Write your story and build your world. All on your own computer.

Cicero is an offline novel writing software for beginner and intermediate writers on their first or second book who want to plan, write, and keep their whole world in one place.

One-time purchase. No subscription, no cloud, no AI. Ever.

Cicero novel writing software workspace preview

Cicero is a novel writing software for Windows with worldbuilding built in. It runs 100% offline, stores every project as a folder on your own computer, and links your characters, locations, and objects so your world stays connected as you write.⚜It costs $29 as a one-time purchase, with no subscription, no cloud, and no AI. It is built to be both easy to use and flexible enough to meet your needs as a writer.

Cicero novel writing software workspace with zen/focus mode on

Everything you need to write complete stories

Cicero has been engineered with the core features and tools writers need to be able to start creating without friction. It's perfect for writers who need a writing app that doesn't get in the way of their creativity.

Nothing leaves your computer

No account, no cloud, no network calls at all beyond checking for updates. Your novel lives in a folder on your machine.

Worldbuilding as a core feature

Link any character, place, or object to any other. No more keeping the same notes in two different places.

Pay once, keep it forever

Buy it one time and it's yours forever. No monthly subscription, no renewal, no cloud platform you don't control.

The Lorebook: your personal story bible

The Lorebook stores all the lore elements of your story, from a worn dagger to your protagonist and even complex magical systems.

☑️ Forge Your Story's World: Create characters, locations, objects, and concepts, then define them. From simple physical attributes to complex backstories, and everything in between!

☑️ Relational Linking That Works Both Ways: Connect your protagonist to the tavern she grew up in, and that link appears on her page and the tavern's page at the same time. Everything, connected.

☑️ Reference Lore While Writing: Use the quickview panel in the workspace to see any of your lore elements while you write. Your entire world, always visible. No context switching or forgetting things.

The Workspace: a clean text editor with built in file management

The Workspace is where you do your writing. It comes with file management and a slew of useful tools to assist your writing process from start to finish.

☑️ Organize Your Files, Your Way: Create any number of documents. Use the structured tab for predefined sections from planning to revisions, or use the freeform tab to organize everything how you see fit.

☑️ Write Easily Using The Clean Text Editor: Write prose on a clean, reading-efficient canvas. Change type settings, enter zen (focus) mode for zero distractions, and leave inline comments for future editing.

☑️ Read Documents Side-By-Side With Quickview: Use the quickview panel in the workspace to pull up any other document in your entire project. No more keeping multiple tabs or having multiple windows open on your desktop.

However you write, Cicero keeps up

Whether you are writing a novel, short story, college essay, or building a DnD campaign, Cicero offers you a creative suite for ideas to come to life. Built with both plotters and pantsers in mind.

Planners

If you outline everything first: map the whole book using the structured view before you write a word. Outline as little or much as you want. From a blade of grass to a god.

Discovery

If you discover the story as you go: enter freeform mode, open a blank page in your project and start writing. It's that easy. No setup required, no UI overwhelm.

Worldbuilding

If you're building a world: Cicero works as a D&D worldbuilding tool, roleplaying tool, and campaign builder. Easily define plot, gameplay, NPCs, and factions, all in one place.

You write it. You own it. We hold no copy of your work and have no way to get one, even if we wanted to. That isn't a marketing line; it's written into the license agreement that ships with the app, in plain words, before you pay anything.Some other things to know include:

  • Cicero is a writing app for Windows and runs fully offline. A macOS version is not available at this time, but will be coming in a future update.

  • There are no AI features in Cicero. If you want auto-drafting or auto-editing, you won't find it here.

ℹ️ 30-day money-back guarantee. No form, no questions. If it's not for you, email us and you get your money back. That's it.

Cicero novel writing software dashboard and writing statistics

A creative suite for writers, not a bloated tool

Cicero was made to be lean and flexible for beginner and intermediate writers who want to write their stories without extra hassles. Here's how Cicero compares to other writing apps:

AppPriceWorldbuildingDataOfflinePlatformLearning Curve
Cicero$29, one timeFully built inYour machineAlwaysWindowsLow
Scrivener$59.99, one timeNot nativeYour machineAlwaysWindows, Mac, iOSSteep
Novelcrafter$4 to $20 a monthYes, but cloud-basedTheir serversNoAny browserModerate

Scrivener is genuinely excellent software. It's mature, runs on Mac and iOS, and does well on manuscript formatting. Novelcrafter is a real choice if AI-assisted drafting is what you want.Cicero satisfies a different need: less configuration, easier entry into writing, worldbuilding that's part of the writing process, and everything on your own machine without any ongoing fees.

Start writing with Cicero in three steps

  1. Buy it once. $29, one payment. Your license key is yours to keep. Automatic updates are included.

  2. Download and open. Install on your Windows machine. No account to make, nothing to sign into, nothing to configure before you start.

  3. Create your project. New Project -> name your story -> write. Everything autosaves as you go. It's distraction-free, minimalist writing whenever you want it: Zen Mode hides everything but your words with one button.

Ready to start building your world?

No subscription. No credits to buy. The founder price is $29 and rises to $39 once the macOS build is live. Early buyers get Cicero at this price, forever.

Questions & Answers

Cicero is novel writing software for Windows with worldbuilding features built in. It gives you one place to plan, write, and organize a novel or story, and it works entirely on your own computer with no account and no internet connection required.
Yes. Cicero is a fully offline (local-first) writing software. It makes no network calls of any kind beyond checking for app updates, so your writing never leaves your machine. Every project is a single folder stored wherever you choose on your own computer.
Cicero is a one-time purchase of $29, with no subscription and no recurring fees. You buy it once and keep it. The founder price of $29 rises to $39 once the macOS build is live, and early buyers at the lower price keep Cicero forever.
No. Cicero has no AI features of any kind, by deliberate design. It is a tool for human writers, with no auto-drafting, no suggestion engine, and nothing that sends your text to an outside server.
Cicero is a strong Scrivener alternative for writers who want worldbuilding built in and a lower one-time price. Cicero costs $29 to Scrivener's $59.99, works fully offline, and links your world elements together automatically with relation tagging. Scrivener is more mature and offers deeper manuscript formatting and macOS support, so the right choice depends on whether integrated worldbuilding and minimalism matter more to you than compile tooling.
Yes. Cicero's Lorebook lets you build characters, locations, objects, and concepts and link any of them to any other. When you link two elements, the connection appears on both automatically, so your worldbuilding is structurally part of the writing tool rather than notes stored in separate folders.
Yes. Cicero works well as a D&D worldbuilding tool and campaign builder. Game masters use the Lorebook to keep factions, NPCs, locations, and story elements linked together in one place, the same way novelists use it for a story bible. Cicero can also be used for roleplaying and creating deep character backstories in games like Grand Theft Auto V or Final Fantasy XIV.
Not yet. Cicero is Windows only right now. A macOS build is on the roadmap but is not finished, so Mac users will need to wait for that release.
Your writing is entirely yours. Cicero stores every project as a folder on your own computer, and the license agreement that ships with the app states in writing that your content belongs to you and that Ardent Ethos (the company who created Cicero) holds no copy of it and has no way to obtain one.
Cicero is built for beginner and intermediate fiction writers working on their first or second novel, screenplay, or serial. It supports both planners who outline everything first and discovery writers who find the story as they draft, and it also serves worldbuilders and game masters maintaining a setting.

Have more questions? Reach out to us at: [email protected]

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