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novelWriter VS ShellNewHandler

Compare novelWriter VS ShellNewHandler and see what are their differences

novelWriter

Multi-document markdown-like editor for writing novels.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
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Alternatives Is it good?
ShellNewHandler

SourceForge.net: ShellNewHandler details page

Rating
0 reviews
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Alternatives Is it good?
RealUptime.io
Uptime monitoring, status pages, and error tracking that show every region's reading, not one green dot. Flat pricing, no per-subscriber fees, real free tier. sponsored
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, novelWriter should be more popular than ShellNewHandler. It has been mentioned 17 times since March 2021.

social mentions
17 vs 2
Writing Tools popularity
100% vs 0%

Base details

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

novelWriter
ShellNewHandler
Website novelwriter.io sourceforge.net
Pricing
Open source
—
Listed in
Writing Tools Writing Text Editors Markdown Editor +1
Cloud Storage Monitoring Tools File Sharing Website Monitoring +1

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

novelWriter 5 features
ShellNewHandler 0 features
  • Focused Environment
    Provides a distraction-free interface specifically designed for writing novels, enabling writers to concentrate fully on their work.
  • Organization Tools
    Offers features such as scene and chapter management, helping writers to organize their story structure efficiently.
  • Lightweight and Fast
    Designed to be lightweight and fast, making it easy to use even on computers with less processing power.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source tool, it allows users to customize it according to their needs and contribute to its development.
  • Cross-Platform
    Available on multiple platforms, providing flexibility for writers who work on different operating systems.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Formatting Options
    Compared to full-featured word processors, novelWriter may lack advanced formatting tools and features.
  • Learning Curve
    New users might experience a learning curve to become familiar with its unique interface and features.
  • Basic Export Options
    Exporting capabilities may be basic, potentially requiring additional tools for formatting and publishing readiness.
  • Dependence on User Community
    Being open-source, future updates and support may rely heavily on community contributions, which could affect the frequency and quality of updates.
  • Specific Use Case
    Designed specifically for novel writing, it may not be suitable for writers who work on different types of projects, like scripts or academic papers.

No features have been listed yet.

Analysis

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

novelWriter
ShellNewHandler

No analysis of novelWriter yet.

Overall verdict

  • ShellNewHandler is a niche, lightweight utility hosted on SourceForge designed to give users more control over the Windows 'New' context menu (the ShellNew menu). It can be considered good for its specific narrow use case, but it is an older, minimally maintained tool that may not suit all users, especially those on modern Windows versions.

Why this product is good

  • Provides direct control over customizing the Windows right-click 'New' menu, allowing users to add or remove file type entries
  • Lightweight and free, without bundled bloatware typical of some other free utilities
  • Simple and focused in scope, making it easy to understand for its specific purpose
  • Open distribution via SourceForge allows transparency and no-cost access

Recommended for

  • Power users who want to declutter or customize the Windows New context menu
  • IT administrators managing standardized desktop environments across multiple machines
  • Users comfortable with older utility-style tools and Windows registry-related tweaks
  • Not recommended for casual users seeking modern, actively supported software with regular updates

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
novelWriter
ShellNewHandler
100% 100%
Writing Tools
0% 0%
0% 0%
File Sharing
100% 100%
100% 100%
Markdown Editor
0% 0%
0% 0%
Website Monitoring
100% 100%

User comments

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

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Social recommendations and mentions

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

novelWriter 17 mentions
ShellNewHandler 2 mentions

View more

  • I recently got libreoffice, but now the new option in right click looks like a mess. Can someone help me get rid of them please?
    Use Shell New Handler. Run the portable app and simply untick the items you don't want to appear in your new context menu. Source: about 4 years ago
  • This menu should be easy to add/remove programs to... Who is really creating Access Databases from this menu often enough to keep it here? (Not me!) Is there an easy way to edit this?
    I've always used ShellNewHandler for this. It's a really simple portable utility that allows you to remove most of the items from that menu. Tested it out on Windows 11 and it's still compatible. Source: over 5 years ago

Alternatives to novelWriter and ShellNewHandler

When comparing novelWriter and ShellNewHandler, you can also consider the following products.

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