← The full comparison

A Dabble alternative that also formats and publishes your book

Dabble is built for drafting long fiction. Its editor is "designed for long-form fiction writers", with books, chapters and scenes auto-numbered and a focus mode.¹

What Dabble does well

• Story notes: character profiles and a Notebook beside the manuscript, with @mentions linking scenes, characters and notes.²
• Series: "Series & Shared Worlds" shares characters, locations and lore across every book in a series.¹
• Version history with a Time Machine to preview and restore a project or a single document (paid plans).²
• Runs in the browser, on desktop for Windows, Mac and Linux, on Chromebook as an installable app, and on iOS and Android.²

Where StoriesDen goes further

• Formatting: Dabble's own docs say it "does not export PDF or ePub directly"; it exports to Word, Google Docs, the web and Markdown, and a PDF is made by printing from the browser.³ StoriesDen formats print-ready PDF and EPUB editions.
• Publishing and launch: no storefront guidance or launch planning is described in Dabble.⁴ StoriesDen walks you through ten storefronts one step at a time and helps you plan the launch and track what sold.
• AI: Dabble's FAQ says that if it ever adds AI features they will be opt-in.⁵ StoriesDen's AI is there today, and it only suggests. You decide what goes in.
• Price to start: Dabble has a 14-day free trial, then paid plans.⁵ StoriesDen has a real free plan.

Who should stay with Dabble: if you only need a place to draft and you format elsewhere, it's a pleasant app to write in.