Yes, on Windows: yWriter7 can be downloaded and used for free, with no ads. Registering, at $11.95 or $24.95, is optional and only removes the “unregistered” mention from the title. The iPhone ($14.99) and Android ($5.49) apps are paid (surveyed on 17 October 2026).

Does yWriter work on a Mac?

Not yet as a final version: a native Mac version has been announced as in progress since July 2019 and is still a beta to install through TestFlight, free for now, paid when it is released. The paid iPhone and iPad app also runs on Macs with Apple silicon. Extypis opens in the browser of any Mac.

Is yWriter still being updated?

Slowly: the stable version, 7.1.5.2, dates from 30 January 2024, and a beta, 7.1.6.5, from 22 May 2026. Its author, Simon Haynes, develops it alone; the mobile apps are handled by another developer.

What is the difference with Extypis?

yWriter is free Windows software, used offline, that sorts a novel into chapters and scenes. 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 yWriter have AI?

No: its site states that yWriter will not write your novel, will not offer ideas and will not do any creative task. Extypis offers AI on request, and one setting removes it from the screen.

Surveyed on 17 October 2026

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

yWriter is free software for Windows, written by an Australian novelist, that sorts a novel into chapters and scenes; 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 yWriter wins are on the board.

How this page was made

Every line about yWriter was read on 17 October 2026 on spacejock.com, the site of its author, Simon Haynes: the overview, the download pages for the stable, beta and alpha versions, registration, the FAQ, the help, the Mac, Linux and Android pages, and its App Store and Google Play listings, in US dollars. User reviews come from the stores, AlternativeTo, writers' forums and blogs, each with its link; several date from before version 7. Extypis prices and limits are read live from our pricing page. On the free side, yWriter is compared in its Windows version; on the paid side, with its phone apps, which are sold separately.

yWriter in figures

The store ratings are for its phone apps; the Windows version has no public rating.

$0
the price of yWriter7 for Windows; registering, at $11.95 or $24.95, only removes the “unregistered” mention from the title
yWriter7, registration
$14.99
the iPhone and iPad app, sold separately by another developer, on the US App Store
yWriter on the App Store
3.1 out of 5
the iPhone app's rating on the US App Store, from 25 ratings
yWriter on the App Store
3.2 out of 5
the Android app's rating on Google Play, from 161 ratings, for more than 5,000 downloads
yWriter on Google Play
30 January 2024
the date of the current stable version, 7.1.5.2; a beta, 7.1.6.5, is dated 22 May 2026
yWriter7, download
Since 2019
the native Mac version has been announced as in progress, and is still a beta to install through TestFlight
yWriter for Mac

The main window of yWriter7 on Windows: the list of chapters with their word counts on the left, the list of scenes with their viewpoint character at the top right, and the scene text below, with its Description, Characters, Locations and Items tabs. — The main window of yWriter7 on Windows, on a test project by its author. Screenshot: Spacejock Software

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 yWriter7 for Windows, which is free, ad-free and unlimited.

What do I pay?

ExtypisyWriter

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
yWriter
You pay nothing, with no time limit and no ads, on Windows
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
yWriter
As many as you like: its site states 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
yWriter
On Windows only: the Mac version has been a beta since 2019, and Linux goes through the Wine emulator
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
yWriter
Slowly, by its author alone: the stable version dates from 30 January 2024, and a beta from 22 May 2026

How do I write and organise my novel?

ExtypisyWriter

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
yWriter
No: each scene is written in a text box, and its site describes no page view
Does the app check my spelling while I write?
Better answer
Extypis
Yes: LanguageTool underlines spelling and grammar mistakes as you type, and suggests the correction
yWriter
No: its FAQ says the editor has no spelling or grammar checker
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
Better answer
yWriter
Yes: each scene has its viewpoint character and its summary, and a board of cards is reordered by dragging them
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
yWriter
No, in the stable version: its help says to drag the characters into each scene yourself; a report of the sentences that name them only exists in the beta
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
yWriter
No: its pages describe no relationship between sheets, only the characters present in each scene
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
yWriter
No: its help advises creating a “timeline” chapter with one scene per day
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
yWriter
Yes: it keeps dated snapshots that nothing overwrites, and you reread a scene as it was 30 minutes or four months ago

And AI?

ExtypisyWriter

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
yWriter
Yes: its site states that yWriter will not write your novel and will not offer any ideas
If I want AI, do I get any?
Better answer
Extypis
Yes: 300 credits, given once
yWriter
No: yWriter contains none, by choice

Where and when can I write?

ExtypisyWriter

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
yWriter
Yes: it is installed software, and the project is a file on your disk
Which languages is the interface in?
Better answer
Extypis
In French, English, Spanish, German and Chinese
yWriter
In English, with translations supplied by users, French among them, which its site says are sometimes incomplete

How do I get, print and share my book?

ExtypisyWriter

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
yWriter
In chapters you create yourself: its pages describe no copyright page, no dedication and no ISBN
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
yWriter
Not directly: it exports a LaTeX file to convert with another tool, or an RTF file to lay out in a word processor
Can I get an EPUB for an e-reader?
Extypis
Yes, up to 2 exports per month
Better answer
yWriter
Yes, as EPUB and MOBI, with no limit, provided you install the Calibre software, which it calls for the conversion
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
yWriter
No: it is desktop software, which produces files
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
yWriter
No: it keeps a log of 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
yWriter
Yes, from an RTF or text file, split at the “Chapter” headings; it does not read a Word file

What its users like about yWriter

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

It is free and ad-free: one author chose it over Scrivener for that reason, and another user finds that the price makes up for a clumsy interface.
An author's blog, November 2016 · Reviews on AlternativeTo
It thinks in scenes: each scene has its viewpoint character and its one-line summary, is dragged into place, and links to the sheets for characters, locations and items.
An author's blog, November 2016 · Writing Forums, June 2020 · Reviews on SnapFiles
It is simple, fast and reliable, say long-time users, who keep a big project in it with no distracting gadgets.
yWriter on Google Play · Reviews on AlternativeTo · yWriter on the App Store
The project moves from PC to phone through Dropbox: some people jot down ideas on their phone and finish the scene on the computer.
yWriter on the App Store
Its RTF, HTML, EPUB and MOBI exports helped one author publish on Kindle, and a scene set aside stays out of the export without being deleted.
An author's blog, November 2016 · Reviews on SnapFiles

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
The software only runs on Windows: Mac users have been waiting for a native version since 2019, and Linux users run old versions in Wine.
Hacker News, November 2022 · Reviews on AlternativeTo · SFF Chronicles, 2011-2012 · yWriter for Mac
Extypis's answer
Extypis opens in the browser, on Windows, macOS, Linux, a tablet or a phone, with nothing to install.
The complaint
The editor is basic and does not check spelling as you type; one user gave that as the reason for leaving for Scrivener.
Writing Forums, June 2020 · SFF Chronicles, 2011-2012 · yWriter, FAQ
Extypis's answer
LanguageTool underlines spelling and grammar mistakes as you write, and the editor handles headings, quotations, footnotes and images.
The complaint
The interface is dated and built from windows that block: opening a character's sheet to consult it stops you writing in the scene, and keyboard shortcuts are scarce.
Writing Forums, June 2020 · Writing Forums, March 2024 · Reviews on AlternativeTo
Extypis's answer
A click on a character's name in the text opens their sheet in a bubble, without leaving the scene, and the shortcuts cover formatting, structure and navigation.
The complaint
The paid phone apps lag behind the PC version: nicknames, goals and character images are missing, and several buyers find the iPhone app too expensive.
yWriter on Google Play · yWriter on the App Store
Extypis's answer
The phone opens the same Extypis as the computer, in the browser, with no app to buy. Writing on the pages of the book stays a computer feature.
The complaint
The structure is rigid, project, chapters and scenes, with no sub-chapters and no outline mode, and some spend more time filling in fields than writing.
Reviews on AlternativeTo · SFF Chronicles, 2011-2012 · Reviews on SnapFiles
Extypis's answer
A book is sorted into parts, chapters and scenes, and a narrative outline (three acts, Save the Cat, the hero's journey) links to the chapters. Nothing has to be filled in before you write.
The complaint
Syncing is up to you: iPhone users have lost work to failed Dropbox saves, and others ask for iCloud or OneDrive.
yWriter on the App Store · An author's blog, November 2016 · yWriter on Android
Extypis's answer
The text is saved on our servers while you write, with a local copy in case of a dropout, and each device opens the latest version.

What yWriter does better

It is free on Windows, with no ads and no limit on projects or length. The free Extypis account stops at 1 project and 15,000 words per project.
You can write entirely offline: it is installed software, and the project is a file on your disk. Extypis keeps the text of a tab that is already open, but does not open offline.
It exports to EPUB and MOBI with no limit, and to LaTeX or RTF for anyone who wants to finish the layout elsewhere.
It never sends your text to an AI, by its author's choice.

What Extypis does that yWriter does not

It opens on Mac, on Linux, on a tablet and on a phone, with the same text everywhere, while yWriter remains Windows software.
You write in the pages of the book, at the size and margins of your PDF, and Extypis typesets that PDF itself.
It checks spelling and grammar while you write.
It finds your characters, places and objects everywhere in the text, nicknames included once they are on the sheet, without dragging them into each scene.
It links sheets with the relationship you write, draws the network on a map, and places events on a timeline of the story.
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 yWriter to Extypis

Extypis does not open a yWriter project as it is. In yWriter, export the novel to Word (DOCX) or RTF, then save it as Word if needed, and 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. yWriter's scene descriptions, goals and notes do not carry over. 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 yWriter free?: Yes, on Windows: yWriter7 can be downloaded and used for free, with no ads. Registering, at $11.95 or $24.95, is optional and only removes the “unregistered” mention from the title. The iPhone ($14.99) and Android ($5.49) apps are paid (surveyed on 17 October 2026).
Does yWriter work on a Mac?: Not yet as a final version: a native Mac version has been announced as in progress since July 2019 and is still a beta to install through TestFlight, free for now, paid when it is released. The paid iPhone and iPad app also runs on Macs with Apple silicon. Extypis opens in the browser of any Mac.
Is yWriter still being updated?: Slowly: the stable version, 7.1.5.2, dates from 30 January 2024, and a beta, 7.1.6.5, from 22 May 2026. Its author, Simon Haynes, develops it alone; the mobile apps are handled by another developer.
What is the difference with Extypis?: yWriter is free Windows software, used offline, that sorts a novel into chapters and scenes. 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 yWriter have AI?: No: its site states that yWriter will not write your novel, will not offer ideas and will not do any creative task. Extypis offers AI on request, and one setting removes it from the screen.
How do I move from yWriter to Extypis?: Export your novel to Word from yWriter, then import the file into Extypis: it is split into chapters, and the characters who come back often already have their sheet. Scene descriptions and notes do not carry over. 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 yWriter.

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