WonderPen
Long-form writing app for novels and essays, with a chapter tree, story cards and export to Word and Epub.
- Verified facts
- 7 of 7
- Alternatives ranked
- 5
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
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About WonderPen
WonderPen is a writing app built for long projects such as novels, theses and serialised fiction. Documents sit in a tree with unlimited levels, so chapters can be split, merged, numbered and reordered, and an outline view lists every chapter with its word count. For planning, it has card lists for characters and places, a whiteboard, mind maps and per-document memos, and card titles are highlighted wherever they appear in the text. Distraction-free compose and typewriter modes, a split editor and daily writing targets cover the drafting stage, and finished work exports to PDF, Word, Epub, HTML or images, including several chapters as one book. Local libraries stay on your computer and are backed up automatically. The Basic version is free with one cloud library; Pro is a one-time purchase that unlocks themes and custom CSS, and Pro+ is a subscription for more cloud libraries and syncing across devices. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, though the mobile apps only work with cloud libraries. It is made by TominLab in Hangzhou and is popular with Chinese web-fiction authors.
Best for: Novelists who want Scrivener-style structure on every desktop OS, with a free tier and a one-time Pro licence.
Pros and cons
What works
- Free tier covers writing, cards, whiteboards and export
- Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription
- Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, plus iOS and Android
- Automatic backups and document snapshots
Why people leave
- Mobile apps work only with cloud libraries, not local ones
- Multi-device sync beyond one cloud library needs the Pro+ subscription
- Prices are listed in Chinese yuan and most of the community is Chinese-speaking
Top WonderPen alternatives
See all 5- 1
Scrivener66.5The long-standing novel-writing standard, with deeper research folders and compile options for print and ebooks.
- 2
Ulysses64.8Polished Markdown writing app for Mac and iPhone with built-in publishing to blogs, if you're on Apple devices.
- 3
Obsidian63.8Free Markdown vault with linked notes, good for worldbuilding wikis alongside the manuscript.
- 4
Microsoft Word63.0The format editors and publishers expect, with track changes for working with an editor.
- 5
iA Writer61.8Minimal, focused Markdown editor for people who want less structure and a cleaner screen.
Why people left WonderPen
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WonderPen: common questions
Is WonderPen free?
WonderPen has a free plan and paid plans. Free plan: Yes (Basic) (checked on WonderPen's own site).
Is WonderPen open source?
No, WonderPen is not open source.
What platforms does WonderPen run on?
WonderPen is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
What are the best alternatives to WonderPen?
The highest-ranked WonderPen alternatives right now are Scrivener, Ulysses and Obsidian. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.