Comparison

Quill&Steel OS vs Scrivener

See how Scrivener and Quill&Steel OS compare for fantasy writing, planning, and drafting

Scrivener vs Quill&Steel OS

Scrivener has been around for years and is one of the best-known writing apps for novelists. Quill&Steel OS covers some of the same ground, including outlining, scenes, chapters, research, and manuscript writing, but adds dedicated tools for building a fantasy world around the story.

Let's compare the two.

Quill&Steel OS vs Scrivener: Comparison

Feature Quill&Steel OS Scrivener
Best forFantasy novelists & series writers Novelists & long-form writers across genres
Worldbuilding13 dedicated, interconnected article types Flexible folders, documents & templates
Character & location toolsDedicated profiles connected to your world Character & setting document templates
Map builder Yes No
Timeline & fantasy calendar Yes No
Relationships & family trees Yes No
Built-in story structureHero's Journey, Save the Cat! & Snowflake Method No
Scenes & chaptersDedicated scene & chapter planning Organize and rearrange sections in the Binder, Corkboard & Outliner
Manuscript editor Yes Yes
Writing progressSession tracking + writing stats Session targets + writing history
CustomizationReorder cards/sections + custom properties Extensive project templates, metadata, labels, icons & layouts
Research & notesDedicated research, notes & brainstorming Research stored alongside manuscript + split-screen reference
ExportDOCX, ePub & PDF manuscript + Markdown world archive Extensive Compile/export options including Word, PDF, ePub & more
PlatformsBrowser-based (desktop, tablet & mobile) Mac, Windows & iOS apps; no browser or Android app
AI features No No
PricingWorldbuilder: $8.99/mo ($5.99/mo billed yearly) Worldbuilder + Story Planner: $12.99/mo ($8.99/mo billed yearly) $59.99 one-time per Mac or Windows licence
Free trial14 days, no card 30 days on Mac/Windows
"What an incredible platform! I have gone from 'I have an idea but no clue where to start,' to actually writing the first 4000 words, and having a pretty well-fleshed out world and magic system in place in only a week! Considering an outline for the plot has been in my head for around 7 years, I am ridiculously happy with this. I would absolutely, 100% recommend using Q&S OS!"
Suzanna W.

See it for yourself

Write your manuscript in the same app as your worldbuilding and story planning
Automatically track your writing sessions and discover your writing habits
Keep your world's history organized on a visual timeline
Fantasy Map Creator Quill&Steel OS
Draw your fantasy map and pin characters and locations directly onto it
See character relationships and connections across your world at a glance
Build detailed character wikis connected to the rest of your world
Fantasy Family Tree Maker Quill&Steel OS
Auto-generate family trees from the relationships you've already created
Organize your chapters and scenes before or while you draft
Plan your novel with built-in story structures including Save the Cat!, Hero's Journey, and Snowflake

How to choose

Pick Scrivener if...

Scrivener is an excellent choice if the manuscript itself is what you're looking for. You can break a novel into tiny sections, rearrange them from the Binder, Corkboard or Outliner, track metadata, save snapshots before major revisions, set writing targets, and compile the finished manuscript into numerous formats.

It's also a better fit if you strongly prefer native desktop software and a one-time purchase, though major upgrades require another purchase (Quill&Steel OS's subscription includes new features as they're released).

Pick Quill&Steel OS if...

Quill&Steel OS is built specifically around fantasy novels and series. Instead of creating folders and templates to hold your worldbuilding, you already have dedicated spaces for characters, locations, magic systems, cultures, species, religions, creatures, organizations, languages, and the rest of your world.

The difference becomes bigger with visual worldbuilding. You can draw a map, build a custom calendar, track history on a timeline, calculate travel times, and automatically turn the relationships you've entered into family trees and an interactive relationship web. Those tools sit alongside your outlines, scenes, chapters, and manuscript.

Try Quill&Steel OS Free

No card required

Questions people ask

Is Quill&Steel OS a good Scrivener alternative?
Yes, especially for fantasy writers who want dedicated worldbuilding tools alongside their manuscript.
Is Scrivener free?
No. Scrivener offers a 30-day free trial on Mac and Windows, and those are days of actual use rather than 30 consecutive calendar days. A current Mac or Windows licence costs $59.99 USD (each), and is a one-time purchase.
Does Scrivener have worldbuilding tools?
Scrivener can be used for worldbuilding. Its novel templates include character and setting sheets, and you can build custom document templates, folders, metadata and other structures for your own world. However, it doesn't provide the same dedicated fantasy-worldbuilding system as Quill&Steel OS, such as an integrated map maker, fantasy calendar, automatic family trees, relationship web, and dedicated interconnected worldbuilding article types.
Does Scrivener have a map maker?
No, Scrivener doesn't provide a dedicated fantasy map builder comparable to Quill&Steel OS's native map maker.
Can I write my manuscript in both Quill&Steel OS and Scrivener?
Yes. Manuscript writing is a core feature of both. Scrivener offers a particularly mature drafting environment with features such as Scrivenings, Snapshots, Corkboard, Outliner, metadata, targets, Writing History and Compile. Quill&Steel OS's manuscript editor sits alongside its worldbuilding and story-planning tools and tracks writing sessions + habits as you draft.
Does Scrivener use AI?
No. Literature & Latte explicitly states that Scrivener itself contains no AI. Quill&Steel OS also doesn't use generative AI to write or process your content, and Quill&Steel states that your writing isn't sent to an AI model.

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