Kindling
A tiny local fiction studio where the outline stays beside the draft; no AI, no cloud, and barely any GitHub fame yet.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-11
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- MIT
- Hosting Model
- Local (on your machine)
- Platforms
- desktopone-click install
- Installation
- Native macOS DMG, Windows MSI, or Linux AppImage/.deb
- Where Your Data Lives
- Each writing project is a local SQLite file; Kindling works offline and does not upload manuscripts, account data, analytics, or telemetry
- The Catch / Trade-off
- It has the chapter-and-outline basics but no Dabble-style cloud sync, collaboration, plot-grid depth, browser/mobile continuity or mature backup service.
Replaces 4 paid apps
up to $34/mo ($408/yr) in subscriptions
Kindling FAQ
Common questions
Is Kindling free and open source?+
Kindling is an open-source tool licensed under MIT that runs on local. A tiny local fiction studio where the outline stays beside the draft; no AI, no cloud, and barely any GitHub fame yet.
What paid software does Kindling replace?+
Kindling serves as a free replacement for 4 paid SaaS applications: Dabble, LivingWriter, Novelcrafter, Scrivener, saving up to $34/month ($408/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up Kindling?+
Installation: Native macOS DMG, Windows MSI, or Linux AppImage/.deb.
What is the catch or trade-off with Kindling?+
It has the chapter-and-outline basics but no Dabble-style cloud sync, collaboration, plot-grid depth, browser/mobile continuity or mature backup service.