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Nova Pricing 2026

Plans, hidden costs, and cheaper alternatives compared

Reviews onG2Capterra
1 plans tracked·Updated May 2026

Is Nova worth the price?

75/10

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 Trial

Nova

$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.