Feature comparison Dramatica Story Expert / Dramatica Basic

[Flexmeister]

The pricing page says that for all narrative tasks, incl scene weaving, Dramatica Pro is needed.
Does this have to do with the AI features, or does that mean it costs $500 a year to get the full feature set that Dramatica Story Expert had 10 years ago?

[mlucas]

From what I can see, the extra features in Pro are either AI-related or stuff like extra storage etc. So you won’t be missing out any core Dramatica features on the Basic plan. I’ve been a Subtxt subscriber for years on the lower tier and it had everything I needed. I did still sometimes use my old Windows Dramatica Pro app for the awesome Theme Browser, but I think the web app’s new Storyform Builder now covers that functionality!

For me, even having a functional Dramatica Pro app, Subtxt has always been worth the price because of:

• Improved algorithms for plot-level stuff – Signposts, PSR and Events (one level below PSR Variations). Much more accurate than the Dramatica model I’ve found. Note, I don’t tend to use these to create my story, but they’re super useful in revision or for looking back and figuring out where I am in the draft.
• Oodles of analyzed storyform examples, all in a great display format.
• Wonderful gists to help you understand every element better

So then even if you use the AI only rarely, or just for discussing/teaching you Dramatica concepts, there’s still a LOT of value.

[jhull]

Thanks for this @mlucas – just wait till you see the new, NEW improved algorithms

for @Flexmeister:

Hey! I think there’s a small mix-up here, so let me clear it up.

TL;DR: “All narrative tasks, extended thinking time (incl. Scene Weaving) require Dramatica Plus.” That’s our recommended tier. It’s not because we’re paywalling “AI features” per se—it’s because those tasks are now powered by a much more capable, integrated system (Subtxt/Dramatica + Narrova) that goes far beyond what DSE ever did. And no, this isn’t a re-skin of Dramatica Story Expert from 10 years ago—why would we ship 1995 tech in 2025?

What Subtxt/Dramatica actually is

Subtxt/Dramatica is the modern, living implementation of Dramatica theory:

• A full Storyform Builder/manager (updated terminology, corrected algorithms).
• Guided analysis and development across the Four Throughlines.
• Narrative Agents through Narrova (Storyforming, Storyencoding, Storyweaving, Reception) that can be run with Narrova’s narrative agents to help you explore, test, and iterate quickly.
• Story Guide - which is an AI-generated Guide through working from idea to Storyform (an update of Melanie Anne Phillip’s StoryWeaver software)
• Long-context workflows so your decisions and rationale carry across drafts, scenes, and iterations.

Pricing structure

We offer three tiers:

• Basic – Foundation and learning tools. Great for exploring the ecosystem and getting oriented.
• Plus – Core Dramatica/Storyform tooling for serious day-to-day work. (What you’re calling “Dramatica Pro” – this is the ~$500/yr plan you’re referencing.)
• Premium – Unlocks all narrative tasks, including Scene Weaving and other advanced, agent-assisted workflows.

NOTE on Pricing: We will be moving to a usage-based system, where your subscription will account for a certain amount of usage, and then everything beyond that, you’ll either be able to buy incremental upgrades OR just upgrade to a higher plan. This should fit in well with individual use-cases - where you can pay for the amount of intelligence you use (and for your own personal project schedule).

If you don’t need the heavy-duty, agent-assisted narrative tasks, you don’t need Premium—you can work comfortably in Basic or Plus.

“Is this just DSE behind a paywall?”

No. It’s an enhanced platform:

• Modernized story engine behavior and terminology aligned with how writers actually work now. We’ve put in a TON of time and resources to improve the concepts to better capture the original intent of Dramatica theory.
• Multi-agent assistance that accelerates learning Dramatica and developing your story (not replacing you—clarifying and pressure-testing choices).
• Integrated context and versioning so choices don’t get lost between steps.
• Continuous updates (not a frozen desktop app).

“Can I get the old ‘Story Engine Settings’ feature without AI?”

You asked this elsewhere and it’s a fair request. Yes, we do plan to offer a non-AI Story Engine Settings experience so you can toggle/lock options without invoking any calls to narrative agents. It’s on the roadmap. That said, it’s not our top priority right now because the biggest gains for most writers come from the AI-assisted guidance—faster learning, clearer trade-offs, and better outcomes. Our focus is on the future, not recreating an exact DSE clone.

If you want help matching your needs to a tier (e.g., “Do I actually need Premium?”), tell me how you like to work (solo outlining, classroom use, scene-first vs. theme-first, etc.), and I’ll point you to the right plan.

[Flexmeister]

Thanks for the answers.

Honestly, if you have a reskin of version 5 that runs on modern Macs, I’ll buy it.
I’ll buy an upgrade without a reskin as well, I don’t care how the icons look.

I have zero interest in uploading my personal ideas to OpenAI. So from my POV, yes, it would be paywalling old features behind a 500 dollar subscription.

[wednesdaymac]

I’ve used Dramatica Pro for decades, but I am finding Subtxt/Dramatica is much more.

As I’m answering the questions, I’m running into many places where I need to do very specific late-medieval research to deep-answer them.

Since the AI can answer those questions with sources, it’s saving me a lot of research time. I’m talking about things as specific as “Who was sheriff in York, England, in 1475?”

When the model couldn’t answer directly, it told me where to find the specific York City Records online. And then I discovered that York had two sheriffs.

I put in both names. The program then asked me what month(s) my novel was set in, because York elected its sheriffs in September. The men I had listed weren’t correct because my book was set summer of 1475.

I did not know that election detail, but the app did. And as I went along, I found out the program knew a heck of a lot of details about late-medieval England (law, culture, values) than I ever could. It’s improving both my plot and my characters.

Yes, I have to make sure it’s not making errors. But I guarantee, if it wasn’t helping me like this, I’d make a mistake that a later nit-picky reader would recognize and call me out about.

Dramatica-Pro still runs on Windows 11. The display is tiny and non-proportional. It still works. It’s great if you set a project in present time, do your own research, and want to work inside an app that originally was developed in Windows 3.0 (1990).

Maybe that still works for screenplays and teleplays. It doesn’t for novels or even short stories. If old-school is good for someone, it’s good enough,and that’s great.

But I’m 3, 000 miles and over 500 years away from the world I’m writing in. I need a better version of Dramatica Pro these days. YMMV

I wasnt sold on Subtxt/Dramatica until I used it. It’s convinced me because it took a throwaway simple idea, and within the first 15 questions of its character Storyform, it’s given me enough extra layering that I can make that one sentence into a trilogy.

I love Dramatica Pro. I love this too. For me, the difference is… If I need to go 75mph, I’ll use the Subaru Outback; it gets me where I need to go, and it’s reliable. But if I need to get there with more layers and possibilities, and stir my imagination in ways I haven’t been able to before, I’ll use the North American X-15, which reaches Mach 6.72.

So you might try S/D before you decide it’s not for you. S/D is a collaborator.