NovelPad
NovelPad is a novel-writing application for professional and aspiring novelists, available as desktop software and on the web.
What NovelPad is
NovelPad is a novel-writing application for professional and aspiring novelists, available as desktop software and on the web. Writers can arrange scenes on boards for chapters, subplots, characters, timelines, and outlines. Its Codex keeps track of characters, places, and objects across scenes, with profiles, aliases, co-mention rankings, and chapter presence. Writing tools include goals, adaptive schedules, sprints, focus modes, and smart quotes that account for more than 20 locales. For revision, it offers scene revisions, snapshots, structural and text comparisons, and recovery of deleted scenes. The desktop app works offline; cloud sync can reconcile changes between devices when connected. NovelPad imports DOCX and can export chapters, subplots, or outlines to DOCX. Beta readers can be invited by email with viewer, commenter, or editor roles, and can use threaded comments. ProWritingAid is named as an integration. The free trial lasts 14 days and requires no card. The $89 Desktop license has no sync or sharing; major-version upgrades cost $39 if chosen. Cloud and web users’ content is stored on the maker’s servers.
Good
- Organizes scenes across chapter, subplot, character, timeline, and outline boards.
- Tracks story details across scenes in the Codex.
- Recovers deleted scenes and provides revision comparisons.
- Desktop app works offline.
- 14-day trial requires no card.
Watch out
- Desktop license has no cloud sync or sharing.
- Cloud and web users’ content is stored on the maker’s servers.
- Major-version upgrades cost $39 when chosen.
Who it suits
NovelPad suits novelists who want to organize scenes, track story details, and manage revisions in one writing application. Writers who need collaboration or cloud sync can consider Pro Cloud; those who prioritize offline use can use the desktop app.
Verdict
NovelPad brings scene organization, story references, and revision tools together for novel writing. Choose a plan with care if you need cloud sync, sharing, or major-version upgrades.
Plans and prices
From NovelPad's own pricing page, checked 19 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Pro Cloud Monthly | $15 a month | Desktop and web access · Cloud sync across devices · Beta-reader sharing with viewer, commenter, and editor roles · billed monthly |
| Pro Cloud Annual | $150 a year | Desktop and web access · Cloud sync across devices · Beta-reader sharing · billed annually |
| Desktop Only | $89 a month | Native macOS, Windows, and Linux app · All writing features work offline · No sync or cloud storage |
| Pro Cloud — monthly | $15 a month | Everything in NovelPad on desktop and web · cloud sync · beta-reader sharing · $15/month |
| Desktop | $89, paid once | Full native app for macOS, Windows, and Linux · offline · no sync or cloud · $89 once |
| Pro Cloud — annual | $150 a year | Everything in NovelPad on desktop and web · cloud sync · beta-reader sharing · Annual · $150 |
| Lifetime | $349, paid once | Desktop app and future updates · two years of Cloud included · Cloud thereafter optional at $9/mo or $79/year · $349 once |
The facts
Each one read from NovelPad's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Collaboration
- Users can invite beta readers by email with viewer, commenter, or editor roles and use threaded comments.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Data handling
- Payments are processed by Stripe, transactional email by SendGrid, and product usage events are collected through Segment.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Export formats
- basicchecked 19 Sep 2026
- Import and export
- NovelPad supports DOCX import and exports chapters, subplots, or outlines to DOCX; pricing also states novels can be exported to .docx.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Integration
- The feature list names ProWritingAid as an integration.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Offline and sync
- The desktop app works offline, while cloud sync can reconcile changes across devices when connected.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Offline mode
- Yeschecked 19 Sep 2026
- Privacy
- The maker says it does not read, sell, or share users’ writing or use it to train AI models; cloud and web users’ content is stored on its servers.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Publishing tools
- Yeschecked 19 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- NovelPad is an all-in-one novel-writing application for professional and aspiring novelists.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Real-time collaboration
- Yeschecked 19 Sep 2026
- Revision and recovery
- NovelPad offers scene revisions, snapshots, structural and text diffs, and recovery of deleted scenes.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Story organization
- Writers can organize scenes as cards across chapter, subplot, character, timeline, and outline boards.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Story reference
- The Codex tracks characters, locations, or items across scenes and includes profiles, aliases, co-mention rankings, and chapter presence.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Version history
- Yeschecked 19 Sep 2026
- Writing tools
- Features include writing goals, adaptive schedules, sprints, focus modes, and locale-aware smart quotes in more than 20 locales.checked 3 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Nochecked 19 Sep 2026
- Plan limit
- The $89 Desktop license has no cloud sync or sharing, and major-version upgrades cost $39 when the user chooses to upgrade.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Trial and support
- Plans include a 14-day free trial with no card required; Lifetime includes priority support.checked 3 Oct 2026
The company
- Headquarters
- Hudson, New Hampshire, United Stateschecked 28 Sep 2026
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