# yWriter

> Free scene-based novel writing software for Windows, built by author Simon Haynes — zero cost with solid organization tools.

Source: https://selfpublishingdirectory.com/writing-tools/ywriter
Website: https://spacejock.com/yWriter7.html
Category: Writing Tools (https://selfpublishingdirectory.com/writing-tools)
Pricing: free — $0
AI-powered: no
Tags: novel-writing, scene-based, free, offline, windows, manuscript-organization, progress-tracking
Last verified: 2026-05-06
Best For: Budget-conscious authors who want free scene-based manuscript organization without cloud dependency
Collaboration: no
Platform: windows, macos, ios, android
Tool Type: writing-software

yWriter is a free desktop writing application built by Simon Haynes, a programmer and published author of nearly 30 novels. Instead of a single scrolling document, yWriter structures your manuscript as a tree of chapters and scenes — making it easy to reorder, analyze, and track your novel without losing your place.

## What You Get

- **Scene-based structure:** Each chapter contains individual scenes with their own word count targets, viewpoint characters, goals, and conflict notes. Drag and drop scenes between chapters without cutting and pasting.
- **Character and location management:** Track viewpoint characters across scenes, assign goals, conflicts, and outcomes per scene. Location files let you store world-building notes alongside your manuscript.
- **Progress tracking:** Daily word count logs show exactly how much you wrote and when. Set targets per scene and track overall project progress.
- **Automatic backups:** yWriter snapshots your project at user-defined intervals, allowing rollback to any earlier version without relying on cloud services.
- **Export options:** Exports to RTF, ePub, Kindle (Mobi), and LaTeX. Most authors export to RTF for final editing in Word before formatting.

## Who It's For

- **Budget-conscious novelists:** yWriter delivers Scrivener-like scene organization at zero cost. If you write long-form fiction and don't need formatting tools or cloud sync, it covers the essentials.
- **Windows users who write offline:** The primary Windows application is fully featured and doesn't require an internet connection. A macOS version is still in progress, and iOS/Android companion apps exist for editing PC projects via Dropbox — these mobile apps are maintained separately and have fewer features.
- **Planners and outliners:** Writers who want to track scenes by character, track per-scene conflict, and generate detailed project statistics will find yWriter's data-oriented approach useful.

**Pricing:** yWriter 7 for Windows is completely free with no ads, subscriptions, or paywalls. Optional voluntary registration is offered at $11.95 (Silver) or $24.95 (Gold) — both are donations to support the developer rather than feature unlocks. Gold registrants receive a discount on Simon Haynes's ebook creation service. The macOS version is still in progress; iOS and Android apps are separate companion apps for editing PC projects via Dropbox and may charge their own fees.

## Strengths

- **Genuinely free:** No trial period, no feature gating, no "free tier" that nudges you toward a paid plan. The Windows version is fully functional at zero cost.
- **Scene analytics:** Few free tools match yWriter's ability to generate per-scene and per-character statistics — useful for spotting pacing issues and character imbalances.
- **Stable and lightweight:** yWriter 7 runs on Windows 7 SP1 and up. It loads quickly and doesn't require significant system resources.

## Limitations

- **Scenes edit in separate windows:** Each scene opens in its own popup window rather than inline. This interrupts flow for writers used to a scrolling document.
- **Dated interface:** The UI looks like early-2000s Windows software because it largely is. Text size inside scenes is small and not resizable in some versions.
- **No cloud sync:** yWriter is fully offline. There's no way to sync projects between devices without manually moving files.
- **Mac/mobile support is secondary:** The macOS version remains in development and is not feature-equivalent to the Windows version. Mobile apps function as Dropbox-based companions to PC projects rather than standalone writing tools.
- **Not a formatter:** yWriter has no book formatting or design capabilities. After finishing your draft, you'll need a separate tool for ebook or print formatting.

## Alternatives

Scrivener ($60) offers a similar scene-based structure with a more polished interface and built-in compile/formatting tools. Atticus ($147 one-time) combines writing organization with direct ebook and print formatting output, making it a logical upgrade path for yWriter users who find formatting is their next bottleneck.