad vs Scrivener

Struggling to choose between NovelPad and Scrivener? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

NovelPad is a Education & Reference solution with tags like novel, fiction, writing, word-processor.

It boasts features such as Minimalist interface, Focus mode hides all menus, Basic text formatting tools, Auto-save and version history, Word count tracking, Export to PDF and ePub and pros including Free and open source, Lightweight and fast, Clean, distraction-free writing space, Active development and community support.

On the other hand, Scrivener is a Office & Productivity product tagged with writing, authoring, drafting, outlining.

Its standout features include Corkboard view to visualize story structure, Outliner to organize scenes and chapters, Annotations and comments to provide feedback on drafts, Split screen to view multiple documents, Templates for common formats like novels and screenplays, Revision tracking to compare draft changes, Export to common formats like PDF and ePub, and it shines with pros like Powerful tools for planning and organizing long documents, Flexible interface to suit different writing styles, Great for collaborating with editors and co-authors, Robust formatting and export options, Helpful for drafting and revising.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

NovelPad

NovelPad

NovelPad is a free, minimalist word processor designed specifically for writing novels and longer works of fiction. It provides a distraction-free interface with basic formatting tools to keep the focus on writing.

Categories:
novel fiction writing word-processor

NovelPad Features

  1. Minimalist interface
  2. Focus mode hides all menus
  3. Basic text formatting tools
  4. Auto-save and version history
  5. Word count tracking
  6. Export to PDF and ePub

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Lightweight and fast

Clean, distraction-free writing space

Active development and community support

Cons

Limited features compared to full word processors

No collaborative editing

Lacks advanced formatting options

Only available on Windows


Scrivener

Scrivener

Scrivener is professional writing software used by authors to plan, organize and write long documents like novels and screenplays. It has features like corkboard, outliner, annotations, and split screen to help write drafts and revisions.

Categories:
writing authoring drafting outlining

Scrivener Features

  1. Corkboard view to visualize story structure
  2. Outliner to organize scenes and chapters
  3. Annotations and comments to provide feedback on drafts
  4. Split screen to view multiple documents
  5. Templates for common formats like novels and screenplays
  6. Revision tracking to compare draft changes
  7. Export to common formats like PDF and ePub

Pricing

  • One-time Purchase

Pros

Powerful tools for planning and organizing long documents

Flexible interface to suit different writing styles

Great for collaborating with editors and co-authors

Robust formatting and export options

Helpful for drafting and revising

Cons

Steep learning curve

Overwhelming interface for new users

Limited cloud sync and collaboration features

Windows and Mac only, no Linux or mobile versions

Can be slow with very large documents