Yes: its Community edition is free, with no limit on projects, on Windows, macOS and Linux, and it includes a 30-day trial of the paid features. The Supporters edition costs $69 once, with two years of updates (surveyed on 17 October 2026).

What does bibisco's Supporters edition include?

According to bibisco's table: novel analysis, mind maps, the timeline, the novel outline, objects and groups, portraits, custom interview questions, the prologue, the epilogue and parts, find and replace, dark mode, writing goals and EPUB export.

Does bibisco work on a phone?

Yes, since 2026: the Android app since version 5.1.1 (29 May 2026), the iPhone and iPad app since 5.1.2 (8 July 2026). They are free, but syncing with the computer goes through the bibisco Everywhere subscription, $29.99 per year, and the phone exports no PDF, no Word and no EPUB.

What is the price difference with Extypis?

On the free side, bibisco has no limit on projects; Extypis gives 1 project and 15,000 words per project. On the paid side, bibisco costs $69 once, plus $29.99 per year to sync several devices; Extypis costs 9 € per month or 90 € per year, and opens on all your devices at no extra cost.

Does bibisco have AI?

No: no page of bibisco describes any AI, and its editor can be used with a checker such as Grammarly if you wish. Extypis offers AI on request, and one setting removes it from the screen.

How do I move from bibisco to Extypis?

Export your novel to Word in bibisco, then import the file into Extypis: it is split into chapters, and the characters who come back often already have their sheet. The answers to the character interviews are copied by hand. The free account imports a manuscript of at most 15,000 words.

Surveyed on 17 October 2026

bibisco or Extypis: which is better for writing your novel?

bibisco installs on your computer, can be used for free and sells its complete edition once; Extypis opens in the browser, with a free account, then is paid monthly. Here is how each one answers the questions people ask before choosing, what its users say about it, and the rounds bibisco wins are on the board.

How this page was made

Every line about bibisco was read on 17 October 2026 on bibisco.com, its site: the overview, the features, the table comparing its two editions, the download page, the FAQ, the release notes and the documentation on syncing, as well as its App Store and Google Play listings. Its prices are shown there in US dollars. User reviews come from AlternativeTo, Hacker News and published reviews, each with its link. Extypis prices and limits are read live from our pricing page. On the free side, bibisco is compared in its Community edition; on the paid side, in its Supporters edition.

bibisco in figures

The figures that bibisco publishes itself are marked as such, and when two of its pages contradict each other, both are cited.

$69
the price of the Supporters edition, paid once, with two years of updates, then the upgrade at half price
bibisco, download and price
$29.99 per year
the bibisco Everywhere subscription, which syncs your devices, sold on top of the licence
bibisco, download and price
200,000
downloads, according to its overview page; its testimonials page announces 150,000
bibisco, overview
3.7 out of 5
the average rating left by 6 users on AlternativeTo
bibisco on AlternativeTo
15 languages
for the interface, including French, English, Spanish and German, but not Chinese
bibisco, FAQ
12 August 2026
the date of the latest version, 5.1.3, published by Andrea Feccomandi, who develops bibisco alone
bibisco 5 release notes

A character sheet in bibisco: the portrait, then the first of the 62 questions of the interview on their psychology, with the answer written by the author. — A character sheet in bibisco, built through a guided interview: 62 questions for psychology alone. Screenshot: bibisco.com

What matters to you

Take out what does not concern you: the board and the score keep only your criteria.

Show only the differences

Free: the free Extypis account (1 project, at most 15,000 words per project, 2 exports per month) against bibisco's Community edition, free and with no limit on projects, on Windows, macOS or Linux.

What do I pay?

Extypisbibisco

How much do I pay, and for how long?
Extypis
You pay nothing, with no time limit, with 1 project and at most 15,000 words per project
bibisco
You pay nothing, with no time limit: the Community edition is free, and its code is open
How many books can I write, and how long?
Extypis
You get 1 project, and a project holds up to 15,000 words in 10 sheets
Better answer
bibisco
As many projects as you like, and its site states no length limit
What is missing from the free version?
Better answer
Extypis
No feature: sheets, link map, timeline, scene board, versions and exports are in the free account, which only limits the number of sheets, words and exports
bibisco
After the 30-day trial: find and replace, dark mode, the timeline, mind maps, goals, objects, portraits and EPUB export
And if I write on a computer, a tablet and a phone?
Better answer
Extypis
The free account opens in the browser of each device, and you find the same text everywhere
bibisco
The apps are free everywhere, but each device keeps its own projects, unless you put them in Dropbox or iCloud, which its documentation says does not protect against conflicts

How do I write and organise my novel?

Extypisbibisco

While I write, do I see the pages of my book?
Better answer
Extypis
Yes, on a computer: you write in the pages, at the size, margins and font of your PDF
bibisco
No: you write in a continuous text area, and page numbers only appear at export
How does the software help me build a character?
Extypis
You fill in their sheet with the fields you add and name yourself, its images and its documents, and you create your own categories of sheets
Better answer
bibisco
Through a guided interview: their sheet asks 62 questions about their psychology, and other sections track their evolution through the book
Can I see my whole story scene by scene, and reorder it?
Extypis
Yes, up to 10 sheets per project: each scene is a card with its summary, and moving the card moves the text
bibisco
Yes, in a tree of chapters and scenes reordered by dragging them; moving a scene into another chapter requires the paid edition
If I name a character, even by a nickname, does the app find them?
Better answer
Extypis
Yes, everywhere in the book, as soon as the nickname is on their sheet; a tab suggests the names in the text that have no sheet yet
bibisco
No: its documentation describes no name search; you tag each scene yourself with its characters, places and objects
Can I link my sheets and see a map of the relationships?
Better answer
Extypis
Yes: you write what links two sheets, and a map shows the whole network
bibisco
No: the mind maps that link characters, places and objects are reserved for the paid edition
Can I place the events of the story on a timeline?
Better answer
Extypis
Yes: each plotline has its own row, and each event is placed at its date in the story, as a single point or over a duration
bibisco
No: the timeline is reserved for the paid edition
Can several volumes share the same characters?
Extypis
Not with 1 project: a series requires the subscription
bibisco
No: creating a sequel is reserved for the paid edition
Can I go back to an earlier version of a scene?
Extypis
Yes: you freeze a version of each sheet, compare two versions side by side and restore the one you want
bibisco
Yes: each scene keeps its revisions, and the project saves itself every 30 minutes to 4 hours

And AI?

Extypisbibisco

Can I write with no AI at all?
Extypis
Yes: one setting removes every AI tool from the screen; only importing a manuscript still goes through an AI
bibisco
Yes: no page of bibisco describes any AI
If I want AI, do I get any?
Better answer
Extypis
Yes: 300 credits, given once
bibisco
No: bibisco offers none

Where and when can I write?

Extypisbibisco

Can I write on the train, with no network?
Extypis
Only in a tab that is already open: the text waits for the network to come back
Better answer
bibisco
Yes: your projects are files on your computer or your phone
Which languages is the interface in?
Extypis
In French, English, Spanish, German and Chinese
bibisco
In 15 languages, including French, English, Spanish, German and Italian, but not Chinese; the iPhone app is in English

How do I get, print and share my book?

Extypisbibisco

Where do I write the dedication, the preface and the copyright page?
Better answer
Extypis
On a computer, you write them on the pages of the book, in their place, and you type the publisher and the ISBN on the copyright page
bibisco
Nowhere provided for: bibisco has neither a dedication page nor a copyright page, and the prologue and epilogue require the paid edition
Do I get a PDF ready for the printer?
Better answer
Extypis
Yes: Extypis typesets the PDF with LaTeX, in A4, A5 or Letter, up to 2 exports per month
bibisco
A PDF with a table of contents and page numbers, whose text size you choose; its site mentions neither a book format nor margins
Can I get an EPUB for an e-reader?
Better answer
Extypis
Yes, up to 2 exports per month
bibisco
No: EPUB is reserved for the paid edition
Can I publish my book in the app, so people read it online and send comments?
Better answer
Extypis
Yes: the book has its reading page, open to everyone, and readers with an account comment paragraph by paragraph
bibisco
No: you export a file, and the feedback arrives elsewhere
Can I show that I wrote my text myself?
Better answer
Extypis
Yes, for the typing: the “human origin” certificate says what was typed, pasted or moved, and is shared by a link; it does not say where the ideas come from
bibisco
No: it counts the words written each day, without attesting anything
Can I bring in a manuscript started elsewhere?
Better answer
Extypis
Yes: Word, PDF, EPUB, Markdown or HTML, as long as the manuscript fits in 15,000 words
bibisco
No: bibisco only imports its own backups, not a Word file

What its users like about bibisco

A summary of what comes back in published reviews, each with its link. We paraphrase rather than quote.

It is free and its code is open, which users see as an assurance: the tool will not disappear with its publisher.
Reviews on AlternativeTo · Hacker News, July 2024
It is picked up faster than Scrivener, say several reviews, with projects that are simple to organise and handy keyboard shortcuts.
Reviews on AlternativeTo · A blogger's review, May 2017
Its character questionnaires and analysis tools help build the story before writing it; one blogger judged it better than Scrivener for analysis and timeline.
A blogger's review, May 2017 · Testimonials published by bibisco
The paid licence is bought once, with no subscription, which its buyers stress in the testimonials that bibisco publishes.
Testimonials published by bibisco · Kindlepreneur review, October 2023
It also runs on Linux, and installs as a portable version that you carry on a USB stick.
Testimonials published by bibisco · Installing bibisco on Linux

What bothers its users, and how Extypis answers

The complaints that come back, from the most frequent to the rarest. Opposite each one, what Extypis does, including when it does no better.

The complaintExtypis's answer

The complaint
Basic features are reserved for the paid edition: find and replace, dark mode, goals, the timeline, mind maps and EPUB export. One user finds it absurd to pay for search.
Reviews on AlternativeTo · Kindlepreneur review, October 2023 · Community and Supporters editions compared
Extypis's answer
The free account contains the whole workshop, search, dark mode, timeline, link map and EPUB export included. What it limits is size: 1 project, 10 sheets and 15,000 words per project, 2 exports per month.
The complaint
Tutorials and help prompts keep coming back and cannot be turned off; two users find them intrusive, to the point that they reappear after a reinstall.
Reviews on AlternativeTo
Extypis's answer
Extypis's guided tour only opens once, and a “Skip” button closes it at any step. The help for a screen opens when you click its icon.
The complaint
Text formatting is limited: no headings and no indented quotations, no setting before export, and research notes go into the exported file, to be removed by hand.
Kindlepreneur review, October 2023 · slbuddy.com review
Extypis's answer
The editor handles headings, quotations, footnotes and images, and only scenes marked “ready” go into the book: your notes stay out of the export.
The complaint
You do not know where to start: you have to create a chapter before writing a line, and the interface takes time to get used to.
Kindlepreneur review, October 2023 · freeappsforme.com review, July 2026
Extypis's answer
A new project opens on a scene ready to write. You add chapters and sheets when you need them, not before.
The complaint
The phone app and syncing only arrived in 2026, and syncing is bought separately, $29.99 per year; on a phone, it exports no PDF, no Word and no EPUB.
Kindlepreneur review, October 2023 · Setting up bibisco Everywhere
Extypis's answer
Extypis opens in the browser of the computer, the tablet and the phone, with the same text everywhere and no syncing subscription. Writing in the pages of the book stays reserved for the computer.
The complaint
No working with several people: no shared comments, no change tracking, and feedback from an editor or a beta reader goes through a Word export.
slbuddy.com review · bibisco, the features
Extypis's answer
Your registered readers comment on the published book, paragraph by paragraph, on its reading page. Extypis has no writing with several people and no change tracking either: a project has a single author.

What bibisco does better

Its free version has no limit on projects or length, and its code is open, under the GPL licence. The free Extypis account stops at 1 project and 15,000 words per project.
Its complete edition is bought once, $69, while Extypis is paid monthly.
You can write entirely offline: your projects are files on your computer or your phone. Extypis keeps the text of a tab that is already open, but does not open offline.
It helps build a character through a guided interview, 62 questions for psychology alone, and the paid edition lets you rewrite those questions.
It runs on Linux, in a portable version, and its interface exists in 15 languages.

What Extypis does that bibisco does not

You write in the pages of the book, at the size and margins of your PDF, where bibisco shows a continuous text area.
It finds your characters, places and objects everywhere in the text, nicknames included once they are on the sheet, without tagging each scene by hand.
Its free account contains the timeline, the link map, search, dark mode and EPUB export, which bibisco reserves for its paid edition.
It opens in any browser, and you find the same text on the computer, the tablet and the phone, with no syncing subscription.
It takes in a manuscript started in Word, in PDF or in EPUB, and splits it into chapters and scenes.
It publishes your book on a reading page where your readers comment, and issues a “human origin” certificate that says what was typed, pasted or moved.

Extypis on film, in 20 chapters. Click a chapter to jump to it.

Moving from bibisco to Extypis

Extypis does not open a bibisco project as it is. In bibisco, export the novel to Word, then import the file into Extypis: it is split into chapters and scenes, and the characters who come back often already have their sheet, filled with what the text says about them. The answers to the character interviews do not carry over by themselves: bibisco exports each character as text, and you paste their answers into their sheet. The free account imports a manuscript as long as it fits in 15,000 words; beyond that, importing requires a subscription.

The questions people ask us

Is bibisco free?: Yes: its Community edition is free, with no limit on projects, on Windows, macOS and Linux, and it includes a 30-day trial of the paid features. The Supporters edition costs $69 once, with two years of updates (surveyed on 17 October 2026).
What does bibisco's Supporters edition include?: According to bibisco's table: novel analysis, mind maps, the timeline, the novel outline, objects and groups, portraits, custom interview questions, the prologue, the epilogue and parts, find and replace, dark mode, writing goals and EPUB export.
Does bibisco work on a phone?: Yes, since 2026: the Android app since version 5.1.1 (29 May 2026), the iPhone and iPad app since 5.1.2 (8 July 2026). They are free, but syncing with the computer goes through the bibisco Everywhere subscription, $29.99 per year, and the phone exports no PDF, no Word and no EPUB.
What is the price difference with Extypis?: On the free side, bibisco has no limit on projects; Extypis gives 1 project and 15,000 words per project. On the paid side, bibisco costs $69 once, plus $29.99 per year to sync several devices; Extypis costs 9 € per month or 90 € per year, and opens on all your devices at no extra cost.
Does bibisco have AI?: No: no page of bibisco describes any AI, and its editor can be used with a checker such as Grammarly if you wish. Extypis offers AI on request, and one setting removes it from the screen.
How do I move from bibisco to Extypis?: Export your novel to Word in bibisco, then import the file into Extypis: it is split into chapters, and the characters who come back often already have their sheet. The answers to the character interviews are copied by hand. The free account imports a manuscript of at most 15,000 words.

Sources

The pages opened on 17 October 2026 to write each line about bibisco.

User reviews

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Everything our writing app puts in your hands

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