Features include a corkboard, the ability to rearrange files by dragging-and-dropping virtual index cards on the corkboard, an outliner, a split screen mode that enables users to edit several documents at once, a full-screen mode, the ability to export text into multiple document formats, the ability to assign multiple keywords to parts of a text and to sort the parts by keyword, hyperlinks between parts of a text, and "snapshots". Scrivener allows photos, URLs, and multiple other file formats, to be dragged into its interface as well. Because of its breadth of interfaces and features, it has positioned itself not only as a word processor, but as a project management tool for writers, and includes many user-interface features that resemble Xcode, Apple's integrated development environment. One computer programmer has called Scrivener "an IDE for writing".
Platforms
Keith Blount created, and continues to maintain, the program as a tool to help him write the "big novel", allowing him to keep track of ideas and research. It is built mostly on libraries and features of Mac OS X from version 10.4 onward. In 2011, a Windows version of the software was released, written and maintained by Lee Powell.
There is no official release for Linux, but there is a public beta version which has been abandoned but still is available to use.
Macintosh
The latest version of Scrivener for Mac is version 3.0, and requires macOS Sierra or newer. Scrivener can be obtained from the Mac App Store, but since the Mac App Store application is only usable on OS X 10.6.6 and later, users of earlier versions of OS X must buy it directly from the developer's website instead of the Mac App Store. The company also makes Scrivener 2.5 available for earlier version of Mac OS X, but claims it is the final version of the software that was built to run on both PowerPC and Intel systems running Mac OS X 10.4 through 10.8. This version is available on the direct sale page in the sidebar titled "Mac OS X 10.4–8 and PowerPC". In addition to the Scrivener version 2 releases, the direct download page provides access to the obsolete version 1.54, but licenses are no longer available for purchase. The 1.54 release is compatible with Mac OS X versions 10.4 through 10.6.
Windows
The latest stable version of Scrivener for Windows is 1.9.16.0, released in October 2018. It is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. Windows versions were released after Mac OS X version 2.xx, and are priced the same as the Mac version despite the Windows version having fewer features. The developers have stated version numbers will be aligned when version 3.0 for Windows is released, currently in beta and expected during 2020. Windows version 1.0 users who buy now will receive a free upgrade to version 3 upon its release. Previous Windows version 1.0 owners will be able to upgrade to version 3 for $25.
