How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Sudowrite is the best NovelAI alternative for serious novelists, with a Story Bible that carries your plot, characters, and style from outline to finished draft.
- NovelCrafter is the best pick for writers who want to choose their own AI model, with support for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and local models.
- KoboldAI and Perchance are the free options, with KoboldAI running models locally on your own computer at no cost.
- AI Dungeon and DreamGen suit interactive storytelling, where you steer the plot and the AI plays along, rather than drafting a traditional manuscript.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Sudowrite | Novelists who want an AI partner for the whole book | $10/month | Free trial |
 NovelCrafter | Writers who want control over which AI model they use | See website | Free tier |
 AI Dungeon | Interactive text adventures and playful storytelling | See website | Yes |
 DreamGen | Interactive role-play and steerable stories | $7.83/month | Yes |
 Squibler | Turning an idea into a book quickly | $16/month | Yes |
 Perchance | Free AI story generation with no account needed | $0 | Yes |
 KoboldAI | Running story models locally for free | $0 | Yes |
 Campfire | Worldbuilding and organizing long series | $0.50/month | Yes |
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The best novelai alternatives
Starting price$10/month
Free planFree trial
Sudowrite is the most novelist-focused tool in this list. Its Story Bible takes you step by step from idea to outline to chapter beats to thousands of words in your style, while Write acts as autocomplete that analyzes your characters, tone, and plot arc to suggest the next passage. Describe adds sensory detail, Expand fixes rushed pacing, Rewrite revises endlessly without complaint, and Feedback gives five actionable areas to improve each draft.
Pricing starts at $10 per month after a free trial, with no credit card needed for the trial. Authors including Hugh Howey have praised it publicly. For writers who want one AI partner from first idea to final draft, Sudowrite is the strongest NovelAI alternative here.
What we like- Story Bible guides a novel from idea to finished chapters in your style
- Write suggests the next 300 words in your voice
- Rewrite, Expand, and Feedback cover editing
Watch out for- No permanent free tier
- Credit-based usage can add up on long books
- Best for fiction rather than general writing
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree tier
NovelCrafter is a writing platform built by writers, for writers, with organization at its core. The Codex is a wiki that tracks and links characters, places, and lore, shares across books in a series, and feeds that context to the AI so it remembers your world. Planning modes, scene cards, and collaboration options for co-authors and editors round out a platform that works for novels, short stories, screenplays, and fan fiction.
The standout is model freedom: you are never locked in, with support for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Meta Llama, Mistral, OpenRouter's 300+ models, and local models through LM Studio and Ollama. Pricing is not shown on the homepage, and a free tier covers basic use. For writers who want their worldbuilding and their model choice under their own control, NovelCrafter is the best pick.
What we like- Codex wiki tracks characters, places, and lore across a series
- Planning modes catch plot holes early
- Connect OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, OpenRouter, or local models
Watch out for- Pricing is not shown on the homepage
- Setup takes longer than a single-model tool
- AI costs may be separate depending on provider
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
AI Dungeon is the veteran of interactive AI fiction. You type any action or line of dialogue, and the AI continues the story, whether you are exploring a dungeon, running a kingdom, or inventing a world on the spot. Community scenarios add endless starting points, and the format suits writers who think in scenes and choices rather than chapters.
The homepage loads as an app shell, so this listing rests on domain confirmation plus the product's established profile. Pricing is not shown on the homepage, and free play covers casual use. For playful, branching storytelling rather than structured novel drafting, AI Dungeon remains the classic choice.
What we like- Open-ended adventures where any action is possible
- Long-running community with shared scenarios
- Free play available
Watch out for- Homepage loads as an app shell with little extractable text
- Built for play rather than manuscript drafting
- Premium features need a subscription
Starting price$7.83/month
Free planYes
DreamGen blends games and stories: you define the world, steer the plot, and the AI follows your lead, with multiple characters talking at once in a chat-like interface. Ready-made scenarios cover fantasy realms and everyday settings, or you can build your own world with lore, characters, and a chosen writing style. A dedicated story generator covers writers who prefer reading-style output over game play.
The free tier lets you try all models and features with no strings attached, and the Starter plan costs $7.83 per month with 375 monthly credits plus daily extras. For writers who like steering a living story rather than drafting alone, DreamGen is the most flexible interactive option here.
What we like- Steerable AI follows your plot directions
- Multi-character worlds with rich lore
- Generous free tier
- Starter plan at $7.83 per month
Watch out for- Role-play focus suits games more than manuscripts
- Credit system caps heavy use
- Premium models need higher tiers
Starting price$16/month
Free planYes
Squibler writes books by chatting with AI: describe your idea, and it helps you outline, draft, expand scenes, refine plot arcs, and rework lines without forcing a full rewrite. Built-in AI image generation creates book covers and illustrations matched to your genre and tone, and finished books can be translated into 80+ languages for international readers.
The free Limited Tier covers first steps, while Plus costs $16 per month at a discount from $29, and Pro costs $49 per month at a discount from $89. Squibler does not track sales or publish directly, but it prepares clean, well-formatted drafts for self-publishing platforms. For speed from idea to draft, Squibler is the fastest path in this list.
What we like- Chat-based book writing from idea to draft
- AI book covers and illustrations built in
- Translation to 80+ languages
- Free Limited Tier
Watch out for- Plus plan is $16 per month at a discount from $29
- No built-in publishing or sales tracking
- Pro tier at $49 discounted is pricey
Starting price$0
Free planYes
Perchance is the free surprise of this list. Best known for its random generators, it also offers an AI story generator that turns prompts into stories at no cost, alongside generators for character names, plot ideas, settings, and items that help break writer's block. There is no account requirement for basic use and no subscription at all.
The homepage extract was thin, so this listing rests on domain confirmation plus the product's established free generator library. The interface is simpler than Sudowrite or NovelCrafter, with no manuscript management. For free experimentation, classroom use, or quick story sparks, Perchance is unbeatable on price.
What we like- Completely free
- AI story generator plus a huge library of random generators for names, plots, and characters
- No signup for basic use
Watch out for- Homepage extract was thin, so this listing rests on domain confirmation
- Interface is simpler than dedicated novel tools
- No manuscript organization
Starting price$0
Free planYes
KoboldAI is the privacy-first, cost-free route to AI fiction. The project lets you run language models locally on your own computer, with story writing modes, memory, world info, author's notes, characters, scenarios, and persistent saves. The bundled web interface supports popular character card formats, and the modern KoboldCpp build adds chat, adventure, and instruct modes plus image, audio, and video generation with compatible models.
One note: koboldai.org now redirects to KoboldCpp project resources, which carry the same lineage and the Lite web interface, so this listing reflects that current state. Setup needs a model download and modest technical comfort, and output quality depends on your hardware and model choice. For writers who want free, private, unlimited AI storytelling, KoboldAI is the only option here with no meter at all.
What we like- Free and open-source
- Run GGUF models locally with no subscription
- Story writing modes with memory, world info, and character cards
- Full privacy on your own machine
Watch out for- Setup needs downloading models and some technical comfort
- Quality depends on the model and hardware you choose
- Koboldai.org now points to KoboldCpp resources
Starting price$0.50/month
Free planYes
Campfire is the organizer's pick. Its platform covers stories, characters, maps and locations, species, timelines and calendars, and worldbuilding, with projects that read like an ebook paired with a fully fleshed-out reference site for your world. The company started with writing software in 2018 and has since added a mobile writing app, an online ebook store, and a reading app, with genre fiction as its sweet spot.
Accounts are free with limited use of the 18 modules, and paid plans for unlimited access start as low as $0.50 per month, with lifetime purchases available. Campfire is less of an AI drafting engine than Sudowrite or NovelCrafter, but for writers building a series bible alongside their manuscript, it is the best-structured tool here.
What we like- 18 writing and worldbuilding modules for characters, maps, timelines, species, and lore
- Free account with limited module use
- Paid plans from $0.50 per month
- Bookstore and reading app included
Watch out for- AI writing features are less central than in Sudowrite or NovelCrafter
- Unlimited access needs paid modules
- Best for planners rather than pure drafters
How we chose
We compared each tool on fiction-writing strength, worldbuilding and organization, model choice, interactivity, pricing, and free access. Every homepage above was opened to confirm it loads and belongs to the product, except Perchance and AI Dungeon, whose homepages render as app shells with little extractable text; those listings rest on domain confirmation and are flagged. One planned tool was replaced during verification because its homepage could not be fetched, and Campfire was substituted after its homepage was confirmed. NovelAI itself was excluded as the product being replaced.
What to check before you switch
Start with how you write. Drafters who want AI prose should try Sudowrite or Squibler first. Planners building a series bible should try NovelCrafter or Campfire. Interactive storytellers should try AI Dungeon or DreamGen. Privacy-focused writers with a decent computer should try KoboldAI.
Next, check the cost model. Credit-based tools like DreamGen and Sudowrite reward careful use, while Campfire's module pricing and Perchance's free access suit tight budgets. NovelCrafter's bring-your-own-model approach means AI costs depend on your provider, so compare that total, not just the app price. Finally, test with a real chapter: run the same opening scene through two finalists and compare voice match, consistency, and how much editing the output needs before committing to a subscription.
Frequently asked questions
Is NovelAI shutting down?
No. NovelAI remains an operating service. Writers usually look for alternatives because of pricing, model preferences, worldbuilding needs, or a desire for local, private generation.
Which alternative is closest to NovelAI?
Sudowrite is the closest for AI-assisted novel drafting, while KoboldAI is the closest for local, customizable story generation with community models. NovelCrafter sits between them, with strong organization plus model choice.
Can I use these tools for free?
Yes, several. Perchance and KoboldAI are free, Campfire offers free limited module use, DreamGen and Squibler offer free tiers, and NovelCrafter offers a free tier. Sudowrite offers a free trial instead.
Do these tools keep my stories private?
KoboldAI runs locally, so your text never leaves your machine. Cloud tools store your work on their servers, so check each vendor's privacy policy if your manuscript is unpublished and sensitive.
Can I choose which AI model writes my story?
With NovelCrafter, yes, across major providers and local models. KoboldAI lets you pick any compatible GGUF model. The other tools use their own built-in models.
Are AI-written stories publishable?
Publishing rules vary by platform and change over time, and some marketplaces restrict or require disclosure of AI-assisted work. Check your chosen publisher's current policy before submitting AI-assisted fiction.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://www.sudowrite.com
- https://www.novelcrafter.com
- https://play.aidungeon.com
- https://dreamgen.com
- https://www.squibler.io
- https://perchance.org
- https://koboldai.org
- https://www.campfirewriting.com
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.