Scrivener Reviews 23

Brilliant writing software. But remember, it's for people who are serious about writing. Some reviewers have complained about it being complex. That's true because it has features that other programs don't have. Which is why I'm using Scrivener! That's not to say it's unintuitive. And there are loads of online tutorials and videos. So, if you want to learn, you'll get there fast enough.

Why get it?

It's extraordinary for handling complex projects with lots of research and being able to visualise the various parts. It's also extraordinarily quick. My project is over 100k words. MS Word slows down terribly when a file has that many words. Scrivener doesn't at all. There are just loads of well thought out solutions that make sense. But you need to learn it. Oh and the text prediction engine is amazing. Saves loads of time in typing.

It's true it's been too long since there's been a major update to the current version. But they do provide point updates to keep it current for OS updates. I haven't found this a problem. It's a mature product. I can't speak for the Windows version as I'm on a Mac

I could go on. But it really is great.

I've been using Scrivener for over five years now as a novelist and screenwriter, and it remains my absolute favorite writing tool—hands down the best software for bringing creative projects to life! From the moment I switched from clunky word processors, Scrivener transformed my workflow with its intuitive design, powerful features, and sheer flexibility. It's like having a digital writer's studio at your fingertips, perfect for everything from outlining epic novels to scripting films or even academic papers. The compile feature is a dream, allowing seamless exports to various formats like EPUB, PDF, or Word without losing your formatting or structure. Plus, the distraction-free composition mode keeps me laser-focused, blocking out the world so I can just pour out words. Research integration is brilliant too—you can drag in images, PDFs, web pages, and notes right into your project, all organized neatly without ever leaving the app.

What truly sets Scrivener apart, though, is its corkboard view, which I can't rave about enough! It's a visual powerhouse that turns your manuscript into movable index cards, letting you brainstorm, rearrange scenes, and plot twists with effortless drag-and-drop magic. Whether I'm shuffling chapters for better pacing or color-coding ideas for character arcs, the corkboard makes outlining feel fun and dynamic, like pinning notes on a real bulletin board but with infinite space and zero mess. And don't get me started on the segmented paragraphs feature—it's a game-changer for how I write! Instead of wrestling with one massive document, I break everything into bite-sized sections, snippets, or even individual scenes. This modular approach means I can write non-linearly, edit on the fly, and reassemble it all without breaking a sweat. It's liberated my creativity, making revisions feel like puzzle-solving rather than a chore, and has boosted my productivity tenfold.

The only minor downside I've encountered is the lack of an API or integrations with tools like n8n or Zapier, which would make automating backups, comparing revisions or syncing with other apps even smoother for power users like me. But honestly, that's a small quibble in an otherwise flawless experience—Scrivener's standalone power more than compensates.

If you're serious about writing, Scrivener is worth every penny and deserves all the praise. It's not just software; it's a creative partner that adapts to your style. 5 stars without hesitation—I wouldn't trade it for anything!

I love this software and have been using it for years. I don't understand the poor reviews here, I have even used it for my uni degree. It is a great piece of kit and I always use it over Word and other such software.

I love this software.
Very intuitive, super easy to use and organise your projects, simple import and export to word documents.
I have in the past used it to write 3 fiction books. Now, a few years later, I'm needing it for a non-fiction project and I found out the licence I had was for an old unsupported version but a few clicks later I discovered that having bought a licence in the past I now get a 100% discount for the new Scrivener 3. Brilliant customer service and loyalty to your customers!!

Today I received the pens that I ordered on Friday or Saturday. Very impressed with the delivery. I now have a gold ,red and blue(lacquer) pens. They look beautiful and write like a dream. When I bought my first pens, a couple of months ago, I had an email checking that all was ok with purchase. I haven't used a good quality pen before, so didn't realise that you need to put gentle pressure on nib to get ink flowing.
Love, love, love these pens. Ideal gift. They are fitted with a reservoir for ink but come with two cartridges if you prefer to use them. I have arthritis, so can't push hard enough to insert the cartridges so using ink works for me. I use "diamine" ink. I tried a different brand but found the ink faded almost immediately

Horrible Software design and implementation

When I needed help, Astrid was patient, very competent and helpful - and quick to respond. Exemplary service.

This program is NOT for the beginning writers. If youre not not proficient in the software it will not be of beneficial use to you more than any other word processing software world be
It isnt user friendly, Period. Full stop.
The Learning curve is immense.
The layout/interface is sparce, cheap & looks from the 2010's. Did I mention sparce? With nothing being super intuitive or made to be quick. Once you study the software, its still kinda clunky. But you must study, then create. Scrivener isnt the software for non-tech savvy people or those not wanting to be. To use it effectively you will need to become pretty proficient in its use.
So, in short if you study the software, then you can do things, but not before. After that, THEN you can Write.
However it's only $60 bucks so it you dont like it then its not a huge lose.

Excellent software for writers - especially useful for pantsing. (I can't speak for plotters as I'm not one.) I've been using Scrivener for years and years and doubt I've used all the bells and whistles it comes with. It makes life very easy when it comes to moving around scenes and chapters. Research, photos and mood boards can be easily attached. (And I read somewhere that it was inspired by Hilary Mantel's writing process, so you can't go wrong, really!)

The only writing app you will ever need. So unbelievably fabulous. It's as simple or as complex as you want it to be. There are so many features that the instruction manual (saved in the app as a PDF) is over 900 pages long. I honestly cannot recommend enough.

I've been using this app for years and love it. Recently had an issue with trying to reinstall it on another device and their support team were both prompt and very helpful in getting it resolved. Three novels written on Scrivener and counting :)

I have used this software for a couple months now and I absolutely hate it and for good reason. You cannot format text like you can in a free word processor like Open Office or in paid software like Word. They like to say you can but I'm here to tell you that you can't. Forget formatting lists in this garbageware. Scrivener 3 will format it as it sees fit and you will like it and just for fun, Scrivener will format it completely different under the exact same settings the next time you want a list. The format font is courier or Times and good luck trying to change that. Oh, you can change it alright, but it won't matter as every new line you type will be in the Scriver 3 font - not the one that you set and have been using for rest of the document OR in the defaults settings which you changed originally. No, Scrivener 3 will type in the font it chooses - either Courier or Times and you will like it. Fake reviews and YouTube videos tell you to set up your styles in the "styles" pallet but good luck getting Scrivener to actually set the style consistently in the style you saved in the palette. Ultimately, you will be fighting formatting constantly.

There are no functions for increasing or decreasing indent unless you want to go back to using the tab key constantly and if you do this in a list? Fugitaboutit. Scrivener 3 will remove the line from your list altogether as it assumes you didn't want it there anymore anyway. How kind of this awful vomitware. Try to set the margins on Scrivener like you would on ANY free or paid word processing software. Go ahead, I'll wait...can't figure it out? That's because you can't do it. Scrivener 3 will set your margins as it sees fit and you will like it. Yes, the YouTube ladies will tell you that you can but good luck getting Scrivener to consistently set them and leave them. You'll be fighting page setup constantly with this software. How about leading on the text or "line spacing" as many word processors call it? Can't do that either. The whole document defaults to this weird 1.5 line spacing which is nearly impossible to change and keep changed. You'll be fighting line spacing for your entire document.

This is an absolute travesty of an experience, I've never hated software this much since I was forced to switch to Apple Final Cut Pro X from version 7 in 2014. Scrivener is trying to be smart about all the ridiculous carnival features it thinks you would actually use and in reality, none of its developers have ever tried to write a long form project using their own software...that is obvious. I could go on and on about the failure to process inserts like tables and pics and how these are a nightmare to format in your work or how you can't just add page breaks in a given paperback format or how you have to "complie" and can't just print/export but that would be another two paragraphs. Suffice it to say, Scrivener 3 sucks and I highly recommend you avoid it at all costs. Currently there are still no decent alternatives to Word and maybe thats the idea behind this awful idea?

It is a complete headache. Trying to sync across devices- you need a degree in computer science! Tried to get a refund but impossible- paid for a program I am not even using. Back to google docs

Great program. There is a learning curve to get up to speed on Scrivener. The menu and interface could use a revamping. YouTube and Udemy have some great training videos.

If you want to buy it, it´s ok, but don´t make it by Literature and Latte Ltd directly, better by the AppStore for obvious reasons. I bought one of their products, Scrivener, and everything went very well until I needed, after formatting my computer, to be sent the activation key again.
I wrote to the company explaining my problem, which was that I had lost access to previous emails and could not retrieve the key. I sent them the documentation proving that I had made the purchase, all the possible e-mails with which I could have registered and ...... After three days, I am still waiting for a reply.
I would like to add that the treatment has not been particularly kind and I don't see much desire to solve the problem, even questioning the veracity of my situation..... people who are not very serious and have little desire to work.

the worst customer service. I still have non working Scrivener--it rejects the customer key THAT I PAID FOR
and repeated emails to customer MEANT NOTHING. They did NOT answer.

Scrivener is good writing software, the entire Project organization makes your life easier and let you focus on what counts: writing.

But it's not all perfect: Windows support is awful, they promised for years update to Scrivener 3 and now it's not so stable.

It's a good software that lacks of support but is the most complete software for Windows. If you are using MacOS look for other solutions.

Avoid. They have been promising Windows users an upgrade for several years (development team is tiny and unresponsive) and as a Windows user, you will essentially be cheated. If you are on Mac, there are substantially better alternatives these days. Scrivener was ok 5 years ago. In 2020 it is way past its prime. Literature and Latte, who make Scrivener, have the worst customer service of all my purchases. Why support a software which is only lining the pocket of the creator and not offering the service we pay for?

It makes no sense, it’s the most user unfriendly thing I have ever seen and a complete rip off.... stay away, use a piece of paper over this any day. Criminal.

My review is based on excellent customer service. I ordered the Mac version by mistake and needed windows. They rectified this for me in a matter of hours.
The one star I have removed is because at first glance the program is very confusing and uncomfortable to look at, but there are lots of tutorials so its ok.