Bibisco vs. Scrivener: Which One is Better in 2026?

As a novelist, your choice of writing software can have a significant impact on your creative process and productivity. In the crowded landscape of options, two of the most popular choices are Bibisco and Scrivener. While both aim to provide a complete environment for long-form writing projects, they take very different approaches. In this in-depth comparison, we‘ll examine the strengths and weaknesses of each to help you determine the best fit for your writing needs in 2024 and beyond.

The Novel Writing Process

Before diving into the specifics of each tool, it‘s worth taking a step back to consider the novel writing workflow itself. While every author‘s process is unique, most include some variation of the following steps:

1. Planning and outlining the story structure
2. Developing characters, settings, and other story elements
3. Drafting the manuscript
4. Revising and editing
5. Formatting and exporting for publication

Specialized writing apps aim to facilitate and streamline this process, providing a central hub for all the components of a book-length work in progress. They combine the drafting tools of a word processor with additional features for story organization, note-taking, and project management.

Bibisco: A Novel-Specific Tool

Bibisco is an open-source writing app designed from the ground up specifically for novels. Its interface is structured around discrete sections for planning the core elements of a story:

• Characters: Detailed profiles including name, appearance, personality, motivations, and arcs
• Locations: Descriptions of settings, from broad geographies down to individual rooms
• Objects: Definitions of important items that appear in the story
• Narrative arc: High-level overview of the story‘s structure, themes, and plot points

In addition to these planning components, Bibisco provides a simple word processor for drafting your actual manuscript. The text is organized in a traditional hierarchy of chapters and scenes.

This explicit focus on novel structure is Bibisco‘s key differentiator. By providing dedicated sections for each story element, it encourages a systematic approach to planning and world-building. This can be especially valuable for writers who are new to novel writing, or who struggle with organizing their ideas.

However, this structure can also feel rigid and limiting for writers who prefer a more freeform approach. Bibisco‘s interface is less customizable than other writing apps, and it doesn‘t provide as many options for rearranging and visualizing the elements of your story.

Scrivener: Flexible and Powerful

In contrast to Bibisco‘s novel-specific design, Scrivener positions itself as a general-purpose tool for long-form writing of all kinds. In addition to novels, it‘s popular with authors of non-fiction books, screenplays, academic theses, and other complex writing projects.

Scrivener‘s interface centers around the "binder," a sidebar that shows the hierarchical structure of your manuscript. Each item in the binder is a document, which can contain text, images, or other media. Documents can be grouped into folders, and rearranged by dragging and dropping.

This flexibility is one of Scrivener‘s greatest strengths. It allows you to organize your manuscript and supporting materials in whatever way makes sense for your project. For example, you might create separate folders for each chapter, with sub-documents for individual scenes. Research, character notes, and other reference material can be stored right alongside the relevant text.

Scrivener also provides multiple ways to visualize and navigate your content. In addition to the standard text view, there‘s a corkboard that displays each document as an index card, and an outliner that provides a spreadsheet-like view of your manuscript‘s structure. These different perspectives can be invaluable for wrangling a complex project.

While Scrivener doesn‘t provide the same built-in structure for story elements as Bibisco, it does offer a wide range of templates for different types of projects. The novel template, for example, includes pre-configured sections for characters, settings, and research. These templates provide a helpful starting point, while still allowing for customization.

Distraction-Free Writing and Workflow

Both Bibisco and Scrivener aim to provide a focused, distraction-free writing environment. They offer full-screen composition modes that hide the user interface, leaving only the text on a neutral background. This can be a great aid to concentration and productivity, especially when combined with other techniques like the Pomodoro method.

However, the two apps take slightly different approaches to structuring the writing process. Bibisco provides a linear, sequential flow, guiding you from planning to drafting to revising. It assumes that you‘ll do most of your planning and world-building upfront, before starting to write in earnest.

Scrivener, on the other hand, is designed around a more iterative, non-linear process. Its flexibility makes it easy to jump back and forth between drafting, research, and revising. This can be a better fit for writers who prefer to discover their story as they go, or who like to work on multiple aspects of a project simultaneously.

Compiling and Exporting

Once you‘ve completed a draft, both Bibisco and Scrivener provide tools for exporting your manuscript for sharing or publication. However, Scrivener offers significantly more power and flexibility in this area.

Bibisco‘s export options are relatively basic. You can export your entire project, or just the manuscript itself, in a handful of file formats including PDF, DOCX, and EPUB. There are no options for controlling the formatting or layout of the exported file.

Scrivener, in contrast, provides a powerful compiler that allows you to generate professional-grade ebooks and print-ready files. You can select which parts of your project to include, customize the formatting, and even create different versions for different purposes (e.g. a submission manuscript vs. a final ebook). Scrivener supports exporting to a wide range of file formats, including EPUB, MOBI, PDF, and DOCX.

This advanced compilation is one of Scrivener‘s killer features for authors who want to self-publish or who need to generate files for multiple formats and devices. It can save a huge amount of time and effort compared to manually formatting a manuscript in a separate program.

Platforms and Pricing

Bibisco is a cross-platform app, with versions available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It‘s also completely free and open-source, although the developers do accept donations and offer a "Supporter Edition" with a few extra features for a pay-what-you-want price.

Scrivener is available for macOS and Windows, with a separate version for iOS. There‘s no Linux version, although the Windows app can be run on Linux using compatibility layers like Wine. Scrivener is commercial software, with prices ranging from $45 for the Windows version to $49 for macOS. The iOS app is sold separately for $19.99.

While Scrivener is more expensive than Bibisco, its pricing is still reasonable compared to other professional writing tools like Final Draft ($249). Scrivener also offers a generous 30-day free trial, which only counts days actually used, so you can thoroughly test the app before buying.

Community and Resources

Both Bibisco and Scrivener have active user communities and a wealth of learning resources available. The Bibisco website includes a user manual, FAQ, and forums where users can ask questions and share tips. There are also several video tutorials available on YouTube.

Scrivener has a particularly extensive ecosystem, reflecting its longer history and larger user base. In addition to the official manual and forums, there are numerous third-party books, courses, and tutorials available. The app also integrates with several other popular tools for writers, including the Outlining Your Novel Workbook, the Hemingway Editor, and Aeon Timeline.

The Verdict

So which app should you choose for your next novel? As with most tools, the answer depends on your individual needs and preferences.

If you‘re a first-time novelist looking for a step-by-step guide to the writing process, Bibisco‘s structured approach could be a great fit. Its focus on story elements like characters and locations can help you develop a rich, well-rounded world for your book. And its pre-defined structure can provide a helpful roadmap for completing a complex project. The fact that it‘s completely free is also a significant point in its favor.

However, if you‘re a more experienced writer, or if you value flexibility and customization, Scrivener is hard to beat. Its powerful features and endlessly adaptable interface make it a versatile tool for a wide range of writing projects. Its best-in-class export and compilation tools are also a huge advantage if you plan to self-publish or distribute your work in multiple formats.

Personally, as someone who writes both fiction and non-fiction, I find Scrivener to be the more valuable tool overall. I love being able to organize my research and notes alongside my draft, and the ability to rearrange and restructure my work with ease. Scrivener‘s advanced exporting has also saved me countless hours of formatting and preparation for publication.

That said, I know many authors who swear by Bibisco, especially for their first novel. Its explicit novel-planning features can be a revelation if you‘ve never used a tool like this before. And its simpler interface can be less overwhelming than Scrivener‘s cornucopia of options.

Ultimately, the best way to decide is to try both tools for yourself. Both Bibisco and Scrivener offer free trials, so you can test-drive their features and interfaces with your own work. Take some time to outline a story or draft a few scenes in each one, and see which fits your creative process best.

Whichever tool you choose, you‘ll be well on your way to writing your next great novel. Happy writing!

Key Takeaways

• Bibisco is a free, open-source writing app designed specifically for novels, with a structured approach to story planning.
• Scrivener is a powerful, flexible writing tool for long-form projects of all kinds, with advanced features for organization, formatting, and exporting.
• The best choice depends on your experience level, creative process, and publishing goals.
• Try both with a free trial to see which one fits your needs best.