The Dabble Me Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Dabble Me in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Dabble Me
The Insider’s Guide
Private journal you keep by replying to email prompts
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among journaling apps, read from Dabble Me’s own pages.
Made by Dabble Dev LLC · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Dabble Me’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Dabble Me’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 7 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade
Dabble Me is a private journal run over email: the service sends a prompt asking how your day went, and your reply is saved as that day's entry. The same emails resurface entries you wrote in past years. The free plan sends a prompt every other Sunday, and the PRO plan adds a custom schedule, photos, search, a web editor and a connector for AI assistants. It launched in 2014, is still run by its original developer, and its code is public on GitHub under the MIT license.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Dabble Me, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It emails to ask how your day went, you reply, and that's the entry saved.
- 1
Best for journaling by replying to an email
Dabble Me is a journal you keep from your inbox.
- 2
Paid plans start at $3.33 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $4 per month, or $40 per year.
- 3
There is a free plan
Free forever: an email prompt every other Sunday, journaling by email reply, reading entries online, past entries resurfaced in emails, and data export.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Journaling by email reply
A prompt arrives in your inbox and your reply becomes that day's entry. Several replies on one day are added to the same entry, and a date in the subject line files it elsewhere.
- 6
Blasts from the past
Each prompt email carries an entry you wrote on an earlier date, so old entries come back without you looking for them. This is part of the free plan.
- 7
Custom schedule
PRO members choose the days and times prompts arrive, from daily to weekly. Free accounts get a prompt every other Sunday.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 7 of 35
That is against the other journaling apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
You could make this
A journal at its plainest is dated entries of text and photos.
Dabble Me at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $4 per month, or $40 per year
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Dabble Dev LLC, since 2014
- Category
- Journaling Apps
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for journaling by replying to an email
Dabble Me is a journal you keep from your inbox. It emails to ask how your day went, you reply, and that's the entry saved. Free only sends that email every other Sunday, and search, photos and the web editor need PRO at $4 a month. There's no app, and entries aren't end-to-end encrypted.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | PRO is $4 a month, or $40 a year, which works out at $3.33 a month against a middle of $4.17 for journaling apps here. Ordinary money, in other words, and it's what buys the basics: your own prompt schedule, photos, search, the calendar view and the web editor. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free forever, and your replies really are saved as entries with old ones mailed back to you. But the prompt comes only every other Sunday, and search, photos and the web editor are all PRO, so you'll meet the wall early. |
| Features | C | It does the email journal fully: reply and it's filed under the day, with an old entry tucked into each prompt, and PRO adds 8 photos an entry, hashtags, search, importers and an MCP connector for Claude or ChatGPT. The gaps it owns up to: no end-to-end encryption, and the basics sit behind PRO. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record, but there's nothing to set up at all: if you can reply to an email, you can keep this journal. Reply twice in a day and both land in the same entry. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web and email, with no phone or desktop app, but it does connect out: on PRO an MCP server lets Claude, ChatGPT and other compatible assistants search and add entries once you approve it. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Dabble Me is for
- Fits if you'd sooner reply to an email than open another app
- Works for asking Claude or ChatGPT questions about your own journal, on PRO
Who it is not for
- Tight if you're staying free, because the prompt only comes every other Sunday
- Skip it if you want end-to-end encryption, as your entries pass through email providers on the way
- Not for you if you want a phone app to write in
- Pricey if you just want search, photos or a calendar view, as each needs PRO at $4 a month
- Watch out: entries an AI assistant reads through the connector go to that assistant's provider
Good to know
Good for
- People who would sooner reply to an email than open a journaling app
- Rereading old entries, which come back inside the prompt emails
- Journal keepers who want to query their entries from Claude or ChatGPT
Worth knowing
- There is no mobile or desktop app: you write by replying to an email or in a web browser.
- Free accounts get a prompt only every other Sunday; daily prompts, photos, search, the calendar view and the web editor need PRO.
- Entries are not end-to-end encrypted: the privacy policy notes that email content passes through email providers in transit.
- Entries an AI assistant reads through the connector are sent to that assistant's provider for processing.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$3.33
A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too
Dabble Me has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4 per month, or $40 per year.
Free forever, and your replies really are saved as entries with old ones mailed back to you.
Free
$0
An email prompt every other Sunday, entries written by email reply and read online, past entries resurfaced, and export at any time.
PRO
$4
per month, or $40 per year
Custom email schedule, web editor with rich text, up to 8 photos per entry, calendar view, search, tags, analytics and the AI connector.
The free plan
Free forever: an email prompt every other Sunday, journaling by email reply, reading entries online, past entries resurfaced in emails, and data export.
Read from dabble.me on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Two months free with yearly billing
PRO is listed at $4 a month or $40 a year, so paying yearly costs $8 less than twelve monthly payments, a saving of about 17%.
Stated on dabble.me
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Private journal you keep by replying to email prompts. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, AI features, daily notes.
The gaps it owns up to: no end-to-end encryption, and the basics sit behind PRO.
- Journaling by email reply
- A prompt arrives in your inbox and your reply becomes that day's entry. Several replies on one day are added to the same entry, and a date in the subject line files it elsewhere.
- Blasts from the past
- Each prompt email carries an entry you wrote on an earlier date, so old entries come back without you looking for them. This is part of the free plan.
- Custom schedule
- PRO members choose the days and times prompts arrive, from daily to weekly. Free accounts get a prompt every other Sunday.
- Photos, hashtags and search
- PRO adds up to 8 photos per entry, sent as email attachments or added on the web, plus a calendar view and search across entries and #hashtags.
- Web editor and importers
- PRO members can write or edit an entry for any date on the website with rich text, and import journals from OhLife, Day One, Ahhlife and Trailmix.life.
- AI connector over MCP
- A remote MCP server lets Claude, ChatGPT and other compatible clients search, list, analyze and add entries after you approve access. It needs PRO and a passkey or two-factor login.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Claude
- ChatGPT
- Spotify
Dabble Me is made by Dabble Dev LLC, and has been around since 2014.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
7/35
Other journaling apps it is graded above
Dabble Me's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 7 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 22 of 35) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $3.33 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $3.66 for the category: 8 of the 21 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 36 journaling apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Dabble Me’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 4 of 35
- CFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 35
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 35
- BEase of useAbove 3 of 35
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 22 of 35
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 29 journaling apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Dabble Me is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
You could make this
A journal at its plainest is dated entries of text and photos.
What Dabble Me does at its core is daily notes, and that is the kind of thing an AI app builder makes well. You would give up one thing, listed below, and little else. It costs $40 a year. An AI app builder starts at about $19 a month on our listings, and you only need it while you build. Dabble Me is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Daily notes: an app builder makes this well.
- It runs in a browser, which is where something home-made would run too.
What you could not
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Dabble Me’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Penzu, 750 Words, Journalistic and Day One
The 4 tools Dabble Me is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Penzu
Free plan · from $19.99/yr
Private online journal for the browser, with iOS and Android apps.
- Only Penzu lists iOS and Android apps.
- Dabble Me is open source, according to its own site.
- Penzu can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.0GPA
750 Words
Paid
Private daily writing site built around a 750-word goal.
- Dabble Me has a free plan. 750 Words does not.
- Dabble Me is open source, according to its own site.
- 750 Words also covers long-form writing.
- 3.0GPA
Journalistic
Free
Micro journaling web app built around short bulleted entries.
- Dabble Me is open source, according to its own site.
- Journalistic also covers notes and goals.
- 3.2GPA
Day One
Free plan · from $49.99/yr
Encrypted journal for text, photos, audio and video across devices.
- Only Day One lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Day One lists a browser extension.
- Dabble Me is open source, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Dabble Me free?
Dabble Me has a free plan. Free forever: an email prompt every other Sunday, journaling by email reply, reading entries online, past entries resurfaced in emails, and data export.
How much does Dabble Me cost?
Dabble Me lists 2 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Dabble Me work on?
Dabble Me is available on Web.
Does Dabble Me offer any discounts?
Dabble Me publicly lists the following: Two months free with yearly billing.
Does Dabble Me have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Dabble Me is listed for Web.
Does Dabble Me have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Dabble Me is listed for Web.
Is Dabble Me open source?
Yes. Dabble Me is open source, according to its own site.
What does Dabble Me integrate with?
Dabble Me's listing names Claude, ChatGPT and Spotify. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Dabble Me?
Dabble Me is made by Dabble Dev LLC. It dates from 2014.
What are the alternatives to Dabble Me?
The closest alternatives to Dabble Me in our directory are Penzu, 750 Words, Journalistic and Day One.
How does Dabble Me compare with other journaling apps?
Dabble Me's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 7 of the 35 other journaling apps we grade, and level with 7.
Is Dabble Me good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Dabble Me C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $3.33 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $3.66 for the category: 8 of the 21 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Dabble Me?
A journal at its plainest is dated entries of text and photos. What Dabble Me does at its core is daily notes, and that is the kind of thing an AI app builder makes well.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Dabble Me’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Dabble Me's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-04-29.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Dabble Dev LLC. Prices change, so check dabble.me before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Dabble Me, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/dabble-me
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Dabble Me: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/dabble-me
Know someone choosing between journaling apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/dabble-me/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded journaling apps after Dabble Me, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Journaling Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 36 journaling apps we grade, compared
- Apple Journal Insider's GuideApple's free journaling app for iPhone, iPad and Mac3.2 GPA
- Day One Insider's GuideEncrypted journal for text, photos, audio and video across devices3.2 GPA
- Diarium Insider's GuidePrivate journal with a one-time Pro purchase and your own cloud sync3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Dabble Me’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Dabble Me is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Dabble Dev LLC. Prices and plans change: check dabble.me before you buy.