Software Alternatives & Startups

Manuskript VS Quilva

Compare Manuskript VS Quilva and see what are their differences

Manuskript

Open-source tool for writers.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Quilva

The complete offline desktop app for authors and screenwriters: visual card planner, multi-thread timeline, professional page layout designer, press-ready publishing, full screenplay formatting, and encrypted authenticity certificate.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Freemium Free trial £45 / One-off (Standard £45 or Pro £75)

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Manuskript seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 1 time since March 2021.

social mentions
1 vs 0
Markdown Editor popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 11

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Manuskript
Quilva
Website theologeek.ch quilva.com
Pricing
Open source
Freemium Free trial £45 / One-off (Standard £45 or Pro £75) Official pricing
Platforms —
Windows MacOS Linux
Company — Startup from the United Kingdom · 1 - 9 employees · 2026
Listed in

About Manuskript and Quilva

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

Manuskript
Quilva

No description of Manuskript yet.

Quilva is an offline-first writing and creative workspace that brings the entire writing process into one application, from the first idea through planning, outlining, research, mindmapping, notes, drafting, editing, design and publishing. Designed for novels, screenplays, essays, books, research...

Read more about Quilva

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Manuskript 6 features
Quilva 9 features
  • Open-source
    Manuskript is free and open-source software, allowing users to contribute to its development and benefit from continuous community support and updates.
  • Outliner Mode
    The outliner mode helps writers structure their work efficiently, offering a clear overview and easy navigation through scenes and chapters.
  • Index Cards
    Index cards provide a flexible, visual way to organize ideas, plot points, and characters, helping writers develop complex storylines.
  • Research Section
    Manuskript includes a dedicated research section for collecting and organizing background information crucial for writing.
  • Character Development Tools
    It offers tools to create detailed character profiles, track character development, and ensure consistency throughout the manuscript.
  • Distraction-Free Mode
    A distraction-free writing mode helps users focus on their writing without getting interrupted by toolbars or notifications.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited User Base
    Being a niche tool with a smaller user base compared to mainstream commercial products, Manuskript may have fewer community resources and tutorials available.
  • Potential for Bugs
    As an open-source project relying on community contributions, Manuskript may experience stability issues or bugs that require user troubleshooting.
  • Occasional Updates
    The development pace may be slower compared to commercial alternatives, often depending on volunteer contributions and available resources.
  • Learning Curve
    The abundance of features and complex interface might present a steep learning curve for new users or those not tech-savvy.
  • Compatibility
    Manuskript may have compatibility issues with certain operating systems or require additional dependencies for installation, complicating setup for some users.
  • Outliner
    The structural spine of your project. Drag, drop, rename, rearrange — and watch every other part of Quilva update in real time. Build a whole act of chapters in a single keystroke.
  • Planner
    A digital corkboard where your story comes to life. Spread colourful cards across the table, arrange beats by hand, and feel the shape of your novel before you write a word.
  • Bubbles
    Your story as a living mind map. Hit Tab to grow ideas, Alt-click to move whole branches in a single gesture. Restructuring stops feeling like file management and starts feeling like sculpting.
  • Timeline
    Like a video editor for your story. Run main plot, subplots, and character arcs on parallel tracks and spot pacing problems at a glance. Build as many timelines as you want — all driven by the same underlying cards.
  • Atlas
    Your story's living world bible. Build rich profiles for every character, place, and idea — then watch the Atlas track every appearance across your entire manuscript, automatically.
  • Sources
    Your private vault. Notes, tables, images, and PDFs all live inside the project file — never lost, never broken, always there. Email your project and your whole research library travels with it.
  • Writer & Compass
    A calm, beautiful place to write — for both prose and screenplays. The Compass sidebar quietly hands you the cards, notes, and characters for the scene you're writing, so all your planning travels with you onto the page.
  • Designer
    Professional book layout, built right in. Design beautiful pages that stay perfectly in sync with your manuscript — edit a paragraph, and the design updates itself. No more juggling separate apps.
  • Publisher
    From manuscript to finished book in a few clicks. Quick PDFs for beta readers, press-ready PDFs for the printer, Word and Fountain exports for agents and producers — all from one place.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Manuskript
Quilva

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Manuskript is generally considered a good tool, particularly for writers who prefer open-source software.

Why this product is good

  • Manuskript offers a range of features designed to help writers plan, structure, and organize their writing. It includes functionalities for outlining, character management, and a distraction-free mode, making it suitable for novelists and writers of long-form content. It is open-source and cross-platform, meaning it can be used on different operating systems without cost, and it benefits from community-driven development and support.

Recommended for

  • Novelists
  • Writers of long-form content
  • Users who prefer open-source software
  • Writers seeking a distraction-free writing environment
  • Individuals who appreciate customizable and adaptable writing tools

No analysis of Quilva yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Manuskript 1 video + Add
Quilva 0 videos + Add

Manuskript 0.3.0 Review

No Quilva videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Manuskript
Quilva
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
96% 96%
4% 4%
100% 100%
0% 0%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Manuskript and Quilva.

What makes your product unique?

Quilva's answer:

Plan, Write, Design and Publish all in one.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Quilva's answer:

Excellent story planning and organisation tools, and an integrated designer that's second to none.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Quilva's answer:

Authors and Screenwriters who are big on planning, tracking plots, arcs, and building a world.

User comments

Share your experience with using Manuskript and Quilva. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Manuskript no reviews yet
Quilva no reviews yet

We have no reviews of Quilva yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Manuskript 1 mention
Quilva 0 mentions

Tracking Quilva since Sep 2026.

Alternatives to Manuskript and Quilva

When comparing Manuskript and Quilva, you can also consider the following products.