For writers comparing Novelcrafter
Novelcrafter Alternative With AI Built In
Paste your chapters. River builds a codex-style story bible from them, with every character, place, object and rule tied to the line it came from.
Free to start. No card needed.
Characters
- Tamsin ("Aunt Tam")Greyfen ferrywoman, nine winters. Ch. 1
- PellCalls from the jetty; relays the Captain's word. Ch. 1
Lore
- No crossing after the bell"The marsh kept what it took." Ch. 1
- Old crownsStamped with the burned king; no longer current (inferred)
What you'll get
A codex-style story bible built from your own chapters
- Every character, place, object and rule in your chapters
- Each fact paired with the line it came from
- What changes, open threads and continuity slips
Before and after
A chapter in. A codex out.
Tamsin had been the Greyfen ferrywoman for nine winters, and in all that time no one had crossed after the bell. The boy did. He paid in old crowns, the kind with the burned king on them. "Aunt Tam," Pell called from the jetty, "Captain says the lantern's out again." She looked at the lantern hook. Someone had cut the chain. Crossing in the dark was forbidden for a reason: the marsh kept what it took.
Characters. Tamsin ("Aunt Tam"): Greyfen ferrywoman, nine winters ("ferrywoman for nine winters"). The boy (unnamed): crossed after the bell, paid in old crowns. Pell: calls from the jetty; relays the Captain's word that "the lantern's out again." Locations. Greyfen: ferry crossing, jetty, marsh. Lore. No crossing after the bell or in the dark: "the marsh kept what it took." Objects. Old crowns with "the burned king": no longer current (inferred). The lantern: chain cut. Open threads. Who cut the chain? Where did the boy get old coin?
Every entry points back to a line you wrote. Guesses are marked as guesses.
Side by side
River, Novelcrafter and Sudowrite
| Feature | River | Novelcrafter | Sudowrite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Free plan | 21-day trial | Free trial |
| Monthly | $14 to $100 | $4 to $20, plus AI costs | $19 to $59; $10 to $44 yearly |
| AI included | Yes | No, you connect it | Yes, as credits |
| Story bible | Built from your chapters | Codex that links names as you type | Story Bible |
| Planning views | Folders of docs | Grid, matrix, outline | Canvas, outline, scenes |
| Export | Word, PDF, text | Word or text | Word |
| Apps | Web; Mac, Windows, Linux | Web, online only | Web; phone companion |
Novelcrafter's plans exclude AI costs from your own provider. Checked October 2, 2026.
Why it works
Novelcrafter or Sudowrite, and where does River fit?
The main reason writers look for a Novelcrafter alternative is AI setup: Novelcrafter asks you to connect your own provider, as its AI connection FAQ explains, while Sudowrite and River include AI in the price. River also does the Codex job for you. Paste your chapters and it returns a codex-style story bible: characters, locations, lore, objects and subplots, each fact tied to the line it came from. Below, all three are compared fairly, with prices checked October 2, 2026.
Novelcrafter is a strong tool for planners, and it deserves credit. Its Codex covers characters, locations, lore, objects and subplots, recognizes names and nicknames as you type, tracks how entries change, and shares entries across a series, per its Codex feature page. Plans run from $4 to $20 a month, and you can use any model your provider offers, including private ones on your own computer. The catch for many writers is setup: you fill the Codex and connect the AI yourself.
River trades some of that control for a faster start. AI comes with every plan, including Free, so there's no provider account to open. Your bible is an ordinary document you can edit, kept in the same workspace as your chapters, and River can search and read it while it helps you turn scene beats into prose or draft a chapter. To check continuity across a whole manuscript, use the plot hole finder, which quotes both lines of every slip.
What lands in your doc
What goes in your story codex
- Every named character with aliases and nicknames, role, fixed facts and key relationships
- Each fact paired with a short quote and the chapter where it appears
- A voice line for each main character, quoted straight from their own dialogue
- What changes: how characters and situations shift across your text, marked by chapter
- Locations, lore and objects, including each world rule's cost or limit, with quotes
- Subplots and open threads: everything you've set up but haven't paid off yet
- Continuity flags wherever two lines in your text disagree, with both lines quoted
How it works
From chapter to codex in four steps
Paste or drop
Paste one chapter or several, or drop a manuscript or Novelcrafter export as a file.
River reads closely
It notes every character, place, object and rule your text states, and exactly where it says it.
Get your codex
Entries land in your doc under Characters, Locations, Lore, Objects and Subplots, ready to edit.
Keep it current
Paste each new chapter and ask River to add what changed and flag any contradiction.
Novelcrafter vs Sudowrite: which suits you?
Novelcrafter and Sudowrite answer the same need in opposite ways. Novelcrafter is the planner's toolkit: grid, matrix and outline views, scene beats, custom prompts and a deep codex, with AI you connect yourself. Sudowrite is the ready-to-go option. AI comes included through monthly credits, and its Story Bible leads into its Scenes and Draft steps, backed by its own fiction models, Muse and Ballad. If you plan heavily, the first fits; if you want to draft today, the second does.
On October 2, 2026, Novelcrafter's pricing page listed Scribe at $4, Hobbyist at $8, Artisan at $14 and Specialist at $20 a month, with two months off for yearly billing. Scribe has no AI features, and your AI provider bills you separately. Inviting collaborators takes Specialist, and anyone who edits needs a paid plan too. Sudowrite charged $19, $29 or $59 month to month, or $10, $22 or $44 billed yearly, with credits included, per Sudowrite's price list. Neither offers a free plan, only free trials.
River's pricing has a Free plan with a monthly AI allowance and no card, then $14, $36 or $100 a month with AI credit built in. It costs more per month than Novelcrafter's entry plans, and it has no codex that links names as you type. What you get instead is no setup, a bible built from your own pages, and AI edits you accept or reject. Your chapters, notes and publishing copy share one workspace.
Questions authors ask
Common questions
Is there a free version of Novelcrafter?
No. Novelcrafter offers a 21-day trial with no card and says it doesn't currently offer a free plan. Its cheapest plan, Scribe, costs $4 a month and has no AI features, according to Novelcrafter's plans and FAQ. River has a Free plan with monthly AI use, so you can build a story bible on this page without paying anything.
How much does Novelcrafter cost per month?
When we checked on October 2, 2026, its plans cost $4, $8, $14 and $20 a month, with two months off for paying yearly. Prices are localized, so yours may differ. AI is extra: Novelcrafter doesn't provide its own models, so you connect a provider such as OpenRouter and pay it, or run a model on your own computer.
Is Novelcrafter or Sudowrite better?
It depends on how you write. Novelcrafter suits planners who want a deep codex, planning views and full control of the AI model, and who don't mind setting it up. Sudowrite suits writers who want AI ready on day one, with fiction tools and its own models, paid through credits. Our Sudowrite comparison goes deeper on where River fits against it.
Is there a Novelcrafter alternative with AI included?
Yes. Sudowrite and River both include it. AI comes with every River plan, Free included, so there's no provider account or key to manage. You can switch between Gemini, Claude and GPT models inside River when you want a different feel. Novelcrafter works the other way around: you connect OpenRouter, another provider, or a model running on your own computer.
Can I bring my Novelcrafter codex to River?
Yes. Novelcrafter exports your novel as a Word or text file and can include your codex in the export, per its novel export guide. Drop that file here: River reads it and builds a fresh codex in a new doc, and your file stays as it is. River reads up to about 85,000 words of text from one file, so split a long series export into separate books first.
Which is better, Novelcrafter or Scrivener?
They solve different problems. Scrivener is a one-time purchase for organizing and compiling a manuscript on your own computer, with no AI inside. Novelcrafter is a subscription web app built around a codex and AI you connect. Our Scrivener comparison covers that tool, and the series bible template helps when you're planning several books.
Can River make a story bible from my manuscript?
Yes. Paste chapters or drop the whole manuscript, and River writes a codex-style story bible: characters, locations, lore, objects, subplots and a timeline, each fact quoted with its chapter. River reads your file and works in a new doc; your file stays as it is. Prefer to fill one in by hand? Start from the story bible template.
Your next step
More for your book
Your codex, minus the setup
Paste your chapters and get every character, place and rule, sourced to your own lines.