6 Best NovelAI Alternatives for AI Story Generation

Best NovelAI Alternatives: Quick Answer

Although NovelAI is a popular AI storytelling and writing platform, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Some users prefer platforms that offer them more control over their stories, have more world-building tools or give them more creative freedom to shape what is generated.

We scoured the internet to find you the best NovelAI alternatives and spent hours testing them by reviewing their pricing, features and official documentation to find out where each platform excels better than NovelAI.

Quick Answer: DreamGen is the best alternative if you need a well-rounded platform that supports story building tools, AI-assisted writing and control over how your story unfolds without the hassle of setting up your API. Sudowrite and NovelCrafter are the best fit for you if you’re a professional writer and need extensive editorial features. AI Dungeon is ideal if you want to explore your creative side and create interactive AI stories, while RedQuill and My Spicy Vanilla are better suited for NSFW storytelling. 

Why Look for a NovelAI Alternative?

NovelAI is an AI text-based platform designed for storytelling and creative writing. The platform offers some great features such as AI image generation, Lorebook for world-building, AI-assisted storytelling, and a customizable editor where users can adjust color schemes and fonts.

While it offers these great features, it may not be the right fit for everyone. When we tested the platform in our in-depth NovelAI review, we came across some concerns such as:

• Limited Model Flexibility: NovelAI only offers a small set of relatively outdated writing AI models. This can be limiting for users who want to use state-of-the-art models or connect their own API key.
• Limited Features: Although features like the LoreBook make it a great option for professional writers, NovelAI doesn’t offer advanced features like AI brainstorming, chapter planning, and outlining that can help writers working on longer stories.
• Manual Story Setup: NovelAI’s Lorebook includes AI-assisted entry generation, but there’s no guided workspace for building a complete story bible or scenario. Bringing everything together remains largely manual.
• Fragmented Scenario Discovery: NovelAI offers built-in scenarios, while additional community creations are shared through Discord and independent sites.
• Not Built for Character Chat: NovelAI’s interface is essentially one continuous block of story text, making it a poor fit for users seeking back-and-forth roleplay in a dedicated chat interface.

After assessing these limitations, we evaluated each NovelAI alternative on the following criteria:

• In-house model options
• Group chat features
• Free plan access
• Image generation
• NSFW content flexibility

6 Best Alternatives for NovelAI

1. DreamGen 
2. Sudowrite
3. NovelCrafter
4. AI Dungeon
5. RedQuill
6. My Spicy Vanilla

1. DreamGen

DreamGen is a great NovelAI alternative, especially if you need a well-rounded platform. It offers world-building tools to help you organize your story. You can define key elements such as your writing style, characters, the plot,  location and setting.

DreamGen offers creative freedom to writers since you can easily edit, rewrite, and delete any message. Plus, the AI can continue a scene from short prompts, such as a brief action or a single line of dialogue, without requiring detailed instructions. DreamGen also supports multiple characters and roleplay scenarios. 

Why Is DreamGen a Good Alternative to NovelAI?

• Scenarios: Scenarios are like your story bible, where you organize your story's plot, characters, locations, lore, and writing style so the AI stays consistent as you write.

• Scenario Wizard and Scenario Editor: The Scenario Wizard helps you turn any basic idea into a well-structured scenario. The Scenario Editor gives you more control over the little details and lets you customize the setting, lore, and characters.

• Writing Assistant: DreamGen’s writing tools can help you develop scenes, suggest what could happen next, brainstorm ideas, and even refine your story while you write.
• Choose the Next Step (CYOA): DreamGen offers users a CYOA feature that lets you choose what happens next instead of only relying on the AI to continue your story. This gives you more control over the scenario.
• Steering: With DreamGen, you can change the direction of your story without starting over. This means you can rewrite the AI response, create branches from earlier responses, and form a scenario to explore a different direction.
• Roleplay Mode: Although DreamGen is primarily for writing, it offers users a unique Roleplay mode where you can create scenarios with multiple characters and guide how they interact with each other and how your story develops.

Pricing

DreamGen offers users a generous Free Tier that comes with daily credits and 150 image generations per month, plus 20 more images per day after you finish the monthly allowance.

The available plans are:

• Starter ($7.83/month): It comes with a 5,000-token context window,  375 monthly credits, and 45 extra daily credits.
• Advanced ($19.35/month): It comes with a 15,000-token context window, unlimited access to basic AI models, 2,250 monthly credits, and 75 extra daily credits.
• Pro ($48.30/month): It comes with a 30,000-token context window, unlimited access to both basic and premium AI models, a 60% discount on third-party AI models, a 20% discount on credit packs, 2,250 monthly credits, and 75 extra daily credits.

Drawbacks

• The platform doesn’t have a text-to-speech feature
• Although DreamGen’s Scenario library has several genres and roleplay styles, it’s smaller than other sites like AI Dungeon. 
• DreamGen doesn't have a native mobile app.

2.Sudowrite

If you need a professional AI writing platform, then Sudowrite might be the best fit for you. The platform is designed for creative and screenplay writers. In our in-depth Sudowrite review, we explored the unique writing features that make it a great alternative for NovelAI.

Why Is Sudowrite a Good Alternative to NovelAI?

• The StoryBible feature lets you organize your characters, create a plot, and key details in one central place
• You can be as detailed as you want when creating your character and highlight their strengths, weaknesses, motivations, personality, and dialogue style.
• The Brain Dump feature helps writers jot down their raw ideas first before the AI turns them into a full synopsis.
• Sudowrite provides diverse AI-Generated Outlines such as a Novel Outline, Hero’s Journey, and Romance Outline.

Pricing

Sudowrite doesn’t offer users a Free Tier, but it has a free trial for new users that comes with 10,000 credits.

The available plans are:

• Hobby & Student ($19/month or $10/month when paid annually): This plan comes with  225,000 credits per month 
• Professional ($29/month or $22/month when paid annually): The plan comes with 1,000,000 credits per month.
• Max ($59/month or $44/month when paid annually): The plan comes with 2,000,000 credits per month, and you can redeem your unused credits for 12 months.

Drawbacks

• The platform doesn’t have a text-to-speech feature
• Sudowrite doesn’t provide a plan with unlimited credits

3.NovelCrafter

Another great NovelAI alternative designed for professional writing is NovelCrafter. The platform helps authors outline their stories and edit drafts. 

In our in-depth NovelCrafter review, we covered how you can bring your own API key and connect different AI models so you have more control over the AI you use.

Why Is NovelCrafter a Good Alternative to NovelAI?

• The Codex feature in NovelCrafter helps writers have a central place where they can store key details like lore and locations, and the AI can reference them throughout the story.
• You can choose your own AI models that give you different output instead of being limited to only a few
• The Specialist plan has a collaboration feature where you can work on your story with other writers
• The Blueprint feature helps you write custom AI prompts so you can control how the AI handles dialogue and scene transitions.

Pricing

NovelCrafter doesn’t offer a Free Tier but only a 21-day free trial for new users.

The available plans are:

• Scribe ($4/month): It comes with basic review features, and you can create unlimited books 
• Hobbyist ($8/month): In this plan, you can connect your own API key
• Artisan ($14/month): This plan comes with advanced review tools and unlocks your full access to AI-powered chats
• Specialist ($20/month): The plan comes with collaboration and team management features.  

Drawbacks

• The plan you choose only covers your access to NovelCrafter and you’ll still have to pay for the AI tokens that you use.
• The platform can be complicated for non-technical users who don’t know how to connect the API key.

4.AI Dungeon

If you need an AI platform that focuses on interactive stories, then AI Dungeon could be a good fit for you. AI Dungeon is pretty unique because it’s built like a game, where you guide the AI by stating what your character does and experiences. 

In our AI Dungeon review, we take a closer look at its interactive storytelling and game-like features.

Why Is AI Dungeon a Good Alternative to NovelAI?

Some features that make AI Dungeon a great alternative to NovelAI include:

• Advanced Scripting: On the platform, you can add JavaScript to change the AI prompts and different scenarios, giving you more creative freedom on how your story unfolds.
• Multiplayer Storytelling: This feature allows you to invite your friends to join your story and help shape your adventure. 
• Flexible Scenario Building: You can use advanced tools like Story Cards and Memory to create different scenarios within your story.
• Interactive Storytelling: AI Dungeon’s unique game-like feature allows users to have interactive sessions. The platform provides features like "Do, Say, See, and Story."

Pricing

AI Dungeon offers users a Free Tier that comes with eight story generations, one image generation, and 25 memories. It also has an in-built currency called “Scales” that you can earn by collecting your daily rewards or getting tipped by other users.

The available plans are:

• Journey: $14.99 per month and comes with 760 credits per month, 15 story generations, 14 image generations, and 100 memories
• Legend: $29.99 per month and comes with 1650 credits per month, 17 story generations, 14 image generations, and 200 memories
• Mythic: $49.99 per month and comes with 2750 credits per month, 18  story generations, 14 image generations, and 400 memories
• Ultimate: $99.99 per month and comes with 5200 credits per month, 18 story generations, 14 story image generations, and 800 memories.

AI Dungeon also has a special subscription called Shadow Tiers for die-hard fans. They get access to a special Discord, more storage, and larger AI contexts.

Drawbacks

• The platform is a bit technical and not ideal for beginners
• The AI image generations are of poor quality
• Users report that the text editor struggles with long lines of text

5.RedQuill

If you want an alternative that’s designed for mature themes and NSFW fiction, then RedQuill is a great option. RedQuill is an AI platform tailored for spicy and flirty creative fiction. It comes with a unique system where you can layer plot tropes, different writing styles and themes in order to guide the AI. 

In our RedQuill review, we also take a look at its writing quality, text-to-speech feature, and collaboration tools.

Why Is RedQuill a Good Alternative to NovelAI?

• The platform is a great alternative for users who want erotic and spicy NSFW content. The AI maintains character even when handling explicit content, and it doesn’t apply any hard filters.
• RedQuill has a dedicated collaboration feature where other writers can contribute to your stories
• The platform offers a unique remix feature where you can take community stories, spice them up and remix them into your own version.

Pricing

RedQuill offers users a Free Tier that comes with five Quills per day that you can use to create a story of about 1,000 words.

The available plans are:

• Basic ($13/month): This plan comes with 60 Quills per day, 30 advanced AI uses per week, and 150 bonus Quills when you sign up
• Pro ($15/month): The Pro plan comes with 125 Quills per day, 50 advanced AI uses per  week, and  450 bonus Quills when you sign up
• Premium ($27/month): This plan comes with 225 Quills per day,  100 advanced AI uses per week, 700 Quills when you sign up, and story downloads. 

Drawbacks

• The daily Quills don’t roll over and reset after every 24 hours, making it restrictive to users who prefer longer storytelling sessions.
• The text-to-speech feature is quite costly, at about 75 Quills per 1,000 words.
• The platform doesn’t have an autosave feature, so in case of a sudden timeout or a bug, users may lose their progress.

6.My Spicy Vanilla

My Spicy Vanilla is also a great alternative if you’re looking for an AI platform for your NSFW stories. What makes it unique is that it’s designed for couples who want to explore different fantasies together. 

In our detailed My Spicy Vanilla review, we take a look at its NSFW capabilities, image generation tools, and character customization features.

Why Is My Spicy Vanilla a Good Alternative to NovelAI?

• Since the platform is designed for mature themes and NSFW content, it’s a great alternative for users and couples who want a more sensual and erotic platform rather than only an AI-assisted tool.
• My Spicy Vanilla combines erotic fiction with illustrations and audio that immerses users in the experience.

Pricing

The platform offers users a Free Tier where they can test out the platform with limited stories before committing to a plan.

The available subscription plans are:

• 1-Day Pass ($7.19): This plan gives you 24-hour access to all the features and also 50 story chapters.  It also includes a free audio credit.
• Premium Subscription ($17.99/month): In this plan, you get unlimited storytelling, two free audio credits, 50 chapter generations per day, and access to premium features. 

Drawbacks

• Users report that the image generator sometimes struggles with instructions and defaults to typical body types and features.
• The 50 chapter allocations reset every 24 hours and don't roll over, limiting professional writers who prefer long sessions.

NovelAI vs. 6 Best Alternatives

We compiled the table below to show you how each of the 6 AI alternatives performs against NovelAI in the listed categories. 

FAQ

Can I Use NovelAI for Free?

NovelAI doesn’t have a free tier, but it offers users a free trial that lets you test out its features before you subscribe. The free trial comes with 50 free text generations, 30 free image generations and 100 free text-to-speech generations. These don’t reset monthly and are only a one-time offer.

Why Do People Look for Alternatives to NovelAI?

Users often search for NovelAI alternatives for different reasons, including wanting an AI writing platform with a free tier, better writing tools, more AI models or a more professional writing interface. Others may want features that NovelAI doesn’t offer, such as multi-character roleplay or collaborative tools. The best alternative for you depends on what you want to use the platform for.

Which NovelAI Alternative Is Best for Long-Form Novel Writing?

Novelcrafter is the best alternative for authors who need a platform that supports long-form stories. It includes tools for outlining your story, organizing story details, editing, and managing longer projects. Plus, it has a Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) model that lets you connect to different AI models through your own API keys.

Which NovelAI Alternative Is Best for Interactive AI Text Adventure, Games and Roleplay?

DreamGen is the best alternative if you want interactive AI text adventures, roleplay and games. You can create scenarios with different characters, customize the setting and plot and use the Choose the Next Step feature (CYOA) to decide what happens next. Its Roleplay mode also supports multi-character roleplay where different AI characters can interact in the same scene as you guide the story.