The Scrivener alternative that just works, everywhere
Love what Scrivener does, but tired of the learning curve, the Dropbox sync conflicts, and the desktop-only life? Inkling gives you all your writing tools in one place, synced to every device, with nothing to learn.
still smells like her coffee
the old flame, still in town
came home to run the diner
home an hour, already locked out
one’s addressed to her
| Inkling | Scrivener | |
|---|---|---|
| Learning curve | Open it and write. Nothing to learn, no compile system. | Powerful, but a real learning curve most writers need a tutorial for. |
| Works on every device | Web, phone, and desktop, always in sync. | Desktop-first. Mobile is a separate app, and sync can be fragile. |
| Cloud sync | Built in and automatic. Your work follows you. | Via Dropbox or iCloud, where conflict files happen. |
| Storyboard, cast, maps & covers | All built in, on one desk, beside the writing. | A corkboard and outliner. No character-craft builder, maps, or covers. |
| Google Docs | Write in Inkling's own editor, or connect a Google Doc if you prefer. Export to Word or a Google Doc any time. | Import and export only. |
| Price | 14-day free trial, then $9/mo, or $72/yr as a Founding Writer. | A one-time purchase (around $60, per platform). |
Nothing to learn
Scrivener is deep, and that depth comes with hours of tutorials. Inkling is the opposite: open it, bring in a story, and you're writing. Every tool is where you'd expect it, one click from the page.
Synced everywhere, safely
No Dropbox dance, no conflict files, no "which copy is the real one." Your work saves to the cloud as you write and stays in sync across your phone, tablet, and computer, with earlier copies of each story kept in case you want one back.
Honestly, though: Scrivener is great too
If you want total offline control on a desktop and don't mind the learning curve, Scrivener is a fantastic, one-time purchase. Inkling is for writers who'd rather have everything in one place, synced everywhere, and start writing today.
More than an outliner
Inkling isn't just a corkboard. It's a storyboard, a guided character builder, a fantasy map maker, a cover for every story, and peer review, all beside your draft. The whole writing desk, not one drawer of it.
Comparing more than two apps?
Our honest roundup of the best novel-writing apps in 2026 puts Scrivener, Inkling and seven others side by side, with prices, platforms, and where each one falls short, Inkling included.
All of it. In one place.
This isn't five apps stitched together. Your storyboard, your cast, your maps, your covers, and the story itself all live on one desk, right beside the words. Nothing to sync between tools. No five separate subscriptions. Just everything a writer needs, finally in the same place.
Your whole writing desk, in one place
Start free today. Bring one story in, and see how much lighter it feels with everything beside it.