Dabble
Dabble Writer, Inc. is a bootstrapped, Utah-based SaaS company that builds cloud-based novel writing software purpose-built for fiction authors, offering Plot Grid, character and worldbuilding tools, multi-device sync, and an AI-free commitment. It monetizes via tiered subscriptions and lifetime access across a base of 10,000+ novelists.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- Headquarters—
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Dabble does
Dabble Writer, Inc. is a privately held, bootstrapped Utah-domiciled software company that builds and operates Dabble, a cloud-based novel writing application purpose-built for fiction authors. Founded by Jacob Wright in 2017 after roughly two years of solo development, Dabble runs as a SaaS product accessible via web browser, downloadable desktop apps (Windows, Mac, Linux), and native mobile apps (iOS, Android) with real-time cloud sync and offline writing capability. The platform centers on features tailored to long-form fiction: Plot Grid, Character Profiles, Worldbuilding Bible, Focus Mode, Daily Word Count Goals with NaNoWriMo integration, Co-Authoring, Beta Reader workflows, Versioning, Sticky Notes, and the Contextual Thesaurus. The company has explicitly positioned itself as AI-free, pledging that user content will never be used to train AI models.
Dabble monetizes through tiered monthly subscriptions (Writer at $19/month, Author at $29/month, Bestseller at $49/month), a $699 one-time Lifetime Access purchase, and discounted multi-year gift cards distributed through its own storefront. Go-to-market is product-led growth with a 14-day free trial of the full premium feature set, supplemented by content-led acquisition via DabbleU (400+ educational articles), the Story Craft Cafe podcast, a community forum, Word Sprints events, the annual 60-Day Novel Challenge, and an official NaNoWriMo sponsorship with automatic word count syncing. The company also runs a strategic partnership with Jessica Brody's Writing Mastery Academy, offering subscribers discounted access to premium writing courses.
As of 2025, Dabble reports a customer base of 10,000+ authors, cumulative platform word counts exceeding 4.7 billion words, and a featured-author catalog collectively representing more than a million books sold. The company has no external venture capital, no disclosed acquisitions, no parent company, and operates with a small dedicated team under founder/CEO Jacob Wright. Its July 2024 Dabble 3.0 release was the most significant product refresh to date, introducing drag-and-drop Plot Grid, Bookshelf home screen, Idea Notebook, Blueprints templates, Versioning, and enhanced Beta Reader and Editor workflows.
Dabble firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dabble
- Legal name
- Dabble Writer, Inc.
- Website
- https://dabblewriter.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Dabble Writer, Inc. is a bootstrapped, Utah-based SaaS company that builds cloud-based novel writing software purpose-built for fiction authors, offering Plot Grid, character and worldbuilding tools, multi-device sync, and an AI-free commitment. It monetizes via tiered subscriptions and lifetime access across a base of 10,000+ novelists.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dabble business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription Plans (SaaS): Monthly and annual subscription tiers providing cloud-based access to novel writing software with tiered feature sets. The subscription model enables continuous product improvement, cloud sync services, and ongoing support without requiring major version upgrades.
- Lifetime Access Purchase: One-time payment of $699 for perpetual access to Author-tier features, equivalent to approximately 2 years of subscription pricing, targeting committed long-term users.
- Gift Subscriptions: Prepaid gift cards for Dabble subscriptions available in various denominations and durations, including discounted multi-year packages.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Basic novel writing tier with essential plotting and writing tools |
| Subscription | Monthly | Mid-tier with advanced editing and collaboration features |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium tier with exclusive writing development resources |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Perpetual one-time purchase for Author-tier features |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels12 records
Dabble product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dabble is a cloud-based novel writing software platform purpose-built for fiction authors, accessible via web, desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux), and mobile (iOS, Android). It bundles plotting tools (Plot Grid, Character Profiles, Worldbuilding Bible), a distraction-free editor with Focus Mode, daily word count tracking with NaNoWriMo integration, manuscript annotation, beta-reader and editor workflows, co-authoring, and multi-device sync into a single subscription product.
Product overview
Dabble is a cloud-based novel writing software platform built specifically for fiction authors. The core offering is the Dabble Writer application, accessible via web browser, desktop apps (Windows, Mac, Linux), and mobile apps (iOS, Android). The platform operates on a tiered subscription model with Writer ($19/month), Author ($29/month), and Bestseller ($49/month) plans, plus a Lifetime Access one-time purchase option. Beyond the core writing tool, Dabble provides a comprehensive ecosystem including free educational content through DabbleU (400+ articles), DabbleU Campus (community with live events), and premium course partnerships through DabbleU Academy and Writing Mastery Academy. Key writing features include the Plot Grid for visual story organization, Character Profiles, Worldbuilding Tools, Focus Mode, Daily Word Count Goals with NaNoWriMo integration, Co-Authoring for collaboration, Beta Reader Workflow, and Versioning for draft management. The platform emphasizes simplicity over complexity, positioning itself as an alternative to more feature-heavy tools like Scrivener.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Writing Mastery Academy: An online program filled with courses, content, and exercises to take writing skills to the next level. Founded by bestselling author Jessica Brody, partnered with Dabble for exclusive subscriber discounts.
Products and services
- Dabble Writer A cloud-based novel writing application designed specifically for fiction authors, offering a distraction-free editor, Plot Grid, Character Profiles, Worldbuilding Bible, daily word count goals with NaNoWriMo integration, sticky notes, comments, advanced grammar and style checks, Read-to-Me text-to-speech, beta-reader and editor workflows, co-authoring, versioning, and multi-device synchronization across web, desktop, and mobile.
- Dabble Gift Cards Prepaid digital gift cards available in various denominations and durations that grant recipients a Dabble subscription, sold at discounted pricing compared with monthly subscriptions for use as gifts to writers.
- 60-Day Novel Challenge A structured 60-day writing program that combines a Preptober preparation phase with the November NaNoWriMo writing sprint, including weekly workshops, daily writing sprints, goal tracking, and promotional discounts on Dabble subscriptions for participants and winners.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.7 billion+ words written on the platform
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Dabble
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Dabble technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature16 records
Dabble partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Writing Mastery Academy (Jessica Brody)coreDabble partnered with bestselling author Jessica Brody (author of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel) and her Writing Mastery Academy to offer Dabble subscribers exclusive discounts on comprehensive online writing courses. Subscribers receive 50% off the first month or 25% off the first year of Writing Mastery Academy subscription. The partnership provides Dabble users access to 10+ courses, 100+ hours of video content, live webinars, and writing exercises. This is a co-branded educational partnership that enhances Dabble's value proposition beyond just software.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Dabble competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Scrivener: Long-established desktop novel writing software widely considered the category leader among serious fiction authors. Dabble explicitly positions against Scrivener on the simplicity-versus-complexity axis, making it the primary direct competitor.
- Atticus: Cloud-based novel writing and formatting tool targeting self-publishing authors. Competes directly with Dabble on multi-device access, writing-plus-formatting workflow, and indie novelist customer base.
- Novlr: Online novel writing application with cloud sync, chapter organization, and goal tracking. Overlaps with Dabble's core feature set for fiction authors writing long-form manuscripts.
- Living Writer: Cloud-based novel and book writing platform with plotting, character, and worldbuilding tools. Most feature-for-feature comparable to Dabble among newer SaaS entrants.
- Bibisco: Open-source novel writing software with character, plot, and scene organization features. Targets the same novelist audience with a free/cheap alternative to paid tools like Dabble.
- Squibler: Cloud-based writing platform with novel organization, goal tracking, and AI features for fiction authors. Competes directly with Dabble across tiered subscriptions and writer-focused tooling.
Emerging players
- Sudowrite: AI-powered creative writing assistant built specifically for novelists. Represents the AI-first approach to novel writing that Dabble has explicitly opted out of, making it a strategic adjacent competitor.
- Plottr: Visual book plotting and outlining tool used by novelists for story structure. Adjacent competitor that overlaps with Dabble's Plot Grid functionality but focuses on pre-writing rather than drafting.
Broad incumbents
- Ulysses: Subscription writing app for Mac, iPad, and iPhone popular with long-form writers including novelists, journalists, and academics. A broader incumbent with overlapping multi-device writing use cases.
- Reedsy: Marketplace and free tool suite for self-publishing authors including a book editor. Indirect competitor at the publishing-workflow layer where Dabble's beta-reader and editor features overlap.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dabble social profiles
Digital presenceDabble financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dabble leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Dabble funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dabble M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Dabble
What does Dabble do?
Dabble is a cloud-based novel writing software platform purpose-built for fiction authors, accessible via web, desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux), and mobile (iOS, Android). It bundles plotting tools (Plot Grid, Character Profiles, Worldbuilding Bible), a distraction-free editor with Focus Mode, daily word count tracking with NaNoWriMo integration, manuscript annotation, beta-reader and editor workflows, co-authoring, and multi-device sync into a single subscription product.
Is Dabble a public or private company?
Dabble is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Dabble founded?
Dabble was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
How does Dabble make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Plans (SaaS) is the primary driver. The others are lifetime Access Purchase and gift Subscriptions.
Who are Dabble's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Scrivener, Atticus, Novlr, Living Writer, Bibisco and Squibler. Emerging players are Sudowrite and Plottr. Broad incumbents are Ulysses and Reedsy.
Does Dabble have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dabble.