Literature & Latte makes Scrivener, a one-time-purchase writing tool for novelists and screenwriters with a corkboard, outliner, and research library. See…
Category
Productivity
Pricing
One-time purchase per platform (not a subscription): iOS version is $23.99 on the App Store; macOS and Windows are sold as separate standard or educational licenses, with a discounted Mac+Windows bundle available. A 30-day free trial is offered before purchase.
Literature & Latte is a UK-based software company, founded in 2006, best known for Scrivener, a word processor and project-management tool built specifically for long, structured writing projects. Rather than a plain document, a Scrivener project is organized in a ring-binder-style 'Binder' where writers split a manuscript into chapters and scenes, restructure it visually on a virtual corkboard of index cards, and view the whole thing as a metadata-rich outline. Scrivenings mode lets writers edit several sections as one continuous document, a distraction-free full-screen composition mode helps with drafting, and a split editor shows up to four documents at once for reference. Research materials -- PDFs, web pages, images, audio and video -- can be stored alongside the manuscript so writers don't have to leave the project to consult sources. When a draft is ready, Scrivener compiles it into submission-ready output: Word, PDF, RTF, Final Draft, Kindle/EPUB and plain text, with separate formatting rules per output. It ships with templates for fiction, screenwriting (with Final Draft-compatible script formatting) and academic formats like MLA and APA, plus word-count targets, snapshots for comparing revisions, and colour-coded status metadata. Scrivener is available for macOS, Windows and iOS, with cross-platform project sync via Dropbox, and is sold as a one-time purchase per platform rather than a subscription.
Key Features
Binder & Corkboard — Organize a manuscript in a ring-binder-style Binder and restructure chapters and scenes visually using a virtual corkboard of index cards.
Outliner & Scrivenings Mode — View the whole project as a hierarchical outline with synopses and word counts, or merge multiple sections into one continuous editable document.
Research Integration — Store PDFs, web pages, images, audio, and video files directly alongside the manuscript so reference material never leaves the project.
Compile & Export — Output finished drafts to Word, PDF, RTF, Final Draft, Kindle/EPUB, and plain text, with separate formatting rules for each format.
Templates for Fiction, Screenwriting & Academia — Pre-built templates for novels, Final Draft-compatible screenplay formatting, and academic formats like MLA and APA.
Cross-Platform Sync — Available on macOS, Windows, and iOS, with projects kept in sync across devices via Dropbox.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Purpose-built for long, structured manuscripts, with a corkboard and outliner for restructuring at a glance
One-time purchase per platform instead of a recurring subscription
Strong research and reference tools -- store PDFs, images, and web pages right alongside the manuscript
Flexible export/compile to Word, PDF, EPUB, Kindle, and Final Draft formats
Available on macOS, Windows, and iOS with cross-platform sync via Dropbox
Cons
Steeper learning curve than a plain word processor, given its depth of organizational features
Not built for real-time multi-author collaboration the way cloud-native writing apps are
Each platform (Mac, Windows, iOS) is licensed separately, so cross-platform users pay more than once
No native AI writing assistance built into the core app