Scrivener vs Plottr

by Gralio Mar 07, 2025

Scrivener and Plottr cater to different writing needs. Scrivener is a comprehensive writing software suited for research-heavy projects, while Plottr specializes in visual planning and outlining. Scrivener offers more features but has a steeper learning curve, while Plottr is easier to learn but has fewer advanced writing features.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 590 reviews and 60 websites, saving 3 hours, 46 minutes of reading.

About

Scrivener is writing software designed for books, articles, and scripts. It helps you organize research, structure your writing with outlines and index cards, and format for different document types. It also provides tools for tracking progress and exporting to popular formats like Microsoft Word and PDF. While it has a learning curve, its many features make it popular for writers who need more than a basic word processor.
Plottr is a software designed for authors to visually plan and organize their books. It allows you to create visual timelines, develop character profiles, and generate outlines. Plottr offers templates based on common storytelling structures and integrates with writing software like Microsoft Word and Scrivener. It is available as a one-time purchase (Plottr) and a subscription service with cloud features (Plottr Pro).

Summary

Main difference
Scrivener is a powerful writing tool best suited for complex, long-form projects requiring extensive organization and research management. Plottr excels at visual plotting and outlining, making it ideal for authors who prefer a visual approach to story planning.

Relative strengths of Scrivener (compared to Plottr)

  • Superior organization and research management tools for complex projects.

  • Flexible outlining and "corkboard" feature for arranging scenes.

  • One-time purchase offers better long-term value.

Relative weaknesses of Scrivener (compared to Plottr)

  • Steeper learning curve and more complex interface.

  • Less intuitive for visual plotting and brainstorming.

  • Exporting can be complex and sometimes lead to formatting issues.

Who should use Scrivener VS. Plottr

Scrivener is writing software ideal for authors, screenwriters, and content creators working on long-form projects. Users praise its organizational tools, flexible project management, and distraction-free writing mode. However, some find the compiling process difficult and the software's many features overwhelming. Despite a learning curve, Scrivener's powerful features make it a popular choice for writers needing more than a basic word processor.

Plottr is a visual planning software for authors. It helps writers create timelines, develop characters, and generate outlines using templates based on common storytelling structures. Users praise its intuitive interface and visual timeline, but some have reported data loss and syncing issues. Plottr offers a lifetime purchase option and subscription-based “Pro” plans.

  • Ideal for businesses of all sizes seeking long-form writing software.

  • A good fit for media, education, and professional services.

  • Ideal for small businesses (1-100 employees), a good fit for medium businesses (101-1000).

  • Best fit for media & entertainment; not suitable for education, software/IT, or marketing/advertising.

Scrivener and Plottr features

Supported
Partially supported
Not supported
Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need
  • Visual timeline
    Partially supported

    Scrivener offers manual timeline management using corkboard and custom metadata.

    Supported

    Plottr offers a visual timeline with drag-and-drop, scene cards, plotlines, and templates.

  • Story bible
    Supported

    Scrivener supports story bibles through folders, metadata, and collections.

    Supported

    Plottr supports organizing characters, places, and notes, including bios, tags, custom attributes, templates, and filtering.

  • Starter templates
    Not supported

    Scrivener supports custom templates but does not directly offer templates based on story structures like The Hero's Journey.

    Supported

    Plottr offers various starter templates, including those based on The Hero's Journey and other story structures, customizable for different genres.

  • Note taking
    Supported

    Notes can be organized into folders, subfolders, and virtual index cards.

    Supported

    Plottr supports notes organized by categories and tags, which can be linked to characters, places, or plot points.

  • Timeline view
    Partially supported

    Scrivener does not offer a built-in timeline view but can be integrated with external tools like Aeon Timeline.

    Supported

    Plottr offers a visual timeline to track plot points, characters, settings, and more.

  • Storyboard feature
    Supported

    Scrivener supports visual storyboarding through its corkboard feature, allowing users to arrange index cards.

    Not supported

    Plottr does not support traditional visual storyboards, but offers visual timelines and scene organization.

Qualities

  • Value and Pricing Transparency
    No data
    -0.33
    Rather negative sentiment
  • Customer Service
    No data
    No data
  • Ease of Use
    +1
    Strongly positive sentiment
    +1
    Strongly positive sentiment
  • Reliability and Performance
    No data
    -0.33
    Rather negative sentiment
  • Ease of Implementation
    No data
    No data
  • Scalability
    No data
    No data
Scrivener and Plottr Pricing
No data

User sentiment

Strongly positive
+1
We couldn't find a pricing page for Scrivener.
Plottr offers a lifetime plan and two subscription-based options: Plottr Pro and Plottr Pro + Community. Plottr Pro is available through monthly or annual subscriptions. All plans include unlimited household licenses.
Plans

User sentiment

Rather negative
-0.33

See full Pricing page

Scrivener and Plottr review insights

516 reviews analysed from and

Users love

  • Excellent organizational tools for research, outlines, and writing.
  • Flexible project management with "binder" and "corkboard" views.
  • Ability to break down writing into manageable chunks (scenes/chapters).
  • Distraction-free writing mode and customizable interface.
  • One-time purchase with free updates (unlike subscription models).
  • Intuitive and user-friendly interface.
  • Visual timeline feature for easy plotting.
  • Customizable templates and plotlines.
  • Helpful resources and tutorials available.

Users dislike

  • Difficult compiling process, especially for ebooks and specific formats.
  • Steep learning curve and overwhelming number of features.
  • Lack of seamless integration with some reference managers.
  • Occasional bugs and freezing issues reported.
  • Inconsistent formatting when exporting to other platforms.
  • Data loss issues reported by some users.
  • Syncing problems across devices.
  • Mobile app functionality needs improvement.
  • Difficulty transferring projects between devices.

Scrivener and Plottr Ratings

  • G2
    4.5/5
    (84)
  • Capterra
    4.7/5
    (199)
  • G2
    4.8/5
    (2)
  • Capterra
    4.9/5
    (231)
  • TrustPilot
    4.8/5
    (74)

Company health

Employee growth

No change in the last year
40% decrease in the last year

Web traffic

6% increase in the last quarter
No change in the last quarter

Financing

No data
No data

How do Scrivener's organizational tools compare to Plottr's visual timeline?

Scrivener's organizational tools are more diverse than Plottr's visual timeline. While Plottr excels at visual timelines for plotting, Scrivener offers a "binder" system for organizing chapters, a "corkboard" for arranging scenes, and tools for managing research and notes. Plottr's timeline is a strong visual tool for outlining and plotting, but Scrivener's system provides a broader range of organizational options beyond the timeline view.

Which product better integrates with other writing software I use?

Plottr integrates directly with Scrivener, allowing for the transfer of outlines and other organizational elements. While Scrivener can export to common formats like Word and PDF, it doesn't offer direct integration with other writing software mentioned. Therefore, Plottr offers better integration specifically with Scrivener, but Scrivener offers broader compatibility through standard file formats.

What are the advantages of Scrivener?

Scrivener offers robust organizational tools for long-form writing projects, allowing writers to manage research, structure outlines, and break down writing into manageable chunks. It also provides a distraction-free writing mode and flexible formatting options, culminating in diverse export options, including Word and PDF. Unlike subscription-based alternatives, Scrivener benefits from a one-time purchase model.

What are the disadvantages of Scrivener?

Scrivener has a steep learning curve and can be overwhelming for new users due to its extensive features. Some users report difficulties with the compiling process, especially when exporting to specific ebook formats. It also lacks seamless integration with certain reference management tools, which can be a drawback for academic or research-based writing. Occasional bugs and freezing issues have also been reported. Finally, formatting inconsistencies can arise when exporting to other platforms.

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Page co-authored by
MK
Michal Kaczor
CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

TT
Tymon Terlikiewicz
CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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