NovelShaft
FreemiumFiction writing workspace with manuscript tools and an AI research assistant
Free plan checked against NovelShaft's pricing page on . Re-checked monthly.
About NovelShaft
NovelShaft is a workspace for fiction writers that keeps manuscripts, story notes, and AI conversations in one place. It provides templates for characters, worldbuilding, outlines, scene cards, and clues, and its AI agent can work with a writer's story references and surface progress for the author to review before anything is kept. An account is required to use NovelShaft, including the free plan. New accounts get a welcome bonus of AI credits for the first 30 days, after which the free plan settles into 200 regular AI credits per 30 days alongside a lightweight AI model, smaller reference storage, and full manuscript editing, organization, and export features. Paid subscriptions (Light, Standard, and Pro) raise the monthly AI credit allowance and unlock stronger AI models. NovelShaft is available on the web and iOS, with English and Japanese interfaces.
Key Features
Pros & Cons
The free plan in practice
What you can actually do on NovelShaft's free plan (200 AI credits per 30 days on the free plan (plus a one-time welcome bonus for new accounts), account required), where it stops, and when it's worth paying.
What you can do free
- Manuscript editor with outline organization
- Story reference templates for characters, worldbuilding, outlines, scene cards, and clues
- AI-assisted conversations using a lightweight AI model
- 200 regular AI credits per 30 days
- Export to Text, Markdown, DOCX, PDF, and EPUB 3
- iOS app access
Where it stops
- Requires creating an account
- AI usage capped at 200 credits per 30 days after the initial welcome bonus expires
- Limited to the lightweight AI model only
- Smaller reference storage capacity than paid plans
When to upgrade to a paid plan
Stay on the free plan while you're comfortably under the free plan's limit (200 AI credits per 30 days on the free plan (plus a one-time welcome bonus for new accounts), account required). It's worth moving to a paid plan once you consistently bump into that ceiling, need to remove branding, or want features the free tier holds back.
Categories
Free Plan Details
| Free Plan | |
| Free Tier | Limited Free Tier |
| User Limit | 200 AI credits per 30 days on the free plan (plus a one-time welcome bonus for new accounts), account required |
| Open Source |
What's the free tier actually like?
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