Dabble vs Fictionary

Dabble

• Novelists who want plotting, notes and the manuscript in one place
• Writers who move between a computer, a tablet and a phone
• Co-authors working on the same manuscript
• Writers who want a tool without generative AI

Fictionary

• Novelists revising a first draft for structure before line editing
• Genre fiction writers who want an outline template to follow
• Freelance editors delivering structural edits to several clients

Dabble

• There is no free plan. Without a subscription, projects stay viewable and exportable but become read-only.
• Comments, track changes, sticky notes, advanced grammar checks and Read-to-Me need the Author plan at $29 a month or higher.
• On phones and tablets Dabble is a web app added to the home screen from the browser; it is not in the App Store or Google Play.
• The pricing page lists monthly prices only and says annual billing saves 20%, without showing the annual amounts.

Fictionary

• There is no free plan: after the 7-day trial every plan is a paid subscription.
• The support FAQ says it works in Safari or Chrome on a laptop or desktop, and that phones and tablets are not supported yet.
• Manuscripts are imported only as Microsoft Word .docx files, and StoryTeller holds 3 manuscripts at a time unless you move to Premium.

Dabble

Plot Grid

Lays out plot lines and plot points against scenes so a story's structure can be planned as fully or as loosely as wanted, with the editor open alongside the plan.

Story notes and characters

Keeps character profiles, worldbuilding details and research beside the manuscript, and can share characters, locations and lore across the books in a series.

Manuscript editor and goals

Scenes and chapters are numbered and formatted automatically and reordered by drag and drop, with focus mode, daily word-count goals, stats and a writing timer.

Editing tools

Comments, sticky notes, highlighting, track changes and Read-to-Me, plus grammar and style checks powered by ProWritingAid. These start on the Author plan.

Co-authoring

Invited co-authors work on the same manuscript in real time. Writer allows 5 collaborators per project; Author, Bestseller and lifetime plans allow 100.

Offline-first sync

Every edit saves to the device first and syncs to the account once a connection is available, so writing continues offline on any installed copy.

Fictionary

Scene-by-scene story evaluation

A manuscript is assessed one scene at a time for character, plot and setting, covering points such as the scene goal, tension, conflict and point-of-view goals.

Story arc and 15 visualizations

Fifteen visualizations, including an automated Story Arc and a Story Goal Tracker, show where the structure has problems, and a Story Map gives an overview of the whole book.

AI feedback on every scene

A built-in AI writing instructor the company calls Edwina gives immediate, scene-specific feedback as you write or revise.

Genre-based outlining templates

Templates for different genres lay out a story arc to outline against, and the outline stays alongside the manuscript while you write.

Story Editing Journey

A step-by-step editing process tracks progress by scene and by story element, with explanations of terms such as entry hooks on hand as you edit.

StoryCoach for editors

The editor plan adds a client dashboard, editing notes shown beside each scene, track changes and a library of hundreds of prewritten suggestions.

Dabble

• Writer$19

  per month, billed monthly (20% less when paid annually)

  Unlimited manuscripts, cloud backup and sync, Plot Grid, story notes and character profiles, goals and stats, co-authoring and versioning.

• Author$29

  per month, billed monthly (20% less when paid annually)

  Adds comments, track changes, sticky notes, text highlighting, advanced grammar and style checks, Read-to-Me, and priority support by chat and email.

• Bestseller$49

  per month, billed monthly (20% less when paid annually)

  Everything in Author plus DabbleU Academy: live monthly workshops, a library of courses and more than 70 hours of workshop recordings.

• Lifetime Author Access$699

  one-time payment

  All Author features permanently, including future Author updates and features. No additional discounts apply.

Fictionary

• StoryTeller$14

  per month, billed annually ($168); $19 billed monthly

  For writers working alone: genre-specific templates, the step-by-step editing journey, story insights and AI scene feedback. Up to 3 manuscripts at a time.

• StoryTeller Premium$29

  per month, billed annually ($348); $39 billed monthly

  All StoryTeller features plus track changes and comments, up to 10 manuscripts at a time and support for writing a series.

• StoryCoach$33

  per month, billed annually ($396); $49 billed monthly

  For professional editors: all Premium features, a client dashboard, prewritten comments and support for 20 clients at a time.

Dabble

• Annual discount

  Save 20% with annual billing

  Dabble's pricing page says paying annually saves 20% compared with the monthly prices of $19, $29 and $49.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime Author Access for $699

  A one-time payment of $699 gives every Author feature permanently, which Dabble describes as about the price of two years of Author. No other discounts apply.

• Education

  30% off for teachers and students

  Teachers and students with an academic email address can save 30% by applying through Dabble's partner, Student App Centre.

Fictionary

• Annual discount

  Save over 25% with annual billing

  The pricing page advertises more than 25% off for annual plans: $168 against $228 a year for StoryTeller, $348 against $468 for Premium and $396 against $588 for StoryCoach.