Is Nova worth the price?
Nova's pricing at $99 for a perpetual license with one year of updates is fair, especially for a native macOS application.
The optional $49/year renewal for continued updates is a reasonable model. This pricing is best for professional macOS developers who value a dedicated, high-performance editor.
Pricing Plans
30-day Free TrialNova
$99/one-time
- Mac-native code editor
- 1 year feature updates
- Perpetual license
- $49/year to renew (optional)
Hidden Costs & Gotchas
Updates beyond 1st year cost $49/year
No team licensing options
No free tier available
Which Plan Do You Need?
Dedicated macOS developers
Users valuing native performance
Professionals seeking perpetual license
How Nova Compares to Competitors
Compared to Sublime Text, which offers a perpetual license for $99 with 3 years of updates, Nova's initial offering is similar. VS Code is free, but Nova offers a more integrated and native macOS experience for those willing to pay. Nova's renewal cost is also comparable to other paid editors' update plans.
Nova Pricing FAQ
How much does Nova cost?
Nova starts at $99/month on the Nova plan.
Does Nova have a free plan?
Nova does not offer a permanent free plan. However, a free trial is available for 30 days.
Does Nova offer a free trial?
Yes, Nova offers a free trial lasting 30 days. No credit card is typically required to start the trial, though this may vary.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Nova?
Yes. Popular alternatives to Nova include Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, Cursor. Free alternatives include Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ IDEA, Cursor. Compare them side-by-side on Toolradar.
Cheaper alternatives to Nova
3 of 4 direct competitors below offer a free plan. Per-seat pricing varies up to 60% across this set.