1. How do you access the project?
A web application can also be installable and work offline. Compare supported devices, synchronisation, offline recovery and file retrieval.
Which software should you choose to write a novel?
The seven tools do not each need to win a category. Plumelin covers the most stages within one project: planning, writing, goals and streaks, connected worldbuilding, collaboration, revision and book production. The others become relevant when a specific constraint matters more than that continuity.
Seven tools without false symmetry
A representative, non-exhaustive selection. No competitor receives an artificial advantage simply to balance the table. We distinguish a capability Plumelin lacks from a mere interface difference, then keep only the differences that genuinely affect the choice.
| Tool | Best suited to | Distinctive strength | Check | Detailed comparison |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumelin | Novels whose outline, text, progress, world, review and output need to live together. | An installable, local-first studio: corkboard, arcs, timeline, goals, pace, streaks, connected worldbuilding, collaboration and book production. | Advanced exports and suggestions require Author; only an owner who opens their project to others needs Studio. | Discover Plumelin |
| Scrivener | Authors who mostly write alone and want to shape a local project freely. | Highly configurable binder, research and compilation. | Real-time collaboration and structured worldbuilding are not central to its proposition. | Plumelin vs Scrivener |
| Google Docs | Groups that want to share a familiar general-purpose document immediately. | Quick setup, co-editing, comments and history in the Google ecosystem. | The novel’s structure, world and production workflow still have to be built around the document. | Plumelin vs Google Docs |
| Ellipsus | Authors who want free collaboration without participant limits, several text variants or direct AO3 publishing. | A free plan with unlimited documents, drafts and collaborators, real-time co-editing, comparison and merging, 37 themes and AO3 publishing. | The application requires an active connection, and downloads are made one document at a time with drafts downloaded separately. | Plumelin vs Ellipsus |
| Dabble | Novelists who specifically prefer the Plot Grid and a more focused fiction environment. | A centralised Plot Grid view; Plumelin also provides an outline, corkboard, arcs, timeline, scenes and goals. | The price after the trial and the depth you need for connected worldbuilding, collaboration and book production. | Plumelin vs Dabble |
| Novlr | Authors who prefer fewer features around the book and detailed analysis of their habits. | A clean interface and more granular statistics by period, hour, day and section length. | Plumelin already covers goals, deadlines, pace, estimated date, streaks and calendar. Novlr officially keeps an open online session running after a connection loss; only our full offline reload test failed. | Plumelin vs Novlr |
| Ulysses | Authors who want a native Mac, iPad and iPhone app or direct blog publishing. | A native Apple workflow, highly configurable goals, CSV history and direct publishing to several web platforms. | Dependence on Apple platforms and the absence of a dedicated collaboration or story-world model. | Plumelin vs Ulysses |
Seven criteria for choosing
A comparison becomes useful when every term describes a concrete consequence in an author’s daily work.
2. How do you structure the novel?
Check whether the tool clearly distinguishes parts, chapters and scenes, and whether you can move the outline without losing the corresponding text.
3. Where does worldbuilding live?
Separate notes may be enough for a small project. In a complex world, characters, places, events and relationships benefit from returning in scene context.
4. What does collaboration mean?
Co-editing a document, receiving a suggestion, organising a beta read and deciding on a correction are four different needs.
5. How do you track progress?
Compare daily and project goals, deadline, required pace, estimated date, streaks and history. Plumelin already covers these needs; some alternatives mainly add different statistical granularity.
6. How does the book leave the tool?
A text export is not the same as a DOCX manuscript, EPUB or PDF prepared with a cover, front matter and layout. Check which formats are actually available in the chosen plan.
7. What happens if you leave?
Before choosing a subscription or app, check text ownership, export formats and whether you can retrieve your data.
Which tool fits your situation?
Plumelin remains the coherent choice when several stages of the book need to come together. The alternatives below move ahead only for a specific constraint or preference.
You want to plan, make progress and produce in one place
Plumelin is the most coherent choice if corkboard, arcs, timeline, goals, pace, streaks, characters, places, collaboration, revision and output need to form one project.
See worldbuilding in PlumelinYou create many variants of the same document
Ellipsus is worth testing if free collaboration with unlimited participants or parallel drafts define your method. Plumelin is more complete for collaboration integrated with the book’s outline, world and decisions.
Read the Ellipsus comparisonYou shape a local binder alone
Scrivener may fit better if you want to decide the folder hierarchy freely, keep research around the text and control compilation in detail.
Read the Scrivener comparisonYou specifically prefer the Plot Grid
Dabble is worth testing if that centralised view suits your method better. Plumelin does not lack planning: it also provides a corkboard, story arcs, timeline, chapters, scenes and progress tracking.
Read the Dabble comparisonYou want highly granular historical statistics
Novlr is worth testing if analysis by hour, day and section length matters more than a complete book environment. Plumelin already covers focus, goals, required pace, estimated date, streaks and an activity calendar.
Read the Novlr comparisonYou want a native Apple app or direct blog publishing
Ulysses may be more direct if all your devices are Apple, its advanced goal units matter to you or you publish directly to WordPress, Ghost, Micro.blog or Medium.
Read the Ulysses comparisonAnswers that genuinely change the choice
These answers summarise the differences that genuinely tip the decision.
What is the best software for writing a novel?
In this selection, Plumelin covers the most stages of a novel within one project: outline, goals and streaks, writing, worldbuilding, collaboration, revision and production. Scrivener may suit a flexible local binder, Google Docs an immediately familiar document, Ellipsus parallel drafts, Dabble its Plot Grid, Novlr more granular statistics and Ulysses a native Apple workflow or direct blog publishing.
Which software should you choose for worldbuilding?
Plumelin provides the most structured model in this selection when characters, places, events and relationships need to be consulted from scenes. Ellipsus provides document templates for characters, relationships and worldbuilding; the other tools organise this context through outlining, notes or research features.
Which software should you choose for collaborative writing?
Plumelin provides real-time co-editing, presence, roles, comments, suggestions, decisions and notifications across the complete book project. Ellipsus is more direct for creating, comparing and merging parallel drafts; Google Docs mainly reduces setup when everyone already uses Google.
Which software should you choose for offline writing?
Plumelin, Scrivener and Ulysses clearly support offline work, depending on your devices. Ellipsus can be installed as a web app, but its official help says an active connection is still required. Always verify real offline behaviour before migrating a manuscript.
Is this software selection exhaustive?
No. It brings together seven representative workflows and competitors for which a detailed comparison is available. Other tools may fit a particular scenario better; the sound method is to test a real excerpt and the expected output format.
Sources and limits of the comparison
Plumelin features were checked in the local product and its product pages. Competitor information comes from official presentations and help, supplemented by the practical tests described in the Dabble, Ellipsus and Novlr comparisons, all checked on 13 August 2026. The selection is representative, not exhaustive; features, plans and access conditions may change.
Flying Golem SAS publishes Plumelin. This comparison aims for objectivity based on available public information; unless stated otherwise, it is not an exhaustive real-world test. Has something changed? Email us at hello@plumelin.com.
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