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Surveyed on 17 October 2026

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

Manuskript is free, open-source software, conceived as an open Scrivener and moved forward by a community of volunteers; 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 Manuskript wins are on the board.

Engraving: in a bookbinder's workshop, a writer sews loose pages on a binding frame while an old man in spectacles watches over her shoulder.

How this page was made

Every line about Manuskript was read on 17 October 2026 on its site, theologeek.ch, on its GitHub repository (the code, the published versions, the wiki and the issues) and on Flathub. User reviews come from GitHub issues, AlternativeTo, Hacker News and an OMG! Ubuntu article, each with its link; some date from the first versions. Extypis prices and limits are read live from our pricing page. Manuskript has no paid version: its answers are the same in both columns.

Manuskript in figures

The figures come from GitHub and Flathub, which count downloads; Manuskript publishes no number of users.

Manuskript's editor: on the left the General, Summary, Characters, Plots, World, Outline and Editor panes, in the middle the tree of chapters and the text of a scene, on the right its properties, its references written in curly braces and its revisions.
Manuskript's editor, with the scene's references on the right, which the author places by hand in curly braces. Screenshot: Manuskript project

What matters to you

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

Rounds won

Extypis13Manuskript3

13 for Extypis, 3 for Manuskript. 5 draws, which do not count in the score.

Free: the free Extypis account (1 project, at most 15,000 words per project, 2 exports per month) against Manuskript 0.17.0, free and open source, on Windows and Linux.

What do I pay?

  • 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

    Manuskript

    Nothing, ever: it is free software, with no account and no paid version

  • 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

    Manuskript

    As many as you like, with no limit

  • And if I write on a Mac, a PC, 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

    Manuskript

    On Windows and Linux; on a Mac, you have to install it from its code with Terminal commands, and there is no mobile app and no online version

  • Is the software still being updated?

    Better answer

    Extypis

    Yes: every visible new feature is announced, with its date, on the what's new page

    Manuskript

    Slowly: the latest version dates from 30 June 2025, 18 months after the previous one, and its creator handed over the project in 2021

How do I write and organise my novel?

  • 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

    Manuskript

    No: you write in Markdown in a text editor, and the layout comes at export

  • Can I see my whole story scene by scene, and reorder it?

    Better answer

    Extypis

    Yes, up to 10 sheets per project: each scene is a card with its summary, and moving the card moves the text

    Manuskript

    Yes: an outline, sheets and a tree of folders and scenes are reordered by dragging them, but an issue open since 2020 reports that a drag can overwrite a scene

  • Does the software help me build the plot before I write?

    Extypis

    Yes: a three-act, Save the Cat or hero's journey outline links to the chapters, and the Snowflake method guides you step by step

    Manuskript

    Yes: an assistant follows the Snowflake method, and plots are built on templates such as the three acts or the hero's journey

  • 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

    Manuskript

    No: you place a reference in curly braces yourself, like {C:5:Barnabas}, in the notes of each scene

  • 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

    Manuskript

    No: a plot links to its characters, but there is no relationship between characters and no map

  • 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

    Manuskript

    No: six timeline requests have gone unanswered on GitHub since 2017

  • Can several volumes share the same characters?

    Extypis

    Not with 1 project: a series requires the subscription

    Manuskript

    No: a project records its series and its volume number, but keeps its own characters

And AI?

  • 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

    Manuskript

    Yes: it contains none; its spelling and grammar checker runs on your computer

  • If I want AI, do I get any?

    Better answer

    Extypis

    Yes: 300 credits, given once

    Manuskript

    No: Manuskript contains none

Where and when can I write?

  • 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

    Manuskript

    Yes: it is installed software, and the project is a folder on your disk

  • Which languages is the interface in?

    Extypis

    In French, English, Spanish, German and Chinese

    Manuskript

    In 37 languages, translated by volunteers, including French, Spanish, German and Chinese, almost completely

How do I get, print and share my book?

  • 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

    Manuskript

    In scenes you create yourself: its General pane keeps the title, the author and the licence, with no copyright page

  • 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

    Manuskript

    Yes, if you install Pandoc and LaTeX yourself; its wiki mentions neither a book format nor margins

  • Can I get an EPUB for an e-reader?

    Extypis

    Yes, up to 2 exports per month
    Better answer

    Manuskript

    Yes, with no limit, through Pandoc, installed separately

  • 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

    Manuskript

    No: it is desktop software, and writing with several people has been on its roadmap since 2019

  • 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

    Manuskript

    No: it counts words and tracks your goals, 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

    Manuskript

    In part: its wiki mentions Word, Markdown, HTML and EPUB, but marks their import “under development”

What its users like about Manuskript

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

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.

  1. The complaint

    Windows Defender flagged version 0.17.0 as a Trojan, wrongly, and some people could not install it; a maintainer mentioned ending the Windows releases. The issue has 54 comments.

    GitHub, issue no. 1382 (Windows Defender)

    Extypis's answer

    Extypis is not installed: it opens in the browser, on a secure address, and updates without downloading anything.

  2. The complaint

    There is no ready-to-use Mac app: since 2019, installing it has required Homebrew, Python and Terminal commands.

    GitHub, issue no. 696 (Mac) · GitHub, issue no. 1191 (Mac) · Wiki: running Manuskript on Mac

    Extypis's answer

    Extypis opens in Safari, Chrome or Firefox on any Mac, and can be installed as an app from the browser if you wish.

  3. The complaint

    Bugs in the outline can destroy work: dragging an item up overwrites the content of another, a copy and paste creates duplicates, and copying a project from Linux to Windows duplicates entries.

    GitHub, issue no. 719 (outline overwritten) · GitHub, issue no. 324 (duplicate IDs) · GitHub, issue no. 429 (copying between systems)

    Extypis's answer

    The text is saved continuously, each sheet keeps the versions you freeze, and Cmd+Z also undoes moving a scene or a chapter.

  4. The complaint

    Crashes and projects that no longer open, often linked to the graphical theme on Linux; its site warns that it is under development and advises saving often.

    Reviews on AlternativeTo · GitHub, issue no. 935 (crashes) · Manuskript, download

    Extypis's answer

    The text is saved on our servers while you write, with a local copy in case of a dropout, and you export the whole project whenever you like.

  5. The complaint

    Getting started is rough and the documentation thin: users cannot tell the Plots and Outline tabs apart, and ask for a beginner's guide.

    GitHub, discussion no. 5 · Hacker News, May 2026

    Extypis's answer

    A guided tour shows the editor on first opening, and closes at any time. A new project opens on a scene ready to write.

  6. The complaint

    The interface is dated and dark mode depends on the system: on Fedora, Mint or Arch it stays light or half dark, and the Markdown symbols are displayed as they are.

    GitHub, issue no. 388 (dark mode) · GitHub, issue no. 1414 (dark mode) · OMG! Ubuntu, December 2016

    Extypis's answer

    Extypis has a light mode and a dark mode, six theme colours, and formats the text as you type, with no stray symbol.

  7. The complaint

    Development is slow: 18 months between the last two versions, 589 open issues, and a creator who handed over the project in 2021 after being asked whether it was still alive.

    GitHub, issue no. 830 (is the project still active?) · All versions and their downloads

    Extypis's answer

    Extypis is updated every week, and every visible new feature is announced on the what's new page. It is also a company, not a volunteer project: its code is not open.

What Manuskript does better

  • It is free software and costs nothing, for good, with no limit on projects or length, and its code is open. The free Extypis account stops at 1 project and 15,000 words per project.
  • Your projects are Markdown files on your disk, readable by any text editor, even if the software disappears.
  • You can write entirely offline. Extypis keeps the text of a tab that is already open, but does not open offline.
  • It exports to EPUB, Word or PDF with no limit, through Pandoc, and its interface exists in 37 languages.
  • It runs natively on Linux.

What Extypis does that Manuskript does not

  • It opens on a Mac, on a tablet and on a phone, with no installation, with the same text everywhere.
  • You write in the pages of the book, at the size and margins of your PDF, and Extypis typesets that PDF without you installing Pandoc or LaTeX.
  • It finds your characters, places and objects everywhere in the text, nicknames included, with no reference to place in curly braces.
  • It links sheets with the relationship you write, draws the network on a map, and places events on a timeline of the story.
  • 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 Manuskript to Extypis

Extypis does not open a Manuskript project as it is. In Manuskript, compile the novel to Word (DOCX, through Pandoc) or to Markdown, 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. Manuskript's sheets, plots and notes do not carry over by themselves: since they are text files, you copy them into the sheets. 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 Manuskript free?
Yes, entirely: it is free software under the GPL licence, with no account and no paid version. Donations are possible and unlock nothing (surveyed on 17 October 2026).
Does Manuskript work on a Mac?
Not simply: version 0.17.0 has no file for Mac, and the guide on its wiki asks you to install Homebrew, Python and PyQt5 through the Terminal. Contributors are preparing a Mac app, which is not yet published. Extypis opens in the browser of any Mac.
Is Manuskript still being developed?
Yes, slowly: the latest version, 0.17.0, dates from 30 June 2025, and the code was still changed on 1 September 2026. Its creator handed the project to a contributor in 2021, and 589 issues remain open.
What is the difference with Extypis?
Manuskript is free software for Windows and Linux, used offline, which keeps your projects as Markdown files. Extypis opens in the browser of all your devices, has you write in the pages of the book, finds your characters in the text and typesets the PDF; it is free up to 15,000 words per project, then costs 9 € per month.
Does Manuskript have AI?
No. Its only assistant follows the Snowflake method, and its spelling and grammar checker runs on your computer. Extypis offers AI on request, and one setting removes it from the screen.
How do I move from Manuskript to Extypis?
Compile your novel to Word or Markdown in Manuskript, then import the file into Extypis: it is split into chapters, and the characters who come back often already have their sheet. Sheets and plots 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 Manuskript.

User reviews

2026-10-17

See also Extypis compared to Scrivener · Extypis compared to bibisco · Extypis compared to yWriter · Extypis for writing a novel · The Extypis pricing grid

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The writing studio novelists were missing

Outline, characters, places and objects, the links between them, mind map, scene board, export: everything lives in one place. Plus an AI that knows your story, whenever you want one.

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The whole studio

Everything our writing app puts in your hands

Five areas, from the first outline to the file ready to send: everything you ask of a writing app. Here is what each one covers.

Hold your story, from outline to final page.

Narrative tools you won't find elsewhere — turn a tangle of ideas into a structure that holds.

An AI that suggests, you decide

The AI permanently sees your whole project — outline, sheets, scenes already written. Every rewrite, every completion, every suggestion, every cover stays consistent with your entire work, and at no extra cost or setup. You approve every word.

Estimates if you only use this feature. Credits are shared across every AI tool.

Daily writing comfort

Everything that makes long-form writing sustainable: shortcuts, templates, anchored notes, versions, goals.

Analyse and refine your prose

Style tools that go beyond the spell-checker: readability, poetic meter, repetitions, connectors, passive voice.

What you write is what you export.

Your text is laid out as you type, in the format of your PDF. All that is left is to pick the file format, or to publish on Extypis.

Lifetime updates

Every future Extypis innovation included, no extra cost, no paywall.

Backing an indie project

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Human support

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