# NovelAI

> Privacy-focused, uncensored AI storytelling platform with the proprietary Kayra model, Lorebook worldbuilding, and unfiltered fiction generation.

Source: https://selfpublishingdirectory.com/writing-tools/novelai
Website: https://novelai.net
Category: Writing Tools (https://selfpublishingdirectory.com/writing-tools)
Pricing: paid — $120–$300
AI-powered: yes
Tags: ai-writing, uncensored, privacy, lorebook, genre-fiction, kayra
Last verified: 2026-05-07
Best For: Genre fiction authors who want a private, uncensored AI co-writer with strong worldbuilding via Lorebook
Collaboration: no
Platform: web
Tool Type: ai-writing-assistant

NovelAI is an AI storytelling platform aimed at genre fiction authors who want minimal content filtering, strong worldbuilding tools, and strict privacy. It runs proprietary models — Kayra (custom 13B parameter) and Erato — with no human moderation of user prose.

## What You Get

- **Kayra & Erato models:** Custom-trained for narrative fiction; competitive with general LLMs on prose quality without the safety filtering that strips graphic or dark content.
- **Lorebook:** Author-defined entries (characters, places, factions) that activate by keyword and inject context into generation — analogous to NovelCrafter's Codex.
- **Memory & Author's Note:** Persistent context fields that steer voice, tense, and POV across long sessions.
- **Module system:** Pre-trained style modules (e.g., "Theme: Fantasy") nudge model output toward specific genres or authors.
- **AI image generation:** Companion image model for character/scene visuals (separate Anlas credit pool).

## Pricing

- **Tablet:** $10/mo (3072 token context, Kayra)
- **Scroll:** $15/mo (6144 tokens, all standard features)
- **Opus:** $25/mo (8192 tokens, Erato model, unlimited generation, image generation included)
- No free tier; new accounts get ~50 free Kayra generations as a trial.

## Strengths

- **No content filtering:** Authors writing dark fantasy, horror, or explicit fiction can work without prompts being refused — a primary draw vs. ChatGPT/Claude.
- **Strong privacy posture:** Stories are encrypted client-side; the company has historically resisted training on user content.
- **Lorebook depth:** Keyword-triggered context injection scales better than free-form notes for series-length worldbuilding.

## Limitations

- **Web-only and dated UI:** The interface is functional but visually outdated compared to Sudowrite or NovelCrafter.
- **Steeper craft curve:** Output quality depends heavily on Memory/Author's Note tuning — new users often complain about "off" prose before they learn the controls.
- **No native outline/structure tools:** Less guided than Sudowrite's Story Engine — better as a co-writer than a project planner.
- **Smaller fiction-author community:** User base skews toward roleplay/interactive fiction more than novelists; fewer indie-author tutorials.