Galley as a Scrivener alternative
Last reviewed July 2026
The facts first: Scrivener (~$59.99 once, licensed per platform, with iOS sold separately) is a desktop drafting app that saves local files and has a lot of tools for organising and research. To get a book out of it, you use its compile system. Galley (€199 once) runs in the browser, you write on a trim-size page, and exporting a print-interior PDF and EPUB is one step. Scrivener works fully offline and stores research material. Galley has revision tools for fiction and publishing exports, and can write offline too (in beta, syncing when you reconnect).
Scrivener deserves its reputation, and it's good software at a fair price.
What it doesn't do well is the output. You don't see what your book will look like until you go through the compile settings, and most fiction writers find that hard. In Galley, the 6×9 page, the typeface, the scene breaks and the chapter ornaments are on screen while you write, and exporting is a menu.
| Feature | Galley | Scrivener |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €199 once, all platforms (web) | ~$59.99 once per platform; iOS separate |
| Write on a true trim-size book page | Yes, six trims, 35 book typefaces | No, output is configured at compile |
| Print-interior PDF & EPUB export | Yes, with KDP preflight included | Through the compile system |
| Story bible (characters, places, timeline) | Built in, attached to the book | Research folders (free-form) |
| Revision analytics (overused words, name consistency) | Built in | No |
| Works offline | Writing, in Beta: saves to your device, syncs on reconnect; exports need a connection | Yes, fully, local files |
| Research storage (PDFs, web pages) | Notes only | Excellent |
| Version history | Daily snapshots per chapter | Manual snapshots |
| AI in your prose | Never | Never |
The compile step, in plain terms
Scrivener keeps your draft as a set of documents in a binder. To get a book out, you run Compile: you choose an output format, assign a Section Layout to each type of document, and then adjust separators, page breaks, front matter and font overrides until it looks right. It can do a lot, but it's hard to learn. It's the part of Scrivener people ask about most, and there are paid courses just to explain it.
Galley doesn't have a compile step because there's nothing to put together. The trim, typeface, chapter openings and scene breaks are part of the book and show as you type, and exporting turns what's on the page into the PDF and EPUB. You can't configure as much as in Scrivener, but you also don't have to.
Moving a Scrivener project over
Compile your project once to a plain .docx or Markdown file (a manuscript compile, not a styled one) and import it into Galley. It splits into chapters on your headings and "Chapter N" lines, and you set the design once for the whole book. The steps are in import a manuscript. Your research folders won't come across, so if you use Scrivener to store PDFs and web pages, you might want to keep using it for research alongside Galley.
Choose Scrivener if…
- You want your manuscript in local files, or need everything to work offline (Galley's offline writing is new and in beta)
- Your project involves a lot of research, like non-fiction, academic work, or fiction with lots of source material
- You like configuring your tools and don't mind the compile step
Choose Galley if…
- You write fiction for print or ebook stores and don't want a separate formatting step
- You want to see the book (trim, typeface, ornaments) while you write it
- You want the story bible, revision checks and version history in the same tool as your writing
Common questions
Is Galley easier than Scrivener?
If you’re writing fiction for print or ebook stores, yes, because there’s no compile step. You write on the finished page at a real trim size like 6×9, and exporting gives you the print PDF and EPUB. Scrivener is more flexible, but that’s also why its compile settings are hard to learn.
Can I move a Scrivener project into Galley?
Yes. Export your manuscript from Scrivener as a .docx or Markdown file and import it into Galley. It splits into chapters on your headings and "Chapter N" lines.
Does Galley work offline like Scrivener?
Mostly, but it’s still in beta. You can write offline: your chapters save to your device and sync when you reconnect, and you can install Galley so it opens without a connection. Exporting and signing in on a new device still need the internet. Scrivener works fully offline with local files, so if that’s what you need, it’s still the better choice.
Scrivener's details are from Literature & Latte's public pricing pages, checked in July 2026. They can change, so check scrivener.com for anything newer. If I've got something wrong, email me and I'll fix it.