Comparison

Novvler vs SFD

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Novvler

Features
Read full description

Novvler is the novel-writing app that gives you structure without rigidity. Outline, write, track, and export — with AI that tracks every word so you always know what's yours. WHETHER YOU'RE A PLOTTER OR A PANTSER Start with a blank page or choose from genre templates (fantasy, thriller, romance, sci-fi, memoir, literary fiction, nonfiction). Use 8 different card types — chapters, characters, settings, artifacts, plot ideas, research, sections, and outlines — to organize your story however you think. WRITE WITH FOCUS Flow Mode gives you ambient sounds (rain, coffee shop, forest) and a focus timer to help you hit your daily word goals. When you're stuck, Unstuck Mode offers creative prompts tailored to your story. The distraction-free editor lets you write, not fiddle with formatting. AI THAT'S TRANSPARENT Every writing app has AI now. Novvler is the only one that tracks exactly which words are yours and which came from AI assistance. Your authorship percentage is always visible — because your craft matters. ORGANIZE YOUR WAY - Corkboard view for visual planning - Spreadsheet view for data-driven outlines - @mention any character, setting, or artifact inline - Drag and drop to reorder scenes and chapters - Full manuscript export when you're ready to publish YOUR COMPANION ON THE GO The iOS app gives you access to all your projects, cards, and chapters. Review your outline on the train, read through chapters at the café, or make quick edits from anywhere. FREE TO START The free tier is genuinely usable — not a crippled demo. Pro unlocks AI assistance, higher word limits, and advanced features for $9/month. Terms of Use: https://novvler.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://novvler.com/privacy

About

SFD

This app helps you overcome writer's block by forcing you to write a first draft without the ability to edit or reread. It uses timed bursts and nudges to keep you moving forward, allowing you to flag sections for later revision.

Highlights
  • Forward-only writing
  • Timed writing bursts
  • Cursor nudges for stalls
  • Flagging sections for revision
  • Plain text export
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Writing apps help with the easy half — outlines, fonts, folders, word-count trophies. The hard half is producing a bad first version of something, and that's all SFD does. SFD is forward-only. You write in a burst, the earlier lines dim and scroll away, and you can't go back to fix them. You can't edit a draft into existence, so SFD won't let you try until it's out. How it works: — A go is a timed burst. You write. You don't reread. — Stall for a few seconds and you get a shove — a nudge that gets blunter the longer you stare at the cursor. — Hit a line you hate? Drop a later and keep moving. Your flags become a punch-list for when you revise. — A finished part is a chunk. A stack of chunks is the Pile — your whole first draft. — When it's done, send it out as plain text, to wherever you actually revise. Drafting is free. Every go, every later, every export — no account, no trial clock, no nagging. THE BIG MONTH is free too: 50,000 words of a novel's first draft between November 1 and 30. SFD shows your words today and how many a day finishes it, lights up a November calendar on every day you write, marks 10,000, 25,000 and 50,000, and gives you a BIG MONTH 2026 stamp and finisher card you can only earn that November. One thing costs money: SFD Habit Tracking, a 99-cent one-time unlock for the habit layer — the streak map and year wall, the month goal, the quiet reminder, stamps, share cards, and the home-screen widget, which carries THE BIG MONTH in November. The scoreboard, not the game. If you bought SFD back when the app itself cost money, the habit layer is yours automatically. What SFD won't do: format, outline, sync, collaborate, or write the draft for you. You write the bad version. A chunk has to get written; inside that, anything goes. Your words stay yours. Every chunk is a plain-text file on your device. No proprietary format, no servers. SFD makes no network calls at all — it can't lose your words and it can't trap them. Get the first draft out. You can make it good later, somewhere with a real keyboard.

Screenshots

Novvler4 screens
SFD4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SFD at every 8 days against Novvler's every 3 months. SFD also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Novvler sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and SFD sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Novvler ships an update every 3 months, SFD every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Novvler versus SFD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNovvlerSFD
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Paid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS26.217.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShaun StuartDaniel James Kinney-Spears

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Novvler

Subscriptions2
  • Novvler Pro$8.991 Month
  • Novvler Pro$89.991 Year
1 purchases

SFD

One-time1
  • SFD Habit Tracking$0.99

Questions

Is Novvler free?
Novvler is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SFD free?
SFD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Novvler or SFD have ads?
Neither Novvler nor SFD shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Novvler or SFD?
Novvler ships an update every 3 months, and SFD every 8 days. Most recently, Novvler was updated on October 7, 2026 and SFD on October 10, 2026.

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