The free Scrivener alternative for fiction writers

Name: kindling Writer
Author: kindling

Scrivener offers a broad set of manuscript, research, and compilation tools. If your priority is outlining and drafting, you may prefer a more focused workspace. kindling Writer is the free, open-source alternative built around the one thing most novelists actually need: an outline that stays visible while you draft.

Download kindling — free

Free & open source · No account required · AI‑free

All platforms →

02 / What you get

What you get for free

Scene-and-beat outlining that reads like Scrivener's corkboard, but linear and editable in the drafting view.
Outline pinned beside your draft — no switching between binder and editor. Your beats are right there while you write.
Scrivener import. Bring in your existing .scriv projects — chapters, scenes, synopses, and prose all come across.
Scrivener export. Send your draft back to Scrivener as a new bundle, or update an existing one with a match preview.
Desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Not a web app. Not a subscription.
No account required. Works offline. Your novel stays on your machine.
Open source. MIT licensed. The code is on GitHub — you can read it, fork it, or run your own build.

03 / At a glance

kindling vs Scrivener at a glance

Feature	Scrivener	kindling Writer
Price	$59.99 per desktop platform	Free forever
Platforms	Mac, Windows, iOS	Mac, Windows, Linux
Outlining	Corkboard + binder	Scenes + beats, pinned beside draft
Drafting	Rich text editor	Distraction-free editor with outline
Research folder	✓	✗ (use Obsidian or files)
Compile / export	Powerful, complex	Simple (Word, Markdown, EPUB, Scrivener)
Import Scrivener `.scriv`	N/A	✓
Export back to Scrivener	N/A	✓
Open source	✗	✓
Works offline	✓	✓
Subscription	✗	✗
AI-free	✓	✓

Scrivener desktop pricing checked 12 September 2026, in USD before tax. Crossgrades and iOS licences have different terms.

04 / Linux

Scrivener on Linux

Literature & Latte makes Scrivener for macOS, Windows, and iOS. There is no Linux version. kindling runs natively on Linux and reads and writes Scrivener 3 projects, so a novel you started in Scrivener can be outlined and drafted on Linux, then sent back.

Import. On Linux a .scriv project is an ordinary folder. Choose File → Import → Scrivener and select that folder. Your chapters, scenes, synopses, and prose come across as an outline.
Export. Send the draft back as a new .scriv project, or update the original with a match preview, then open it in Scrivener on a Mac or Windows machine.
Install. Download the AppImage, mark it executable, and run it. No account, and nothing to configure.

05 / Who it’s for

Who this is for

You tried Scrivener and found it overwhelming. The binder, the inspector, the compile dialog — it's a lot of surface area for what you actually want to do: outline a novel and write it.
You want to outline and draft in the same tool without paying a subscription or committing to a cloud platform.
You want your novel saved locally, not in a cloud you don't control. kindling projects are SQLite files on your hard drive. No sync, no lock-in.
You're a plotter or plantser — someone who plans before drafting, or plans as they go. kindling's Rolling Outline lets you decide how much structure each scene needs.
You want to support open source tools. kindling is MIT licensed. The code is public. No venture capital, no acquisition risk, no sunset.

06 / When to stay

Who Scrivener is still better for

kindling isn't trying to be Scrivener. There are writers for whom Scrivener is the right tool, and we'd rather you know that upfront than switch and regret it:

Heavy research workflows. If your novel tracks reference PDFs, web pages, images, and audio clips, Scrivener's research folder is unmatched.
Granular compile control. If you publish to specific platforms that need precise formatting (Kindle, IngramSpark, academic presses), Scrivener's compile engine is deeper than kindling's export.
iPad writing. kindling is desktop-only. Scrivener's iOS app is still the best way to write a novel on an iPad.
Years of Scrivener investment. If you already have a working Scrivener setup, templates, and muscle memory, there's no reason to switch. Use kindling for the outline-to-draft step and keep Scrivener for revision.

07 / Switching

How to switch from Scrivener to kindling

Download kindling — free for Mac, Windows, or Linux.
Open your Scrivener project in kindling. Choose File → Import → Scrivener, then select your .scriv bundle. Your chapters, scenes, and synopses import as a navigable outline.
Draft with your outline visible. Each scene opens with its synopsis pinned beside the prose — no more toggling the inspector.
Keep Scrivener installed. When you're ready to revise and compile, export back to a .scriv bundle. kindling and Scrivener can share the same project.

See the full import documentation and export documentation.

08 / Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is kindling really a free Scrivener alternative?

Yes. kindling is completely free and open source under the MIT license. No premium tiers, no subscriptions, no feature gates. It's a native desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux — you download it once and it's yours forever.

Can kindling open my existing Scrivener projects?

Yes. kindling imports Scrivener 3 .scriv bundles directly, preserving your binder hierarchy, synopses, and draft content. You can also export back to a new .scriv bundle or update an existing one — kindling and Scrivener can share the same project.

Does kindling work offline?

Yes. kindling is a desktop application that works completely offline. Your novel is stored as local files on your hard drive — no cloud accounts, no internet connection required, no data collection.

Is kindling as powerful as Scrivener?

For outlining and drafting, kindling has a tighter focus — your outline lives inside your drafting space, so you never face a blank page. For heavy manuscript management, research organization, and advanced compile, Scrivener is still deeper. Many writers use both: draft in kindling, revise and compile in Scrivener.

Can I export back to Scrivener?

Yes. kindling exports to Scrivener 3 .scriv bundles. You can create a new Scrivener project from your kindling draft, or update an existing Scrivener project with a match preview that shows exactly how scenes will map back.

Is there a Scrivener for Linux?

No. Literature & Latte makes Scrivener for macOS, Windows, and iOS. kindling runs natively on Linux and imports and exports Scrivener 3 .scriv projects, so you can outline and draft a Scrivener novel on Linux and send it back.

Where can I read more?

See the full comparison of fiction writing software, read the blog post on the best Scrivener alternatives for plotters, or compare Plottr vs Scrivener.