The Dabble alternative for writers who plan on cards
Dabble is a polished, well-loved novel-writing app with a Plot Grid, goals and offline desktop apps. If you would rather plan on a freeform storyboard, build characters with guided questions, and keep word goals and story maps beside the draft for $9 a month, Inkling is worth a look.
30 writing days between November 1 and November 30. That is about 7 pages a day, or roughly 85 minutes at a steady pace.
| Inkling | Dabble | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A writing desk: your draft, Storyboard, character builder and goals in one place, with maps of your story's world. | A polished manuscript editor for novelists, with planning, notes and goals built in. |
| Plotting | A freeform Storyboard of scene, character, place and idea cards you drag into order and connect with arrows. | The Plot Grid, a planning grid that sits beside the manuscript, as much or as little as you like. |
| Characters | A guided character builder that asks about the wound, the lie, the want and the need, with a character sheet you can export. | Character profiles and a story notebook for your notes and world. |
| Word goals | A word count by a date, with daily pace, a streak, and an optional email nudge. | Daily word count goals and writing stats. |
| Offline | Not built for offline writing. It needs a connection; if you drop offline, saves wait and retry. | A real strength: desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux keep your work on your computer and sync it when you're back online. |
| Devices | Runs in your browser and installs as an app on phone or computer. | Desktop apps or the browser, and it works on iOS and Android. |
| Working with others | Invite-only peer review: a private link, and your reader sends back a note of feedback. No co-writing. | Co-authoring on every plan. Comments, track changes and beta-reader support on Author. |
| Export | Word, a Google Doc of the whole project, print or PDF, and a booklet PDF for print on demand. | Word, Google Docs and Markdown, with a standard manuscript format. PDF through your browser's print. |
| Price | 14 days to experience the full writing desk, build worlds, and be creative. No card to start. Then $9 a month (or $72 a year). | Writer $19 a month, Author $29, Bestseller $49, about 20% less paid yearly. Lifetime Author $699. 14-day trial, no card. |
Last checked October 2026. Dabble details come from its pricing page, downloads page and export guide. Plans change, so check their site for current pricing.
Honestly, Dabble is a superb manuscript app
Dabble does a lot well. Its desktop apps work offline and sync when you reconnect, which Inkling does not do. It has co-authoring, and on its Author plan, comments, track changes and beta-reader support. If you write on a laptop with patchy internet, or with a co-author, Dabble is the stronger choice, and we would say so to a friend.
Plan on cards, not in a grid
Dabble plans in a grid. Inkling's Storyboard is a freeform board: drop a card for each scene, drag them into the order the story runs, and draw arrows to follow a subplot from start to finish. Our guide on tracking subplots shows the method.
Characters built from the inside
Inkling's character builder asks the questions an arc turns on: the wound that shaped them, the lie they believe, what they want and what they need. Your answers become a profile you can export, linked to every story they appear in.
Goals for the long haul
Set a word count and a date, and Inkling works out your daily pace and counts your streak, with an optional friendly email nudge. Try the pace planner above, or read our guide to word count goals.
Which should you pick?
If you need offline desktop writing, co-authoring, or track changes for an editor, pick Dabble. If you write online, mostly alone, and want a card-based storyboard, a guided character builder and goals in one place for less a month, try Inkling. See the full pricing first if you like.
Common questions
Is Inkling cheaper than Dabble?
Yes, at list prices. Inkling Plus is $9 a month, or $72 a year. Dabble's plans start at $19 a month for Writer, with about 20% off paid yearly, and a $699 lifetime option. Both offer a 14-day trial with no card to start. Prices as listed in October 2026.
Does Inkling work offline like Dabble?
Not in the same way. Dabble has desktop apps that keep your manuscript on your computer and sync when you reconnect. Inkling runs in your browser and installs as an app, but it needs a connection to save. If offline writing matters to you, Dabble is the better choice.
Does Inkling have something like Dabble's Plot Grid?
Not a grid. Inkling's Storyboard is a freeform board: each scene, character, place or idea is a card you drag into order and connect with arrows to trace a subplot. If you think in rows and columns, Dabble's grid may suit you better. If you think in cards on a wall, try the Storyboard.
Can I move my novel from Dabble to Inkling?
Yes. Export your manuscript from Dabble to Word or Google Docs, then bring chapters into Inkling, either by pasting them in or by adding chapters you already have in Google Docs. Keep your Dabble export as a backup copy.
All of it. In one place.
This isn't five apps stitched together. Your storyboard, your cast, your maps, your covers, and the story itself all live on one desk, right beside the words. Nothing to sync between tools. No five separate subscriptions. Just everything a writer needs, finally in the same place.
Your whole writing desk, in one place
Start free today. Bring one story in, and see how much lighter it feels with everything beside it.