What does novelWriter replace?

novelWriter is a free alternative to Ulysses ($39.99/yr).

Is novelWriter open source?

Yes. novelWriter is licensed under GPL-3.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Yes (AUR: novelwriter). Install with: yay -S novelwriter.

There's nothing to host: novelWriter is a desktop app that runs on your own machine.

A free, open-source alternative to Ulysses. Switching saves $39.99/yr at list price.

Checked Oct 17, 2026 · How we check

Desktop app

Partly replaces it Active Open source · GPL-3.0 Linux Arch/AUR

saga-soft/novelWriter3.2k★last push Oct 17, 2026checked Oct 17, 2026

No Mac download (Mac users set it up through Python), and no iPhone or iPad app or sync.

Imports your data: Ulysses sheets exported as text or Markdown can be imported one file at a time

Install

$ yay -S novelwriter

What does novelWriter replace?: novelWriter is a free alternative to Ulysses ($39.99/yr).
Is novelWriter open source?: Yes. novelWriter is licensed under GPL-3.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.
Does novelWriter run on Linux?: Yes (AUR: novelwriter). Install with: yay -S novelwriter.
Can you self-host novelWriter?: There's nothing to host: novelWriter is a desktop app that runs on your own machine.