Dabble vs Scrivener
Dabble
dabblewriter.com
Scrivener
literatureandlatte.comSide by side
| Figure | Dabble | Scrivener |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $19/mo | $23.99/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 5 | 8 |
| Spec score · Text App | 9.0 (#2) | 8.5 (#5) |
| Spec score · Book Writing Software | 8.9 (#3) | 8.4 (#11) |
| Spec score · Note And Writing Apps | 8.9 (#6) | 8.5 (#14) |
| Spec score · Writing Apps | 8.6 (#29) | 9.1 (#8) |
| Collaboration | Co-authoring lets writers invite a co-author to collaborate on the same manuscript in real time. | No |
| Export formats | extensive | It can export to Word, PDF, Final Draft, and plain text. |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | The 14-day trial includes access to all premium features and does not require a credit card. | A free trial is available, but the supplied text does not state its duration or limits. |
| Mobile apps | Yes | Yes |
| Offline mode | Yes | Yes |
| Publishing tools | Yes | Yes |
| 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
Scrivener
- macOS licence$59.99 a month
- Windows licence$59.99 a month
- iOS licence$23.99 a month
- iOS license$23.99, paid once
- Mac license$59.99, paid once
- Windows license$59.99, paid once
- All three platforms$121.93, paid once
- Free trialFree
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.
Scrivener
Scrivener is a long-form writing app for macOS, Windows, and iOS, built for projects that can be composed in sections of any size. Writers can keep research materials such as PDFs and web pages beside a draft, and import Word, OpenOffice, plain text, Final Draft, images, PDFs, movies, sound files, and web pages. A project window can show up to four documents at once. Screenwriting tools handle script formatting and support printing and Final Draft export. For non-fiction, Scrivener supports footnotes, research libraries, and templates including MLA and APA. Writing History shows how much was written each day. The app also has publishing tools, version history, and offline mode, but not real-time collaboration. A 30-day trial is offered. Single-platform licences cost $59.99 as a one-time purchase for macOS or Windows and $23.99, paid once for iOS; an all-three-platform licence costs $121.93 as a one-time purchase. No recurring payment is required unless a customer chooses another platform or a major update. Scrivener is made by Literature & Latte Ltd., based in Cornwall, UK.