Dabble vs novelWriter
Dabble
dabblewriter.com
novelWriter
novelwriter.ioSide by side
| Figure | Dabble | novelWriter |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $19/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 5 | 1 |
| Spec score · Text App | 9.0 (#2) | 8.1 (#13) |
| Spec score · Book Writing Software | 8.9 (#3) | 8.1 (#14) |
| Spec score · Writing Apps | 8.6 (#29) | 8.2 (#51) |
| Export formats | extensive | extensive |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile apps | Yes | No |
| Platform availability | Dabble offers Windows, Mac, and Linux downloads and says it can also be used in a browser; its pricing page states support for iOS and Android. | The current downloads page lists Linux and Windows packages; macOS releases are discontinued, though the Python package can still be installed on a Mac with a Python environment. |
| Publishing tools | Yes | Yes |
Plans
Dabble
- Writer$19 a month
- Author$29 a month
- Bestseller$49 a month
- Lifetime Author Access$699 a month
- Lifetime Author Access$699, paid once
In their own words
Dabble
Dabble is a fiction-writing tool aimed especially at novelists, from first-time hobbyists to professional authors. Its Plot Grid organizes plot lines, plot points, and labels, alongside character profiles and worldbuilding tools. The editor includes scene organization, focus mode, daily word-count goals, and auto-numbered chapters. For editing, it offers sticky notes, comments, highlights, and built-in grammar and style checks. Co-authors can work together on a manuscript in real time. Dabble says it provides automatic cloud backup and sync, along with regular online and offline backups. Projects can be exported to the web, Word, and Google Docs; a NaNoWriMo word tracker is included. It runs in a browser and has Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android availability. There is no free plan, though a 14-day trial is listed. Writer costs $19 a month, Author $29 a month, and Bestseller $49 a month. After a subscription ends, manuscripts and notes remain viewable and exportable but become read-only.
novelWriter
novelWriter has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.