Review · Alternatives
A NovelAI alternative for stories you step inside.
NovelAI is a private writing desk: a document you extend with the AI, a lorebook you tune by hand, and stories encrypted so only you can read them. LoreWeaver suits writers who would rather play the story, with lore that files itself into each scene, turn-by-turn roleplay, and a free plan that doesn’t expire.
LoreWeaver publishes this review of a competitor. NovelAI’s details come from its documentation and terms, linked under Sources.
The short answer
Is there a free alternative to NovelAI?
Yes. LoreWeaver has a free plan that doesn’t expire, with unlimited replies from the free storyteller and 25 premium replies a day, while NovelAI offers a one-time trial of 50 text generations before plans from $10 a month. LoreWeaver also keeps lore in order for you: cards join a reply when their names come up, memories are written every few replies, and NovelAI lorebooks import with their keys.
Updated
Lore that keeps itself
A lorebook that reads the page for you.
Fourteen sessions into a mystery, the last few lines name three cards, so those three join the reply. A pinned oath stays in view, the rest wait for their names, and a name the story keeps using comes back as a suggested card.
You
You say "Inspector Marrow, who could bank a furnace without being seen?"
Inspector Marrow
“The furnace at Cutler’s Yard went cold at midnight. Someone banked it on purpose, and only a Furnace Guild hand knows how. So which of your brothers was working late, Venn?”
Suggested by the story
Silas VennCharacter
A new name the story keeps using
In this reply3
- Inspector MarrowCharacterNamed in your last line
- Cutler’s YardLocationNamed two replies ago
- The Furnace GuildFactionIts tag came up five lines back
Pinned1
- The glassmakers’ oathMiscAlways in view
Waiting2
- Widow AshcombeCharacterNot named in the last 12 messages
- The Kiln Street fireEvent/HistoryNot named in the last 12 messages
Underlined names belong to lore cards the reply drew on; in a story, hover one to read its card.
Side by side
Two ways to write a long story.
| What matters | LoreWeaver | NovelAI |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Turn by turn: you type a move or a line of dialogue, and the storyteller answers with a scene you can edit, continue, or rewrite. | One continuous document you and the AI extend together, plus a Text Adventure mode. |
| Continuity | Memories written every few replies and a running recap, both yours to edit. | Memory and Author’s Note fields you write and update yourself. |
| Lore | Lore cards recalled by title or tag from the last 12 messages, pinned cards always in view, and suggested cards for new names. | A lorebook of keyed entries with fine control over placement and token budget. |
| Context | 6,400 tokens on Free, up to 100,000 on Legendary. | Grows by tier, up to 28,672 tokens on Opus. |
| Story logic | The Loom: IF and THEN threads, built without code, that bring planned events in on cue. | Scripts written in TypeScript, with generation hooks and custom panels. |
| Privacy | Private to your account unless you publish a world, and never used to train AI models. | Stories encrypted in your browser, so only you can read them. |
| Content | Mature stories between adults, within hard limits. Accounts are 18+. | Adults only, with no content filter documented for private writing. |
| Images | Scene images and covers on Pro and up. | Its own image generator; Opus includes normal-size images within limits. |
| Apps | Any modern browser, on phone, tablet, or desktop. | Browser only, installable as a web app on phones. |
| Price | A free plan that doesn’t expire; paid plans from $7.99 a month. | A one-time trial of 50 text generations, then $10, $15, or $25 a month. |
NovelAI details come from its documentation, terms, and home page, checked October 3, 2026.
Roleplay first
Write a move, and the story answers.
NovelAI gives you a page to extend. LoreWeaver gives you a turn: choose how your line should read, send it, and the storyteller answers as the world and everyone in it.
Every reply can be continued, swiped for another take, edited, or rewound, and characters can speak up too, with narration and voice calls on every plan.
| Mode | You type | The story reads |
|---|---|---|
| Do | I open the cellar door | You open the cellar door |
| Say | Who sent you? | You say "Who sent you?" |
| Custom | The rain stops all at once. | The rain stops all at once. |
| See | the cellar by lamplight | A picture of the scene, on Pro and up |
Do turns your line into second person, Say sets it as dialogue, and Custom passes it through as written.
Where each one wins
Two good tools, for different writers.
Where LoreWeaver is stronger
- Lore cards file themselves into each reply by title or tag, pinned cards stay in view, and new names the story keeps using come back as suggested cards.
- Memories and a running recap are written as you go, and you can edit either one.
- Roleplay comes first: Do, Say, and Custom turns, swipes and branches, and characters you can hear in narration or call by voice.
- A free plan that doesn’t expire, with 25 premium replies a day on top of unlimited replies from the free storyteller.
- NovelAI lorebooks import into any world, keys and Always On entries included.
Where NovelAI is stronger
- Stories are encrypted in your browser, so no one else can read them.
- Fine control over each lorebook entry’s placement and token budget, beside Memory and Author’s Note.
- A document editor built for long-form prose, with a Text Adventure mode alongside.
- Anime image generation built in, with normal-size images included on Opus within limits.
- Scripts written in TypeScript for custom panels and generation hooks.
Switching over
Move a story and its lorebook.
- 01
Export
Save your files.
In NovelAI, export the story as a .story file or the scenario as a .scenario file, and each lorebook as a .lorebook file. Choose the plain file, not the PNG version.
- 02
Import
Open it as a world.
Press Import on My Stuff and pick the file. A .story brings its title, Memory, Author’s Note, lorebook, and generation settings; a .scenario brings its prompt and context.
- 03
Lore
Add the other lorebooks.
In the world’s Lore tab, import each .lorebook. Entries become lore cards with their keys as tags, and Always On entries arrive pinned.
- 04
Write on
Paste where you stopped.
A .story keeps its full text in NovelAI’s packed format, so paste your latest scene into the new story and carry on. Memories start forming from there.
Questions
Writers ask before switching.
01Can I import my NovelAI lorebook?
Yes. Open any world’s Lore tab and import the .lorebook file. Each entry becomes a lore card with its keys as tags, switched-off entries stay off, and Always On entries arrive pinned. LoreWeaver reads the plain file, so export a .lorebook or JSON rather than a PNG.
02Will my NovelAI story text come across?
Not in full. A .story file brings its premise, Memory, Author’s Note, lorebook, and generation settings, but the full text sits in NovelAI’s packed document format. Paste your latest scene into the new story and continue from there.
03How is LoreWeaver different from NovelAI?
NovelAI is an editor: you and the AI extend one document, steered by Memory, Author’s Note, and a lorebook you manage. LoreWeaver is a story you play in turns, where memories, the recap, and lore recall are handled for you, and you can step in to edit any of them.
04Is LoreWeaver cheaper than NovelAI?
To start, yes: LoreWeaver has a free plan that doesn’t expire, and NovelAI has a one-time trial of 50 text generations. Paid plans begin at $7.99 a month here and $10 on NovelAI. NovelAI’s Opus keeps up to 28,672 tokens in view for $25 a month; LoreWeaver’s Ultra keeps 64,000 for $24.99.
05Are my stories private?
Yes. Worlds and stories stay in your account unless you publish one to the Hub, and LoreWeaver does not use your private content to train AI models. NovelAI goes a step further by encrypting stories in your browser, so if that matters most to you, it is the stronger choice.
06Can I write mature fiction on LoreWeaver?
Yes, for adults. Accounts are 18+, and dark themes, graphic violence, and explicit scenes between adult characters are allowed in your stories. The community guidelines list the hard limits, which apply everywhere.
Sources
- NovelAI Docs: Subscription
- NovelAI Docs: FAQ
- NovelAI Docs: Lorebook
- NovelAI Docs: Scripting introduction
- NovelAI: Terms of Service
- NovelAI: Home page
Checked . Prices and limits change; each site’s own pages are the final word.
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