Skip to content
All free tools
  1. Home
  2. Software
  3. Dabble

Dabble Review: Price, Features and Score

Dabble: Cloud novel-writing app with plot grid, notes and offline sync. $19 a month, on Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, web, iOS and Android. We did not test it; the facts come from its own pages.

Prices and data checked October 7, 2026 · Author Score computed by a published formula, not paid for

Dabble on the BookBird Author Score

Author Score · book writing software · #14 of 16 ·

Best for: Novelists writing across several devices on a subscription

BookBird Author Score6.1/10 #14 of 16 book writing software. Worked out from Dabble’s own pages, its price and US searches for its name, not typed in. Author jobs50 pts43.8/50Each of the 8 author jobs on the book writing software list is worth an equal share of 50 points, and counts only when Dabble’s own pages confirm it. 7 of 8 confirmed = 43.8 points. A job the vendor does not mention earns nothing.Cost25 pts5/25Dabble costs $228 a year on its cheapest plan. Free earns 25 points; the dearest book writing software product with a US price, Dabble at $228 a year, keeps 5; prices in between fall in a straight line. $228 = 5 points.Adoption25 pts12.1/25Searches, 20 points: 1,900 a month for “dabble writer”, against Google Docs, the most searched in this category (20,400,000), on a log scale = 9. Trend, 5 points: up 12% (last three months against the first three of the year) = 3.1; a fall of half or more earns 0, no change 2.5, a rise of half or more 5. 60.8 of 100 points= 6.1 out of 10 The full method, with every product’s points →

Author jobs, from Dabble’s own pages

  • Yes: Chapters and scenes you can reorder
  • Yes: Word-count goals
  • Yes: Notes beside the manuscript
  • Yes: Version history or snapshots
  • Yes: Works offline
  • Yes: Exports to Word (DOCX)
  • No: Exports a book file (EPUB or print PDF) (no)
  • Yes: Syncs across devices

Dabble pricing

Subscription, one-time option. Free trial: 14 days. Plans, in US dollars:

  • Writer: $19 a month
  • Author: $29 a month
  • Bestseller: $49 a month
  • Lifetime Author Access: $699 one-time

Annual billing "save 20%"; annual prices not printed. Academic email saves 30%. Trial needs no credit card.

What Dabble offers

  • Drag-and-drop chapters and scenes, auto-numbered, with labels
  • Plot Grid open beside the manuscript
  • Story notebook with character profiles, research and sticky notes
  • Daily word-count goals, deadlines, stats and streaks
  • Version history with a time-slider preview and restore (plan-dependent)
  • Offline-first: edits save on the device and sync on reconnect
  • Real-time co-authoring, comments and track changes (Author plan)
  • Word export in standard manuscript format

Runs on: Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, web, iOS and Android. Exports: DOCX, Google Docs, web link and Markdown. Works offline. Launched: 2017.

Dabble alternatives

SoftwareScorePrice fromBest for
Novlr8.7Free plan; paid from $8 a month (billed yearly)Writers wanting a free web app with no built-in AI
Google Docs8.3FreeAuthors sharing drafts with editors at no cost
LivingWriter7.8Free plan; paid from $179 a yearPlotters writing on web, desktop and mobile
Scrivener7.7$59.99 one-timeMac or Windows authors who want a one-time licence
Ulysses7.6$39.99 a yearApple-only writers who like plain-text markup

Compare: All book writing software · All software for authors

How the score is computed: the formula, step by step.