Scrivener
How much does Scrivener cost?
Prices are current as of 11 Oct 2026.
Scrivener has no in-app products on record in the United States.
Scrivener download price by country
| Country | Price |
|---|---|
| United States | $23.99 |
| United Kingdom | £22.99 |
| Canada | CA$29.99 |
| Germany | €24.99 |
| South Korea | ₩39,000 |
| Australia | A$39.99 |
| France | €24.99 |
| Japan | ¥4,000 |
| Spain | €24.99 |
| Sweden | SEK 299.00 |
| Italy | €24.99 |
| Netherlands | €24.99 |
| Brazil | R$149.90 |
| Mexico | MX$499.00 |
| Switzerland | CHF 20.00 |
| Norway | NOK 299.00 |
| New Zealand | NZ$39.99 |
| India | ₹2,499.00 |
| Austria | €24.99 |
| Belgium | €24.99 |
| Poland | PLN 99.99 |
| Ireland | €24.99 |
| Portugal | €24.99 |
| South Africa | ZAR 499.99 |
| Finland | €24.99 |
| Denmark | DKK 199.00 |
| China | CN¥168.00 |
| Turkey | TRY 1,299.99 |
| Czech Republic | CZK 599.00 |
| Hungary | HUF 9,990 |
| Hong Kong | HK$188.00 |
| Singapore | SGD 34.98 |
| Taiwan | NT$790.00 |
| Greece | €24.99 |
| Croatia | €24.99 |
| Philippines | ₱1,490.00 |
| United Arab Emirates | AED 99.99 |
| Malaysia | MYR 99.90 |
| Romania | RON 129.99 |
| Ukraine | $29.99 |
| Slovenia | €24.99 |
| Chile | CLP 29,990 |
| Israel | ₪69.90 |
| Luxembourg | €24.99 |
| Saudi Arabia | SAR 99.99 |
| Colombia | COP 99,900 |
| Dominican Republic | $23.99 |
| Iceland | $29.99 |
| Thailand | THB 899.00 |
| Vietnam | ₫699,000 |
| Argentina | $23.99 |
| Bulgaria | €24.99 |
| Estonia | €24.99 |
| Indonesia | IDR 499,000 |
| Kazakhstan | KZT 12,990.00 |
| Latvia | €24.99 |
| Montenegro | €22.99 |
| Nigeria | NGN 39,900.00 |
| Pakistan | PKR 6,900 |
| Qatar | QAR 89.99 |
| Slovakia | €24.99 |
| Albania | $29.99 |
| Armenia | $29.99 |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | €24.99 |
| Barbados | $29.99 |
| Bahrain | $24.99 |
| Bermuda | $23.99 |
| Bolivia | $23.99 |
| Bahamas | $24.99 |
| Belize | $23.99 |
| Congo, Democratic Republic | $23.99 |
| Cameroon | $29.99 |
| Cyprus | €24.99 |
| Dominica | $23.99 |
| Egypt | EGP 1,299.99 |
| Georgia | $29.99 |
| Ghana | $29.99 |
| Kenya | $29.99 |
| Kyrgyzstan | $24.99 |
| Cambodia | $24.99 |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | $23.99 |
| Kuwait | $23.99 |
| Cayman Islands | $23.99 |
| St. Lucia | $23.99 |
| Lithuania | €24.99 |
| Moldova | $29.99 |
| Macedonia | $23.99 |
| Macao | $23.99 |
| Montserrat | $23.99 |
| Malta | €24.99 |
| Nicaragua | $23.99 |
| Oman | $23.99 |
| Panama | $23.99 |
| Serbia | €24.99 |
| Seychelles | $23.99 |
| Turks and Caicos | $23.99 |
| Tajikistan | $24.99 |
| Tanzania | TZS 69,900.00 |
| Uganda | $29.99 |
| Uruguay | $23.99 |
| Uzbekistan | $24.99 |
| St. Vincent & The Grenadines | $23.99 |
| Venezuela | $23.99 |
| British Virgin Islands | $23.99 |
| Kosovo | €24.99 |
| Zimbabwe | $29.99 |
10+ alternatives to Scrivener
| Scrivener |   Werdsmith: Writing App |   Ulysses: Writing App |   iA Writer |   MyStory.today: Write a Book |   Final Draft Go |   Story Planner for Writers |   Novelist - Write novels |   Campfire – Write Your Book |   Scrivener Companion - Scrivo 4 |   LivingWriter: Write Anywhere | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating / 5 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.6 |
| Reviews | 5.4K | 12K | 5.8K | 5.2K | 3.5K | 2.8K | 2.4K | 486 | 116 | 62 | 19 |
| Released | 2016 | 2011 | 2017 | 2013 | 2018 | 2023 | 2014 | 2021 | 2022 | 2024 | 2023 |
| Monthly price | — | $4.99 | $5.99 | — | $3.99 | $3.99 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Annual price | — | $99.99 | $39.99 | — | $39.99 | $19.99 | — | — | — | — | — |
The going rate for each plan in United States, in its own currency, shaded from the cheapest price on the row to the dearest. Plans fewer than four in ten of the priced apps sell are left out.
Scrivener reviews
4.2 out of 5, based on 5,378 reviews.
What people like
- Excellent for organizing long writing projects
- One-time purchase with free updates
- Great cross-device syncing when it works
What they complain about
- Syncing with Dropbox causes data loss
- App hasn't been updated in years
- Formatting tools crash or disappear often
Wonderful tool for writing.
Once you understand the flow this app is exceptional. The keyboard row is the best and I love that it can be customized. This to me is like an older model of cars when there were no fancy computers. It’s easy to navigate and you don’t need bells and whistles to create. This makes it easy to customize. Following the example above, if you want to change a radio in an older car you pop a new one in whereas with newer cars you have to face a whole network of logistics. Overall, it’s wonderful and it’s obvious it was made with great care and attention to detail.
Don’t bother
Frustrating that this app has not been updated. Being restricted to syncing through dropbox is a problem because it is buggy.
Great for writing on the go
This app is invaluable for writing on the go if you use Scrivener on your computer. I would love to see some updates, particularly for navigation inside documents. It drives me mad when I want to select a few words, and the selection expands from one word… two words… oops half way to the of the document!
Sucks at syncing!!
This app (Mac, iPhone, iPad) has terrible syncing problems with Dropbox. I’m constantly getting error messages about syncing problems, despite me closing the app at the end of use and saving, and never having the document open on two devices at the same time. About once a month I lose edits because they fail to sync what I edited or wrote. I don’t understand why we’re in 2026 and this app sucks so much at syncing. Ditch Dropbox, and use the Apple method of syncing like every other modern app. I never have problems like this on Notes.
Formatting Bug on iOS App
I’ve enjoyed using this app for organizing all of my writing and notes, but for MONTHS I’ve been unable to format anything. I can’t highlight, re-align, change the font, nothing. Please work on a fix for this.
SO HAPPY
This app is everything I dreamed of - I needed an iPad app that was relatively intuitive, inexpensive, and at least offered capabilities similar to “MS Word”, which I’m used to on a computer; Scrivener is SO MUCH better than Word, or than I had any right to expect!!!! Almost everything is made easy, from organizing the storyline and chapters, cutting and pasting, managing research and characters, storing images, enlarging or shrinking text on the fly… it does it all! Kudos to the coders and thank you for developing this now-indispensable writing tool!
No formatting options
No formatting options
This is awesome! But..
Just got this, love the app on my Mac but the only issue I’ve ran into is the appearance settings. It’s usable, but I’d like to see more options than just light and dark, like in the Mac version. I’d also love to see the typewriter (no distractions) mode like in the Mac version. Those might be in there, but I’ll have to mess around with it a little. More than anything, this is worth it just to be able to edit my manuscript from my phone if I get inspired and am away from my computer.
Cross-Platform data loss
This app has not been updated for two years and the small problems with modern iPad OS are starting to add up. In addition, the Dropbox sync options between iPad and Desktop use outdated APIs that generate persistent conflicts — in some cases deleting work. The official answer on the forums has been “You have a backup, right?” Which is not acceptable for an application suite that advertises being able to switch between Desktop and iPad. At this point, Scrivener for iPad has be come almost unusable and has resulted in at least one loss of a week’s worth of work. I would consider this application currently UNSUPPORTED until they get a new update out. If you are only working on iPad, there are still issues with missing features (keywords) and limited compile options (the very powerful compilation features of the desktop app are the only reason I have stuck with Scrivener for so long).
Issue
None of the tools above the keyboard open nor work
One of the best
So my experience with scrivener has been wonderful, i have been using it for nearly 9 months now for writing and making lists and some other things But its easy to use and it never tries to delete your stuff like doc’s does… It’s worth every penny if u plan to use it for how it’s meant to be used. Edit: I’ve been using scrivener for over a year now, I still love it and it is and will always be my goto writing app I will say that it needs a few updates yes, but to be fair its been 3 years since its last update So if you could do some bug fixes that would be wonderful Thank you, have a good day.
I was willing to put up with some issues… but, loss of search? Oh, boy
Just… I don’t even know if any of the devs work on this or what’s happened, but if you’re out there, ios27 has killed the search function. I was willing to overlook and keep fording on through my novel, and moving to another app will be a real problem… but… I don’t think I can do without search. Please, just a tiny update. Something, anything.
Some bugs
Overall, enjoy this port of the software to iOS, but not all available options function fully , such as the formatting button. Will trying selecting it to change font, styles and header types and it crashes, every single time (not the full app, just returns to the main text).
Limited Potential
The App has been amazing. Being able to use Scrivener on the go is incredible. Picking up where I left off on multiple devices makes writing convenient beyond measure. Everything syncs quickly, effortlessly and easily. However, there are a few inconsistencies to address. First, some fonts are not shared between mobile and desktop so when syncing, text revert to a shared fonts. Second, the features on iPhone/iPad are clunky and outdated. Such as changing colors, font, line spacing and layout. Third, The “mobile” versions are essentially watered down version of the desktop. You lose a lot of features such as viewing your corkboard, viewing multiple folders, and other key features Scrivener has to offer. Fourth, this has been an ongoing issue for months. I cannot even use the built in app shortcuts! It’s so frustrating I can’t use highlighting, insert, font changes, etc. I’ve reached out multiple times and avenues and been seen and ignored. I hope the developers are able to make the desktop and mobile versions more alike in sense of having similar functionality, we understand they may not be exactly the same but any update for desktop features would make this rating a Five Star easily. Fix the app issues. Thank you.
Mac Version Rocks - iOS, not so much
I love the OS X version of Scrivener for writing, projects etc. But the iOS version kinda sucks. Menus are missing/inadequate and it’s not intuitive.
Highly recommend
I’ve been using this app and its windows desktop counterpart for a couple of years. I love the program but I also love the company. It’s a solid product, they only charge once, and you continue to get their updates. It just feels so honest and I really appreciate that in comparison to the majority of programs out there. It works beautifully with dropbox, so I can make notes or whole chapters on the go, then sync and pickup on my computer later. If I remember correctly, it did take me a minute to figure out connecting to Dropbox but after it was setup I haven’t had any issues. Just make sure you sync from one program and close it before you open the file on another device. I love that it isn’t a flashy/loud/ distracting interface with bright colors. It really feels like a program put together by writers for writers. Thank you to the team. Highly recommend!
I hate it
I hate it.
Format Tool Bug
When will you fix the bug where the format tool disappears on iOS 26?!?! I continue to use this app between my phone, iPad, my macbook, and even the PC! The sync with Dropbox is GREAT! As long as you sync your work before opening it in another device. But I need the format tool back. Please please please provide a fix soon!!!
I shouldn’t have to buy it twice
First things first: if you ONLY plan to write on your iPad, then this is 100% the right software for you. I, however, discovered this software while I was away from home, without my desktop. I paid for it and found it to be an excellent writing tool. I even synced with my Dropbox in advance so I could continue seamlessly when I finally returned home to my laptop. When that day finally came, I discovered that I would have to pay an additional $60 to install it on my computer. I am completely blown away by this. I can imagine the opposing argument: macOS and iPadOS versions are independent products, different code base, etc. That said, the modern digital world has created the expectation that users of digital software be able move between devices seamlessly. When a customer purchases software, they’re primarily buying access to the product’s functionality and ecosystem, not a specific compilation of code for a particular device. In 2026, consumers have become accustomed to software licenses following their account across phones, tablets, laptops, and the web, especially within the same platform family like Apple’s ecosystem. Charging $25 for the iPad version and then requiring an additional $60 for the Mac version is not justifiable when I’m not really paying for new software; I’m just paying a second admission fee to use the same writing tool on another screen. From the user’s perspective, the core features, file format, branding, and workflow are the same product, and the expectation is that ownership should travel with the customer rather than remain tied to a specific device class. separate development costs should be reflected in the initial purchase price or a unified license model, rather than requiring loyal users to repurchase access when they want to continue using the same software on another device they already own.
wish they would update the app.
it's so outdated appearance wise and there are constantly bugs. the ipad version is so disappointing.
Add custom background
Love the app please add the custom background option like on desktop version it would be perfect if you had that!!!!
Rarely Updated
Update: here we are years later and there is still no updates. So as the OS improves this become more and more buggy. Sync begins to suck and cause issues no matter how certain you are at making sure Dropbox is updated first. They are so frustrating that they care so little about the customers to keep a program without updating it. It should be updated at least once a year at a minimum. I wrote this years ago and the issue of losing content or errors (even when fully synced) still exists. Good software companies should update their software at least a few times a year to both squash bugs and add new features. It’s ridiculous this hasn’t been updated in years. The biggest issue is that the software is rarely updated, which means bugs linger indefinitely. I’ve stopped writing in it daily because sync problems between the desktop and cloud inevitably cause errors. I’ve lost entire chapters. Now, I only use it to store the most recent version of my work, since relying on it for everyday writing leads to constant conflicts I can’t afford to deal with. Some sycophants claim the software doesn’t need frequent updates, but that’s simply not true. All software has bugs, and they need to be fixed regularly. This program hasn’t been updated in over a year, and in the past, it’s gone several years without a single update. For one of the most popular writing tools outside of traditional word processors, the lack of care from the developers is unacceptable.
Great, but some baffling decisions.
App is great. It allows you to contain all of your research, thoughts, hypotheticals, etc. Into one document. Being able to flip through back and forth and organize it is extremely intuitive and nice. The way my brain works, I love being able to jump around and figure all of this stuff out for my stories. I only have a couple of issues: 1) Cloud storage only being Dropbox? Why? Why can’t we use OneDrive or Google One or another cloud service? Give us the option to choose instead of forcing us to have to use one cloud storage service versus the others we may already be using or familiar with. 2) Formatting. Why is there no dedicated menu button that allows us to access formatting, like text color, size, bullet points, etc. The top of the keyboard bar is broken and apparently has been since late 2025 due to Liquid Glass, which I respect isn’t their fault because Liquid Glass sucks in of itself. But just like Google Docs or Microsoft Word, just add a dedicated button at the top or bottom that allows us to access those menus?? Instead of relying on the keyboard bar that is broken. 3) Compiling is completely confusing and I hate that I have to potentially buy another program to do the things I would like to do in Scrivener. That’s a program-wide issue, not just with iOS. I have it both for PC and iOS. 4) Syncing issues are constant with DropBox and constantly causes errors and conflicts and it’s gotten to the point where edits I may have made that I don’t remember are lost to time due to these syncing issues. Other than that, it’s cool.
annoying
why did i literally spend money on an app when i can’t even change the font size bc it keeps glitching
Poor Storage Solution
This app would be much better if the storage options were more selective. I can’t stand drop box especially for IOS and in 2026 we shouldn’t be forced into using a paid storage service. If you don’t mind drop box then this is probably 5 stars.
Great app, one bhg
The app works great, and i love the features but one bug does show up and its when i try to color text or highlight it does not let me and just goes straight to keyboard.
Felt deceived
It was not clearly stated that the iPad version was severely empty of the tooted Scrivener features like templates. If I’d know that I would not have wasted $23. Feeling very much ripped off and sold a product that did not deliver what was promised. This iPad version is barely any better than a simple note app. This is a very expensive note app.
Good software
I really appreciate this software and the uses for it, but I think it would be much better if it had the templates like the desktop version other than that it’s great.
Avoid Now
Scrivener used to be the big fish in the writing world, and I have used them for many years, but their draconian refusal to embrace new technologies is forcing me away from their model. The product is antiquated, there seems to be little in the way of innovation from them, and their development team either doesn’t want to, or can’t update their apps or the desktop software to work with the modern day. It’s time to move on.
Better than nothing but clumsy and Dropbox leads to data loss
It is better to have some way to view and edit in my iPad, but I wish it were easier to get around in the app. Even with a keyboard and trackpad it’s harder to get around than the Mac version. Hard to say if that’s a general iPad problem or specific to the app. I’ve also lost a couple of files in a scrivener project recently thanks to the Dropbox sync misbehaving, and wish I could just store the files in iCloud Drive. I haven’t lost data with anything that syncs via iCloud Drive so far.
Fantastic app
I use scrivener across my MacBook, iPhone, and iPad (syncing via Dropbox). The integration is fantastic, and the features work very well across devices. Makes writing a long piece of writing infinitely easier. Takes the frustration out of organizing and re-organizing and formatting and tracking. Great app!
Trash
The MacOS app is great. This is a mess. Don’t waste your money on this junk.
Files integration, please
I’ve been using Scrivener on my desktop for ages and it’s great for screenplays, but I have all my files saved to OneDrive and I really wish this app supported a standard File > Open dialog that let me browse to my Scrivener files in cloud storage using the built-in Files app like all my other iPad tools.
Not as good as Mac version
Much easier to work with on a Mac. The iOS version appears to be abandonware as well. Hasn’t been updated in two years.
Needs table support and better style functionality for my writing
I wanted like the app but it doesn’t do tables very well and updating style presets isn’t very easy. If you don’t need that then it’s probably good for you. But if those issues were updated it would be perfect. iCloud support would be nice too.
Perfect
This is the best writing app at a reasonable price I have found for iPad.
Too many issues with the Sync
Disappointed by the Sync’ing with the Desktop version. I spent too much time trying to fix it. It worked for a while… until it did not anymore ! So, not worth it on my side. Don’t mix Desktop and IPad versions.
Needs a watch app
It is excellent. It's primarily a writing app but it's also a great notes app. One thing stopping it from being the best notes app is that it doesn't have an Apple Watch app for quickly capturing notes. That would suit it very well. Needs to include voice input of course.
Lack of attention, missing basics
No activity on this in the last two years, still doesn’t support iCloud syncing, I really can’t recommend this for serious users.
Mobile app can’t synch through Dropbox
I like the desktop app. It works well for organizing my work into bite sized pieces but with the new IOS updates I can’t get the mobile app to work with Dropbox. When I try to open a project on my iPad or phone it sees the project but which is in the correct folder but I keep getting invalid project errors. I’ve tried every recommended fix but it just won’t work. I travel a lot and I need to be able to work mobile. This app has caused me too much time and headaches. I just want to write. Im a novelist not a computer software engineer. I’m going with Ulysses. Sorry, I gave it a shot but I’m disappointed and will delete the program.
BACKGROUND OPTIONS! (Good otherwise)
Please add more than light and dark for color themes. Or just some kind of better control for them. The light theme feels like staring into the sun and the dark theme is so washed out I cant tell what Im reading half the time.
Total trash for iPad
Paid 20$ dollars the app is unusable on iPad I.e. , missing a ton of core features I.e templates and other useful features for making tables etc. your license doesn’t link up with pc so you’d have to buy it and you can’t easily import documents via the app it self you have to copy paste what it’ll allow you too that combined within its difficult curve of learning makes it A-Tier GARBAGE FOR IPAD SPECIFICALLY.
Great app - would prefer iCloud support
I’ve used a few different writing apps and this one does everything I need very well. The Dropbox integration with the desktop app seems to work well and I haven’t had any issues with losing work because of sync conflicts. Having iCloud support would be so much better though.
Awful
Waste of money .. I read plenty of positive reviews about it. I used it on my iPhone and it only gives you the option to move document from folder to folder, to trash bin, or export there is literally no proofreading tool st all there’s nothing useful or helpful about it it’s pointless it does nothing I’d like a refund please Thankyou
Love it but…
What’s working: + More intuitive on-the-go writer friendly than google docs or other apps. +Organization is amazing (just the binders/subfolders) What’s not: -Mobile version is super buggy. Forget about changing fonts, formatting manuscripts etc. A little better than your notes app. -Syncing across devices requires a Dropbox subscription— and I have still lost entire folders trying to sync. -Corkboard is the most touted feature, but inaccessible on mobile and tablet, apparently.
AI Recommended
I found myself between a rock and a hard place. So I asked CoPilot for help. Scrivener was one of three. OMG! Awesome! You have to tap to bring things up but it will do almost anything you ask IMHO. This is my second review in 84 years. As Claude says, that's not nothing.
Great app 2 years ago
This app has been forgotten and not updated for 2 years. There has been no updates to take advantage of iOS 26. In fact, I can’t even change the font size. When I try the menu for font size crashes. It is sad they let it go. I guess they are no longer interested.
Why no iCloud support?
Come on devs. Scrivener is the best writing app/software there is. Please implement iCloud support for the desktop and mobile apps. Dropbox isn’t freely available in all locations and I can’t access it without enabling my VPN. File syncing should be seamless and not require the user to drag/drop items. That said, the rest of the app is a solid 10/10. If not for the clunky syncing it would be 5-stars.
Does not back up to Dropbox
Big letdown it des not back up in real time to Dropbox it only saves an useable file that drop box doesn’t recognise Scrivener is misleading its iOS users
Buggy when iPad is set to dark mode.
Doesn’t work well in dark mode. Using the app in dark mode means that you can’t see the changes in font color and highlight. Also, the text editor doesn’t appear cream unless you turn dark mode off. Lastly, I wish you could change the default settings for the other paragraph/heading options. So far, the other features work well. It’s easy to keep everything organized and in sync with Dropbox.
Scrivener FAQ
- Is Scrivener free?
- No. Scrivener costs $23.99 (US) to download.
- Does Scrivener have a free trial?
- No. None of its offers (US) come with a free trial.
- What are the best alternatives to Scrivener?
- Werdsmith: Writing App (4.6 from 11,696 reviews, premium from $4.99), Ulysses: Writing App (4.5 from 5,835 reviews, premium from $5.99) and iA Writer (4.6 from 5,229 reviews).
Scrivener download
Last updated 3 years ago.
Scrivener sells in 106 countries. It was released 10 years and 2 months ago, on 20 Jul 2016. It holds a 4.2 rating from 5,378 reviews.
Supports 10 languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish, Swedish.
How much does Scrivener make?
Third-party estimates for the last 30 days, worldwide — not the store's own figures, which Apple publishes for nobody.