Sudowrite alternatives: options by what you want to change
People look past Sudowrite for different reasons: the credit-based pricing, wanting to use their own AI provider account instead of credits, wanting a free tier, or wanting to keep AI out of the draft entirely. This page sorts the alternatives in our directory by those reasons, rather than ranking them.
For reference: what Sudowrite offers (as of Oct 2026)
Sudowrite lists three plans: Hobby & Student at $10/month, Professional at $22/month and Max at $44/month, billed annually (per its pricing page as of 2026-10-17; it says yearly billing is "up to 50% off", so monthly billing costs more). Each plan has a monthly credit allowance and a free trial with no credit card. It includes its own fiction models (Muse and Ballad) and tools such as Story Bible, Canvas, Write, Describe, Expand and Feedback. If you cancel, you keep your projects but lose the AI features. Full details are on our Sudowrite vs NovelCrafter page.
If you want to use your own AI account (bring your own key): NovelCrafter
NovelCrafter is a novel-writing app built around the Codex, a story wiki that links characters, places and lore and can be shared across a series. Instead of selling AI credits, its AI plans let you connect your own provider (OpenRouter, OpenAI and others) or a model running on your own computer, and you pay that provider directly.
- Price as of Oct 2026: Scribe $4, Hobbyist $8, Artisan $14, Specialist $20 USD per month; annual billing gives "2 months off". AI features start at Hobbyist.
- Trial: 21 days, all features, no credit card. No free plan.
- Not for you if: you don't want to manage a separate AI account and its bill.
If you want a free tier: Squibler
Squibler is a guided book-drafting tool with AI generation. It is the only one here with an ongoing free plan.
- Free plan: $0 with 1,000 AI credits a month.
- Paid plans as of 2026-10-17: Squibler's pricing table lists Plus at $29.99/month billed monthly or $15.83/month billed annually, with 10,000 AI credits a month and PDF and DOCX export, and Pro at $89.99/month billed monthly or $49.17/month billed annually, with unlimited AI credits. The FAQ on the same page gives different, rounded figures (Plus $29/month, or $16/month billed annually; Pro $89/month, or $49/month billed annually). We show both as published; confirm the price at checkout.
- If you stop paying: the FAQ says you can export your work and still use it in free mode.
- Check first if: you need to export on the free plan. The pricing table lists PDF and DOCX export under Plus, while the FAQ says you can always export your work, so confirm which formats the free plan exports.
If you want no built-in AI: Scrivener
Scrivener is a long-form writing app with a binder, corkboard and outliner. The Scrivener overview page describes no AI drafting features, and our listing notes it is not AI-native. Some authors want exactly that for the drafting stage. You can still paste in text from a separate AI assistant if you choose.
- Platforms: separate licences for macOS (macOS 11+), Windows (64-bit Windows 10+) and iPad/iPhone, plus a Mac and Windows bundle.
- Trial: 30-day free trial.
- Output: compiles your manuscript for print or export to Word, RTF, PDF, Final Draft and EPUB ebooks.
- Not for you if: you want AI suggestions inside the editor.
If you mainly want brainstorming or a second opinion: a general chat assistant
General assistants such as ChatGPT and Claude are not fiction apps. They have no manuscript binder or story bible built for novels. But many authors use them for brainstorming, outlining and feedback alongside a separate writing app. If you already pay for one, try it for those jobs before you add a dedicated fiction tool. See each listing for the official site.
Comparison at a glance (as of Oct 2026)
| Tool | AI included? | Entry price | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sudowrite | Yes, credits included | $10/month billed annually (monthly billing costs more) | Free trial |
| NovelCrafter | From Hobbyist, via your own AI provider (billed separately) | $4/month (no AI) or $8/month (AI) | 21-day trial |
| Squibler | Yes, credits included | $0 (1,000 AI credits/month) | Free plan |
| Scrivener | None described by the vendor | Licence; see store for your platform's price | 30-day trial |