Extypis: The Free Alternative to Scrivener
Scrivener costs ~$49, requires installation, and has a steep learning curve. Extypis is free, runs in your browser, and you'll be productive in minutes. Here's the side-by-side comparison.
| Feature | Scrivener | Extypis |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$49 (Mac/Win) + ~$24 (iOS) | Free |
| Platform | Mac, Windows, iOS | Web (all devices) |
| Install required | ||
| Chapters and scenes | ||
| Character sheets | Basic | 8 types (characters, locations, events, themes, conflicts, objects, arcs, symbols) |
| Guided narrative plan | Hero's Journey (14 steps) + Interweaving (9 phases) | |
| @character mentions in text | ||
| Mention analytics | Bar + pie charts per chapter | |
| Bibliographic citations | 7 styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, Harvard, Vancouver) | |
| Footnotes | Auto-numbered + dedicated view | |
| Built-in dictionary | 12 tabs (synonyms, rhymes, etymology...) | |
| Syllable counter | Dual mode (classical + phonetic) | |
| Readability score | Flesch adapted for French | |
| Repetition detection | ||
| Visual storyboard | Corkboard (cards) | Drag & drop + content preview |
| Professional PDF export | Via Compile | Via LaTeX (typographic quality) |
| Export DOCX, EPUB, HTML, Markdown | ||
| WordPress publishing | ||
| Snapshots / versions | Timeline + side-by-side diff | |
| Auto-save | Local | Cloud + local |
| Multi-device sync | Via Dropbox (manual) | Automatic (native cloud) |
| Zen mode | Composition mode | |
| Slash commands (/) | 38 commands + literary templates | |
| Learning curve | Steep (hours of tutorials) | Intuitive |
100% Web
Scrivener requires installation on Mac or Windows. Extypis works in any browser — desktop, tablet, or phone. Your projects sync automatically.
Free, no limits
No $49 license. No subscription. No project or word limits. Every feature is available from signup, no credit card required.
Get started instantly
Scrivener takes hours of tutorials before you're productive. The Compile function alone can take an afternoon. Extypis is intuitive — you'll be writing in minutes.
Why look for a Scrivener alternative?
Scrivener is an excellent writing tool. It pioneered chapter-and-scene organization, the visual corkboard, and a powerful compilation system. Thousands of novelists have used it since 2007.
But Scrivener has limitations that lead many authors to search for alternatives:
- The price. ~$49 on Mac/Windows, ~$24 more on iOS. Major upgrades cost extra. If you switch platforms, you need a new license.
- Desktop-only. Scrivener requires installation. There's no web version. Switch computers, and you need to reinstall and resync everything.
- The learning curve. The interface is powerful but dense. The Compile function — essential for exporting your manuscript — is notoriously complex. Most users watch tutorials before they're productive.
- Sync issues. Scrivener syncs via Dropbox, which can cause file conflicts and data loss if misconfigured.
What Extypis does that Scrivener doesn't
Extypis isn't a Scrivener clone. It's a writing workshop designed to go further on several axes:
- Guided narrative plan. The Hero's Journey in 14 steps (Campbell's monomyth) and Interweaving in 9 phases guide your novel's structure. Scrivener offers free-form notes, not a structured plan.
- @character mentions. Type @ followed by a name to insert a clickable, color-coded mention in your text. A dedicated view shows all occurrences with charts. Scrivener has nothing like this.
- Bibliographic citations. 7 styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, Harvard, Vancouver) with one-click style switching. Essential for academic writing. Scrivener doesn't handle citations.
- Built-in French dictionary. 12 tabs: definitions, synonyms, antonyms, rhymes, etymology, prosody, grammar, word sentiment. Scrivener doesn't integrate any dictionary.
What Scrivener does better
In fairness, here's where Scrivener still has the edge:
- Works offline. Scrivener is desktop software that doesn't need the internet. Extypis is a web app that requires a connection (with local backup during outages).
- Advanced Compile. Scrivener's Compile system, while complex, offers extremely granular output formatting control. Extypis exports via LaTeX at professional quality, but with fewer granular options.
- Maturity and community. Scrivener has been around since 2007. Its community is vast, with thousands of tutorials, forums, and dedicated books.
Who is Extypis for?
Extypis is ideal if you're:
- A novelist who wants to structure their story with a guided narrative plan and advanced character sheets
- A student or researcher who needs bibliographic citations and footnotes
- A poet who wants to count syllables and analyze prosody
- An author who wants to write from any device without installing software
- Someone who doesn't want to pay $49 for writing software
