Best PenCake Alternatives in 2026

Updated October 2026

20 apps from writing apps ranked against PenCake on the same published basis.

PenCake alternatives compared

#	App	Score	Free plan	From	Runs on
1	Celtx	9.7	Free plan	$11.24/mo	Android, Browser, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows
2	WriterDuet	9.4	Free plan	Free	Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android
3	Campfire	9.4	Free plan	$19/mo	Android, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows
4	Substack	9.3	Free plan	Free	Android, iOS, Web
5	Story Architect	9.1	Free plan	$4.17/mo	Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows
6	Final Draft	9.0	No	$0.69/mo	iOS, Mac, Web, Windows
7	Novlr	9.0	Free plan	$8/mo	Android, iOS, Web
8	Arc Studio Pro	9.0	Free plan	$5.75/mo	iOS, Mac, Windows
9	Scrivener	8.9	No	$23.99/mo	iOS, Mac, Windows
10	Etherpad	8.8	No	—	Android, API, iOS, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows
11	Wattpad	8.7	No	—	Android, iOS, Web
12	Medium	8.6	No	—	Web, iOS, Android
13	Tolstoy Compose	8.6	Free plan	£5/mo	Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android
14	LivingWriter	8.6	Free plan	Free	Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
15	Fade In	8.5	No	$8.33/mo	Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows
16	Novelium	8.5	Free plan	$19/mo	Web, Windows, Mac, Android
17	Novelcrafter	8.4	No	$4/mo	Android, iOS, Web
18	MyStory.today	8.4	Free plan	€2/mo	Web, iOS, Android
19	Ulysses	8.3	No	$3.33/mo	Mac, iOS
20	iA Writer	8.3	No	—	Mac, Windows, iOS

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What is the best alternative to PenCake?

Celtx, number 1 in writing apps with a score of 9.7 out of 10. The others here: WriterDuet, Campfire, Substack and 16 more.

What is the best free alternative to PenCake?

Celtx is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 11 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.

How are these alternatives ranked?

Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation.