Scrivener alternatives

One page, rich text, and the draft saved in the browser. Focus mode clears everything except the sentence, which is the part of Scrivener's full-screen mode people actually use. Exports cover Markdown, PDF, plain text and .quorly; EPUB is part of Pro. What it does not have: the binder, the corkboard, word-count targets per session, or compile presets. If those are why you chose Scrivener, this is not a replacement — the novelists page says the same thing with the workflow attached.

Obsidian — keep the research

Markdown files in a folder you own, linked with [[wiki links]], with a plugin ecosystem for timelines and databases. It is the closest free thing to Scrivener's research binder, at the cost of becoming a note-taking project of its own.

Ulysses — the Apple-native middle ground

Sheets and a library, goals, and publishing to WordPress and Medium, on Mac and iPad only. Less heavy than Scrivener, more managed than a folder of files, and a subscription rather than a licence.

Dabble — goals and streaks

Built around the habit: daily targets, progress bars, plotting boards. If the thing Scrivener lacked was motivation rather than structure, this is closer to the problem.

Google Docs or Word

Not a writing app, but the answer when a co-author or an editor needs to comment in the same file. Most manuscripts pass through one of them at the editing stage regardless of where they were drafted.

• You are writing a book with multiple viewpoints and need the binder to hold the structure.
• You compile to several formats with front matter and chapter templates.
• You use snapshots to compare drafts of the same scene.
• You work offline on one machine and do not want a browser in the loop.

If two of those are true, keep Scrivener. If none of them are, you are paying the complexity tax for features you do not use — and the browser alternative is free to try.