Dabble vs Novlr
Dabble
dabblewriter.com
Novlr
novlr.orgSide by side
| Figure | Dabble | Novlr |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $19/mo | $8/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 5 | 5 |
| Spec score · Text App | 9.0 (#2) | 8.6 (#4) |
| Spec score · Book Writing Software | 8.9 (#3) | 8.6 (#6) |
| Spec score · Note And Writing Apps | 8.9 (#6) | 8.5 (#13) |
| Spec score · Writing Apps | 8.6 (#29) | 8.8 (#24) |
| Collaboration | Co-authoring lets writers invite a co-author to collaborate on the same manuscript in real time. | Yes |
| Export formats | extensive | extensive |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile apps | Yes | No |
| Offline mode | Yes | Yes |
| Publishing tools | Yes | Yes |
| Security | Dabble says work is stored locally and synced over an encrypted connection, with server data encrypted at rest; support staff may access writing to provide support. | The privacy policy says data is encrypted in transit and at rest, with database row-level security and secure session management. |
| Support | Support is available by email and live chat, with help documents and bug reporting also offered. | Novlr offers in-app support chat, email support, and a writer community on Discord. |
| Version history | 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
Novlr
- FreeFree
- Starter$8 a month
- Studio$16 a month
- Lifetime Studio Member$499 a month
- Lifetime Studio Member$499, 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.
Novlr
Novlr is a creative writing workspace for planning, drafting, and publishing projects. Its tools include focus and typewriter modes, writing sprints, goals, streaks, analytics, notes, and a planning grid for following story arcs and plot threads alongside a manuscript. Writing and notes can be exported as DOCX, PDF, ODT, EPUB, or RTF. The Free plan costs nothing and includes two projects, online syncing, notes and planning, focus mode, writing sprints, and analytics. Starter costs $8 a month, billed yearly, with up to 10 projects, 30-day version history, goals, streaks, Academy courses, and community access. Studio costs $16 a month, billed yearly, and adds unlimited projects and version history, Novlr Sites, proofing tools, backups to Google Drive or Dropbox, and priority support. Novlr Sites offers themes and custom domains. Novlr works through current major browsers, including Safari on iOS and Chrome or Firefox on Android, but requires an active internet connection even when saved to a phone or tablet home screen. It has no mobile apps. The company says it does not use writing for AI processing or training.