Is novelWriter Free and Open Source?

Updated

Yes. novelWriter is stated on its own site as Free and Open Source, and it runs on Linux, Windows, and MacOS. The page content provided does not list any price, subscription, or paid tier, so there is nothing to suggest a cost for the software itself. That said, "free" here refers to the license status stated by the project — no pricing details are given, so don't read the absence of a price as a formal confirmation of every distribution channel's terms.

What "Free and Open Source" means here

The description comes directly from the project's homepage, which labels novelWriter as "Free and Open Source." In practice this means:

  • No license fee is mentioned anywhere in the provided page content.
  • The source is available, and the project distributes builds through multiple channels.
  • Development is community- and sponsor-supported rather than sold as a product.

The page does note some sponsorship around distribution: Windows code signing is sponsored by SignPath.io with a certificate from the SignPath Foundation, and free package repository hosting is provided by Cloudsmith. These are infrastructure contributions, not pricing signals.

Platforms and how to install it

novelWriter runs on Linux, Windows, and MacOS. Installation differs by platform, and one important change affects Mac users.

Linux

Several options are listed:

Method Command / source
AppImage Download from the site
Flatpak Available as a package
Package repositories Provided via Cloudsmith
Cloudsmith repo (Debian-based) curl -sLf 'https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/saga-soft/stable/cfg/setup/bash.deb.sh' | sudo bash then sudo apt update and sudo apt install novelwriter
Fedora 41+ sudo dnf install novelwriter
PyPI pipx install novelwriter
Ubuntu PPA (deprecated) sudo add-apt-repository ppa:vkbo/novelwriter then sudo apt update and sudo apt install novelwriter

Two caveats from the page:

  • The Ubuntu PPA is deprecated and will soon stop receiving updates. The project asks users to migrate to the Cloudsmith repository. The PPA can still be used on other Debian-based distros.
  • The Fedora package is maintained by Fedora package managers and follows a delayed release cycle compared to upstream.

Ubuntu pre-releases are available through a separate pre-release PPA (ppa:vkbo/novelwriter-pre).

Windows

Download the Setup Installer from the site and run it. Code signing for Windows builds is sponsored, which is relevant if you care about verifying the installer's publisher.

MacOS

This is the part to pay attention to: as of release 2026.1, MacOS DMGs have been discontinued. The page says the team is working to bring DMG releases back, but for now the only current method of running novelWriter on MacOS is to set up a Python environment and install the novelwriter package — for example via pipx install novelwriter. If you're on a Mac and expect a drag-and-drop app, plan for the Python route instead.

Current release

The latest release listed is Version 2026.2 Patch 1, released September 26, 2026. Release notes are linked from the site.

What this means for you

  • If you want a no-cost, open-source writing tool for novels and larger multi-file projects, novelWriter fits that description as stated by the project.
  • If you're on Linux, you have the widest choice of install methods; prefer the Cloudsmith repo over the deprecated Ubuntu PPA.
  • If you're on Windows, the setup installer is the straightforward path.
  • If you're on MacOS, budget extra time for the Python/PyPI installation, since DMGs are currently unavailable.

For anything beyond the license status — such as future pricing, commercial support, or paid hosting — the provided page content doesn't say, so check the project's own site and release notes directly.