Subscription Anlas are lost when the subscription ends under the policy effective September 22, 2026.
Users should plan image-generation usage before cancelling; separately purchased paid Anlas do not expire.
Evidence source ↗
NovelAI
NovelAI is a browser-based creative platform for AI-assisted storytelling, roleplay, text-to-speech, and anime-oriented image generation.
6 key claims verifiedOur editorial team checked this profile against vendor documentation, pricing information, product documentation. Supported by 5 documented sources.
Editorial overview
Aggregated Overview
Feature and pricing scores reflect official product documentation. Only two publicly visible G2 reviews were inspected, so sentiment and support assessments have low confidence; no performance testing was conducted.
This profile combines documented product information and independent evidence where available. It is not a hands-on test unless TechZella explicitly identifies one.
Overview
NovelAI is Anlatan Inc.’s hosted creative-writing and image-generation service. Users can draft stories with AI assistance, organize narrative details in Lorebooks, generate speech from text, and create anime-oriented images.
The product is designed for individual creative workflows rather than business collaboration. Its browser-based editor, models, and image tools run online; a mobile browser and installable PWA provide mobile access.
NovelAI Decision Snapshot
A quick way to understand who this product may suit, where its limits matter, and which facts are most relevant before you compare alternatives.
Best suited to
Individual fiction writers, roleplayers, and visual creators who want story continuation, Lorebook-based context, and anime-oriented image generation in one web service.
Look elsewhere if
Teams seeking a collaborative business writing platform, a native desktop or phone application, or a manuscript production and publishing workflow may need additional software, and should evaluate alternatives such as Sudowrite instead.
Platforms
API, Progressive Web App, SaaS, Web
TechZella assessment
7.1/10
NovelAI — What Sets It Apart?
These are the product-specific differences that may matter when deciding whether the software fits your workflow. They are based on documented evidence rather than a universal ranking.
- Combines AI story writing, text-to-speech, and custom image generation models within a single service.
- Lorebook entries can be activated by story keywords and exported or imported in documented formats.
- Its scripting API supports custom editor extensions, while separate generation APIs are documented for programmatic access.
NovelAI Pros & Cons
Pros
- Combines story generation, text-to-speech, and custom image generation in one service.
- Lorebook entries can add character, setting, and world details to story context when activated.
- Lorebook import and export options support reuse and sharing.
- A limited trial covers text, image, and text-to-speech generation.
Cons
- Image generation depends on plan-specific allowances and Anlas usage rules.
- The latest V5 Medium-effort image mode restricts several generation settings.
- No native mobile application is documented; access is through browsers or a PWA.
- The encryption model means a forgotten password can make stored stories unrecoverable.
NovelAI Gotchas & Operational Limits
These are documented constraints or practical friction points that may matter before you adopt the product.
NovelAI Diffusion V5 Medium effort fixes generation at 14 steps and Euler Ancestral.
The lower-use option has less control over sampler and some undesired-content settings than High effort.
Evidence source ↗NovelAI says it cannot recover stories if the user loses the password needed for local encryption.
Users should retain access credentials and keep independent exports of important work.
Evidence source ↗NovelAI Pricing & Plans
Paper
$0
one-time trial
Email-verified accounts receive 50 text generations, 30 images up to 1024 by 1024 pixels, and 100 text-to-speech generations. Trial actions do not regularly refresh.
Check current pricing →Tablet
$10
30 days
Unlimited text and text-to-speech generations, plus 1,000 subscription Anlas for image generation.
Check current pricing →Scroll
$15
30 days
Includes Tablet benefits and a larger story context size.
Check current pricing →Opus
$25
30 days
Includes the largest context size, 10,000 subscription Anlas at renewal, and a gradually replenishing allowance for qualifying V5 image generations.
Check current pricing →Pricing may change. Verify current plans on the vendor's website.
NovelAI Features
Story writing
- AI-assisted story continuation
- Story editor with branching edit history
- Text Adventure mode
- Lorebook entries with activation keys
- Story text-to-speech
Image generation
- Custom NovelAI Diffusion models
- Text and tag prompting
- Image2Image
- Canvas
- Inpainting
- Upscaling
- Multi-character prompting
Extensibility and portability
- TypeScript user scripts with predefined APIs
- Lorebook import and export
- Bulk story download
Demo & Screenshots
NovelAI Specifications
| Hosting | Cloud-hosted web service |
|---|---|
| Mobile access | Mobile browser and installable Progressive Web App; no native mobile app documented |
| API | Primary, text-generation, image-generation, and in-product scripting APIs documented |
| API authentication | Persistent user token required for generation API applications |
| Integrations | No third-party integration catalog verified; APIs are documented |
| Story encryption | Browser-side end-to-end encryption using a password-derived key, according to the privacy policy |
| Data portability | Bulk story download; Lorebook import/export supports JSON, .lorebook, and embedded PNG |
| Image usage | Anlas allowances and model-specific usage limits apply |
| Billing interval | Paid subscriptions renew every 30 days |
Deployment & System Footprint
Verified installation, hosting, administration, or environment details that can affect implementation.
| Hosting | Hosted service accessed through a web browser; NovelAI also offers a mobile-installable Progressive Web App. Source ↗ |
|---|---|
| API | Official documentation describes primary, image-generation, and text-generation APIs. API users need a persistent user token and must follow the service terms. Source ↗ |
Alternatives
Midjourney is a narrower option for buyers focused on image generation, with subscription tiers, GPU-time allowances, and higher-tier privacy controls. NovelAI may suit users who also want an integrated story editor, Lorebook, text generation, and text-to-speech.
Sudowrite is a comparable fiction-writing service. Its documented Story Bible, outlining, editing, and feedback features may suit writers prioritizing manuscript planning and revision workflows. NovelAI differs by combining story tools with its own image-generation suite.
Migration & Lock-In
Documented portability, standards, export, or switching considerations. No switching-cost score is shown unless the evidence supports one.
Story portability
The FAQ says stories can be downloaded in bulk. Lorebooks support import and export using JSON, .lorebook, and PNG files with embedded Lorebooks.
Evidence source ↗Our evidence-based assessment
TechZella Score
A proprietary editorial score based on product capabilities, usability, value, performance, support and user sentiment evidence.
7.1/10Low confidence
Feature and pricing scores reflect official product documentation. Only two publicly visible G2 reviews were inspected, so sentiment and support assessments have low confidence; no performance testing was conducted.
Methodology v1.0. The assessment weighs feature coverage (25%), ease of use (15%), value for money (20%), performance (15%), support (10%) and user sentiment (15%), using researched product evidence and verified review evidence where available. It is a TechZella editorial assessment, not a direct user-review average.
Editorial transparency
Our Review Methodology
Key claims are linked to the sources used to verify them. This evidence record is separate from third-party user ratings.
TechZella evaluates software using documented product capabilities, pricing information, usability and value considerations, independent user evidence where available, and competitive context. The assessment is an editorial review, not a hands-on test unless one is explicitly identified. Our editorial assessment is based on 5 documented sources.
What TechZella adds
- Combines AI story writing, text-to-speech, and custom image generation models within a single service.
- Lorebook entries can be activated by story keywords and exported or imported in documented formats.
- Its scripting API supports custom editor extensions, while separate generation APIs are documented for programmatic access.
Important limitations
- Image generation uses Anlas, subscription allowances, and model-specific usage limits; the included image allowance differs by plan.
- NovelAI is delivered through a browser and installable PWA rather than a documented native mobile application.
- Stories are encrypted using a key derived from the account password, so a forgotten password can make stored stories unrecoverable.
- NovelAI Diffusion V5 Medium effort locks several generation settings, including step count and sampler.
Evidence-backed claimsNovelAI offers a limited free trial for text, image, and text-to-speech generation. Paid subscriptions begin at $10 per month and include unlimited text and text-to-speech generation. NovelAI supports keyword-triggered Lorebook context and Lorebook file portability. NovelAI stories are end-to-end encrypted before storage, and submitted prompts are not stored. NovelAI can be used through a mobile browser and installed as a Progressive Web App. NovelAI documents APIs for text and image generation and requires persistent user tokens for API use.
The subscription documentation specifies 50 text generations, 30 images up to 1024 by 1024 pixels, and 100 text-to-speech generations for verified accounts.
View source ↗Verified 2026-10-09The Tablet tier is listed at $10 per month and includes unlimited text and text-to-speech generations plus 1,000 subscription Anlas.
View source ↗Verified 2026-10-09Official documentation describes activation keys, insertion of entry text into story context, and JSON, .lorebook, and embedded-PNG import formats.
View source ↗Verified 2026-10-09The privacy policy describes browser-side encryption, a password-derived key, and prompt processing without retention.
View source ↗Verified 2026-10-09The FAQ describes mobile-browser access and PWA installation from the website.
View source ↗Verified 2026-10-09The API documentation describes generation endpoints and instructs application developers to use a user's persistent API token.
View source ↗Verified 2026-10-09NovelAI FAQs
Answers begin with the clearest available response, followed by the context that helps you act on it.
Does NovelAI have a free plan?
Yes. It offers a limited one-time trial, not a continuously refreshed free plan. An email-verified account receives 50 text generations, 30 images, and 100 text-to-speech generations.
Is there a phone app?
No. The official FAQ describes access through a mobile browser and installation as a Progressive Web App. It does not describe a native phone application.
Does NovelAI have an API?
Yes. Official documentation describes primary, text-generation, and image-generation APIs. API use requires a persistent user token and is subject to NovelAI's terms.
Can users export their work?
Yes. The FAQ says stories can be downloaded in bulk. Lorebooks support documented import and export formats, including JSON and .lorebook.
Can NovelAI recover a forgotten password?
No. The privacy policy says the password-derived encryption key does not leave the user's device. The FAQ warns that losing account credentials can make remotely stored stories inaccessible.
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What Has Changed
This history records material data changes detected when TechZella re-researched the profile.
2026-10-09Research update changed: Pricing, Features, Specifications, Alternatives, Competitors, Trusted ratings, Description.