We make kindling, a free writing app that imports Plottr files, so we have a stake in how you read this. We have tried to write the review we would want if we were the ones deciding: what Plottr does well, what it costs, and where it stops.
Every price, plan and platform detail below was checked on Plottr’s own pages on 26 September 2026, in USD before tax.
The short verdict
Plottr is the best dedicated visual outliner for novelists, and its standard plan is fairly priced: $150 once for the Mac and Windows app, on as many household computers as you like. It is not a writing app. You plan in Plottr and write somewhere else, and whether that suits you decides whether Plottr is worth it.
Buy it if you plan in detail, think in timelines or run a series. If you want one tool to outline and draft in, use the 30-day trial to find out whether the handoff to a second app bothers you before you pay.
What Plottr is
Plottr is a desktop app for Windows and macOS for planning fiction. Its centre is a timeline of scene cards laid out across plotlines, so you can see every thread of the book at once. Around it sit a story bible of characters, places and notes, and an outline that Plottr builds from the timeline for you.
What Plottr does well
- The timeline. Drag scene cards between plotlines, colour-code subplots, and see the shape of the whole book on one screen. It is the most direct way we know to plan a novel visually.
- Templates. More than 30 plot and scene templates, from three-act structure to named beat sheets, give you a starting shape instead of an empty grid.
- Series planning. A series holds any number of books, with a view across all of them. For a long series, this alone can justify the price.
- Fair terms on the standard plan. Files stay on your computer, the app works offline, it has no AI, and one purchase covers every device in your household. If a yearly plan lapses, the app keeps working; it just stops updating.
- A way out. Plottr exports to Word and Scrivener, so the outline can follow you into a writing app.
Where Plottr stops
- There is no writing area. Scene cards hold notes, not a manuscript. Reedsy’s review says the same: Plottr “doesn’t have a writing area”. When the outline is done, you export it and draft somewhere else, and the outline becomes a reference in another window.
- Browser, tablet and sync live in Pro, at a different price. Pro is $9.99 a month, $99 a year or $599 lifetime. Pro keeps projects in the cloud, so if a Pro plan lapses you cannot open them until you renew.
- No phone app at the moment. Plottr removed its mobile app from the app stores and is rebuilding it, with no date given. On a tablet, you use Pro’s browser app.
- Linux is unofficial. A beta AppImage and deb exist, but Plottr calls them unsupported and says they may be discontinued. Automatic updates do not work there.
- Co-writing costs per person. Each co-author needs their own Pro subscription.
- No refunds. Plottr offers up to five hours of outlining coaching instead, if the app does not help you finish an outline.
Plottr pricing in 2026
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plottr | — | $60 | $150 |
| Plottr Pro | $9.99 | $99 | $599 |
| Plottr Pro + Community | $14.99 | $129 | $649 |
Plottr’s pricing page shows a higher list price struck through beside most plans, $199 for the standard lifetime plan for example. The display has been there since at least March 2026; the figures above are what it charges. There is a 30-day free trial and no free plan.
To see these beside Scrivener’s licences, read the Plottr and Scrivener pricing table.
Which plan is worth it?
- Most writers: the standard lifetime plan, $150. It costs less than three years of the $60 yearly plan, and lifetime plans keep receiving updates.
- Pro, only if you need it. Pay for Pro if you plan on a tablet or co-write in real time. Lifetime Pro at $599 is about six years of yearly Pro, so buy it only if you are sure.
- Pro + Community is for the courses. The extra $30 a year over Pro buys a private community and Plottr’s course library, not more software.
Does Plottr use AI?
No. The app has none, and the standard plan lists “No AI” among its features. The same company sells Storysnap, a separate paid service, $50 per manuscript, that uses AI to turn a finished manuscript into a Plottr project. It is optional and sits outside the app.
Plottr alternatives
- Draft in the same tool. kindling imports
.pltrfiles directly: Plottr’s beats become chapters, scene cards become scenes, and characters and places come across with their custom attributes and the scenes they appear in. You then draft each scene with its outline beside the prose. It is free, open source and runs on Mac, Windows and Linux. See the Plottr import details. - Plan in Plottr, write in Scrivener. The most common pairing; the Plottr vs Scrivener comparison covers how the two split the work.
- Something else entirely. Our list of the best Plottr alternatives covers Dabble, Campfire, Novelcrafter and Obsidian too.
Frequently asked questions
Is Plottr worth it?
For a writer who outlines in detail, yes: the $150 lifetime plan is a fair price for the best visual outliner available. For a writer who wants to outline and draft in one place, Plottr covers only the first half, so budget for a writing app too.
Is Plottr a one-time purchase?
It can be. Every plan has a lifetime option: $150 for Plottr, $599 for Pro and $649 for Pro + Community. Plottr also sells yearly plans, and Pro plans monthly.
Does Plottr have a free version?
No. There is a 30-day free trial, then a paid plan.
Does Plottr work on Linux, iPad or Android?
Only partly. The Linux build is an unsupported beta. On iPad, Android and Chromebooks, Plottr runs through the Pro plan’s browser app; there is no native mobile app at the moment.
Can I move my Plottr outline into a writing app?
Yes. Plottr exports to Word and Scrivener, and kindling opens .pltr files directly, keeping scenes, characters and places linked. Follow the guide to turning an outline into a first draft once it is in.