Novel writing software for Windows
Novel writing software for Windows, free and installed in one click
Bunsho is a free novel writing app for 64-bit Windows PCs. It installs in one click, keeps your chapters as plain files in a folder you choose, and gives you a binder, a distraction-free page, a Planner and a story bible that fills itself from your prose. When you want your book checked for contradictions, you ask, and every finding cites both passages.
Installing Bunsho on Windows
Download the installer from the download page and run it. It is a one-click installer for 64-bit (x64) Windows that installs Bunsho for your own user account, so there is no setup wizard to step through. Open Bunsho from the Start menu and start writing: the editor needs no account and no trial key.
Your project is a normal folder, and your chapters are plain files inside it. Put it in OneDrive or Dropbox to sync it, include it in File History or any backup tool you already trust, or copy it to a USB stick. Bunsho runs no sync service of its own and keeps no copy of your manuscript on a server.
Why Windows writers have fewer good choices
Much of the best-known writing software was born on the Mac, and some of it never left. Ulysses is Apple-only. Scrivener does run on Windows, as a separate $59.99 license that needs 64-bit Windows 10 or later, and it is a strong tool; the Windows and Mac versions are bought separately. Plottr has Windows and Mac apps for outlining, and Atticus runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook as a browser app for writing and formatting. yWriter, a free scene-based tool, has been a Windows staple for years. Dabble, Campfire and Reedsy Studio work through the browser or their own apps.
Bunsho was built for Windows and macOS from the start, with the same features on both. What it adds that none of those tools offer is a check on the book itself: ask for one, and it reads your chapters against what your story has already established, then puts both passages in front of you whenever they disagree. The 2026 roundup compares all of these side by side.
What you get on your PC
Binder, page and focus mode
Chapters and scenes in a tree, a page in paper or dark theme, and a focus mode that hides everything but the page when you need it.
Spellcheck and a thesaurus
A custom dictionary for invented names and terms, so your world's vocabulary stops getting flagged, and a built-in thesaurus.
World and Planner
A World tab that fills itself with characters, places and objects from your prose, and chapter cards in Grid or Tracks views. Both are included on the free plan.
Goals and streaks
A daily word goal, a streak across all your books, and a book target with a finish date and pace, on every plan.
Word in, Word out
Import .docx, Markdown, plain text and Fountain; export .docx, Markdown and Fountain on every plan, so your editor and your agent still get a Word file.
Coming from Word on Windows
Most Windows novelists start in Word, and that is fine: Bunsho takes the .docx as it is. Apply Word's built-in Heading styles to your chapter titles before importing and each heading becomes a chapter in the binder. On first import, Bunsho offers a one-time read of the manuscript so the World tab starts full, cost shown first, and you can say not now. When you are done, export back to .docx for submission. The import and export page has the details, and the editor page shows the writing room.
Common questions
Which versions of Windows does Bunsho support?
Bunsho ships as a 64-bit (x64) Windows installer. It installs for your user account with one click.
Is Bunsho free on Windows?
Yes. The editor is free with no account: one project with goals and export. A free sign-in adds the World tab, the Planner and starter credits for continuity checks, and paid plans start at $8 a month for unlimited projects.
Is the Windows version the same as the Mac version?
Yes. The binder, Planner, World tab, goals, import and export, and the continuity checker are the same on both.
Can I keep my Bunsho project in OneDrive?
Yes. A project is an ordinary folder of plain files, so OneDrive, Dropbox, File History or a USB drive all work as sync or backup.
Is there a good Scrivener alternative for Windows?
It depends on what you want from it. If you want a binder, a clean page and files on your PC, Bunsho does that free, and adds continuity checking Scrivener does not have. If you rely on Scrivener's compile step for formatting, keep it for that or use Atticus or Reedsy Studio for layout.
Keep reading
Write your novel on your PC.
Bunsho is free to download for Windows. The editor needs no account.