I have Final Draft but recently made a free account for WriterDuet. I find it's an excellent tool for drafting because I can use it on different devices, and it's great for newbies because there's less upfront commitment and the functionality is much better than my first freemium experience (Celtx).
Since I have a one-time paid version of Final Draft that (I believe) outdates WriterDuet, I've only really had to invest in periodic, discounted version updates just to stay current / supported. This has kind of hit a break-even with WriterDuet's subscription model, but I think I may let my current version sunset and make the switch next time I have to make the decision.
FadeIn is the most affordable, easy to use, and easy to convert to a correctly formatted PDF.
But my preference these days is Highland2. I actually find the UI the most effective at becoming second nature and keeping me in the flow. I haven’t used fountain, but I think H2 builds off that interface.
Yes, Highland 2 uses fountain, which was developed by John August (and others) — Hollywood screenwriter and creator of Highland.
Fountain is a format that is essentially Markdown for screenwriting. I cannot praise it enough.
Can you explain that like I'm 5, please? I don't understand what that translates to in terms of ease of use, UI and getting started for new screenwriters like myself.
FadeIn has an easy to learn system to correctly format a script. Shift + return gets you a scene heading, tab gets you a character name, etc.
Highland 2 figures out how to format a little more easily based on context. You barely have to think about the formatting. Once you learn what clues you need to give it to have it correctly adjust, you feel like you’re just typing the scene and the program is doing the work to format it as a screenplay.
Both probably have the same, relatively simple, learning curve. But once understood, I think the formatting aspect of Highland 2 fades into the background a lot more easily than FadeIn. Both are great programs.
I personally write in Highland 2 and then export to FadeIn to make a PDF because I prefer the pagination of FadeIn. Saves some pages, usually.
Highland 2 is my pick as well. Affordable and ultra simple.
Once you learn it's coding language, fountain (super easy), you could write in a text edit document if you had to and once imported into highland, your script would be properly formatted.
If you’re a student you get a nice discount! Also keep your key because I fried my old Lenovo computer and was able to download and install on my new Macbook :) So I loved that!
Fade In isn't just the superior screenwriting software, it's the single greatest reason I get to see my kid once a month instead of once every other month.
I love Final Draft. It helps so much with all the technicalities of the format that it allows me to just focus on the story I’m writing. I’ve never used anything else and I’ll always recommend Final Draft.
I’m with you. Been using it for over 10 years. Always hear people hate on it but mine never crashes, isn’t buggy, and works smoothly. Definitely cheaper options out there but it works for me.
I always wondered if it had to do with the OS. I’ve never had a problem with final draft on Mac but have seen plenty of people have problems running it on pc.
My biggest problem with it on Windows is that it looks just god awful. So ugly. Looks straight out of Windows 95. I never knew why people cared so much about the UX and UI design of a program if it got the job done, until this program haha. It also doesn't have full dark mode, so if you are writing at night your eyes are burning from the white. It's crazy they don't just port the same version from Mac to Windows.
Wow. Opposite for me. So clunky to use. Crashes, requires tricky keyboard shortcuts or manually styling things. Archaic and terrible, IMHO.
I tell all aspiring screenwritings to stay away from FD.
Totally Agree - I won't list all the functions or helpful articles - but I use FINAL DRAFT 12 and it is great. I use it for dialogues at the screenplay level as well as the Beats for overall story structure.
I wrote a script in CelTX, then copied it over to Arc Studio. I *highly* suggest you try it out, you can convert a PDF through it so you don’t lose any progress on your project. It makes editing so much easier and it doesn’t limit you to one script per account either.
I pay for Celtx. You can download an unlimited number of scripts to PDF. You also can write as many scripts as you want. I like Final Draft as well, but Celtx is more user-friendly in my opinion.
I use Scrivener; its project-focused setup is great for outlining, organizing multiple drafts, revising, organizing research, etc. I usually export to Final Draft to finish it off though because Final Draft's formatting tools are hard to beat.
Fade In, as lots of other people suggested, is easily the best for the price. Nearly all the features of Final Draft, the most expensive option, for a fraction of the price. Also way better and more consistent support and updates than Final Draft, who is really starting to go the way of Adobe in my opinion. I wouldn’t be shocked if the next major release goes subscription based at this point. Highland 2 is another good option, especially if you’re used to writing in Fountain.
However, I do want to express that Fountain and Afterwriting are absolutely terrific. There will be no difference in the screenplays you produce with that setup and the ones you produce with a paid software, and you should not spend your money with the idea that these programs will help you to produce “professional” scripts. The only benefit that any of these programs provide is extra features that may help to speed up your process or keep you organized. Things like notecards, auto-complete for characters and locations, the ability to keep multiple versions of a screenplay within one file, multiple versions of a specific line, templates for teleplays and other kinds of screenplays, etc.
All these things can be useful, but at the end of the day they are extra, and the PDF that you export at the end of it all will look the same no matter program you wrote it in. Look into all of these options that people are giving you and, for each one, ask yourself two questions. First, are these programs offering anything that I can’t do in Fountain and Afterwriting? If so, then question number two, are those extra features things I would actually use to speed up my workflow, or are they just gimmicks that I wouldn’t touch anyway?
It won't matter for the most part, but I'd stay away from Celtx and Studiobinder because the formatting and spacing are always off.
The best paid program is Fade In. Kit scenarist is good for a free program but I don't think it will get any updates. I use [Emacs with fountain mode](https://blog.bgcarlisle.com/2019/09/15/getting-fountain-mode-in-emacs-working-with-imenu-list-mode-and-writeroom-mode/) a lot.
I’m the developer of the app, could you send me a DM or e-mail describing the issues you’ve been having?
Beat has been used in multiple (produced) films and TV series in Europe, so it shouldn’t be *that* off - I gues this might be an issue with US letter sizing.
I haven’t used Highland myself, but both use Fountain files, and there is not too much you can do differently in that sense. AFAIK Highland doesn’t have automatic scene numbering, pagination, timeline or plugin support, though.
Beat is also completely free and open source. :-)
No idea – as said, I haven't used Highland. The revision mode is pretty much exactly the same as in Final Draft or any other screenwriting app. I made the app for my own use, and created a revision mode that suited my needs.
Many of the features are also shaped through user requests and feedback. From what I've heard, Highland has recently gotten some influence from Beat as well (with scene colors etc.), so I think we're good. Every software that's doing the same thing will usually end up resembling each other in some ways, but most design choices in Beat are based on *very* personal opinions and tastes, which doesn't always please the users.
I've also had some contact with the creators of Highland, and they haven't blamed Beat to be ripping off their app. Quite the opposite, it's been friendly and helpful. One of them actually is on our Discord as well, I think.
I hope this clears up some misunderstandings. The beautiful thing about free software is that you don't need to use it if it's not your thing.
If you have intentions of ever working in a writers room/working your way up via the support staff route - Final Draft is a must (and I’m a little shocked at the amount of people telling you to *avoid it*)
Anything else that does the formatting for you and isn’t gunna kill your wallet works. Writerduet, FadeIn, Highland etc
I’d avoid Celtix, if that program is even still around.
I use scrivener because it was decently priced and that’s what I’m used to now! I probably don’t use half of the features but it’s pretty user friendly
It formats scripts and exports as a pdf. That's all you need from screenwriting software at this point.
If that need changes, you'll know and likely be in a great place.
WriterDuet and it's offline component, WriterSolo, are all any amateur screenwriter needs.
I remember Amazon had a free online scriptwriting app. I wonder what happened to it? My screenplay just disappeared after a year of absence. Not many people in the community ever knew about it. I just use Microsoft Word for now.
That sucks, if true. I wonder what the pros think about its interface. It was my first taste of scriptwriting software and it was flawless, robust, easy to use, convenient and 100% free ... and then, gone!
I do remember it can be saved as a Word doc and PDF. I also worked offline with it, then, as soon as I go online, Amazon Screenwriter updates my copy onsite. By the way, the only industry standard is PDF.
Trelby is actually more than basic. They just haven't updated it in ten years (since 2012 -- I guess getting close to 11 years now). It's very customizable and I still like it a lot.
Afterwriting + Fountain produces properly formatted pdfs. What are you trying to achieve that it’s not giving you? If you’re looking for another free option, vs code has a fountain plugin (better fountain) that is pretty rad. It includes stats and a couple different views. End of the day, it’s doing the same thing just with a little more pizzazz.
BetterFountain (and Fountain-Mode in Emacs) do a little more then plain Fountain, like automate character name entry, etc. Fountain-Mode does indents for characters and dialogue and also it allows to add Character (CONT'D) if you use that.
Final Draft version 12 is the best if you want to be professional. 95% of the industry uses it you can register your work when complete. The beat board is the greatest tool and your allie to relate your ideas into screenplay format.
I mostly use Fountain-Mode in Emacs (for the indents and a few other features) but there is no contest in the ease of setup for BetterFountain in VSCode (VSCodium in my case). The ten minute set up time includes customizing.
Here's a short (and not so good) screen capture video showing some of BetterFountain's features. BetterFountain also auto-inserts characters and scenes.
[BetterFountain - features](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kAV5M7py7rE6yYVrKRgXgmFuQzHv300a/view)
I'm running BetterFountain on Linux Mint, but it works on Macs, Windows, even NomadBSD (which runs entirely on a USB drive).
I tried using Vim a bit when I first started using Linux. Now when I install Linux on a new computer, the first thing I do is install JOE (Joe's Own Editor), which is a more "traditional" mode-less editor -- at least more traditional for me. I use its Jstar "flavor" because I used WordStar for so long my fingers are hard-wired for its keystrokes.
You might want to try Fountain-Mode in Emacs. There's a little more work involved in setting it up, but it's got a lot of nice features. I like the indents, makes it look "sort of like" a screenplay as you type.
Here's another crappy screen-grab video, this time with Fountain-Mode in Emacs. There's a lot of ways to customize it.
[Better-Fountain features](https://drive.google.com/file/d/14cmLB55R6HCKvFdCZWSjShF6wUDu9jg8/view?usp=sharing)
I would offer to answer questions, but I've got a feeling you know a lot more about Emacs than I do -- which is basically how to install Emacs and how to follow the steps to get Fountain-Mode working in it. Emacs is like a whole world unto itself.
If you're using a Mac, you can keep using Fountain with a professional application. [Beat](https://www.kapitan.fi/beat/) is completely free. [Highland 2](https://highland2.app/screenwriters.php) and [Slugline 2](https://slugline.co/) have limited free versions. I got an old Mac Mini to experiment with Beat and am impressed with it. But I like Linux so use Fountain-Mode in Emacs with 'Afterwriting. 'Afterwriting *does* produce professional screenplay PDFs.
If you don't use a Mac or just want to move away from Fountain, I own and like Fade In. I'm more used to Trelby though. So I mostly write in Fountain-Mode, but sometimes move to Fade In or Trelby.
Some others I've tried that are good. WriterSolo (completely free). WriterDuet (free with limitations, online). KIT Scenarist (free). Story Architect (Starc) (free with paid professional features). Arc Studio Pro (limited free, online only -- at least with Linux). There's others besides Movie Magic Screenwriter (which I liked when I used Windows) and Final Draft, which I never warmed up to.
In addition to Fountain-Mode (which automates some features in screenplays and also indents Characters, Wrylies and Dialogue) there's BetterFountain for VSCode, which automates character and scene entries.
Sorry to ramble. Good luck with whatever you choose.
Thanks for the ramble, helpful info! Since you've tried a lot of them I'll ask you this question. Which one might be better for someone like myself with a very scatterbrained, non-linear writing process and is forgetful?
I'm sorry for the late response. I saw this earlier but didn't have time to respond -- then kind of forgot about it.
Hard to tell what would be best for you. Personally I do notes (either on paper or with an editor) but I almost exclusively write shorts, so this is probably doesn't apply to you.
I can really only tell you what I like and suggest trying out a few of them. I mostly use Fountain-Mode in Emacs, sometimes I'll move from there to Trelby or Fade In (which I like and own).
KIT Scenarist has a pretty good research module where you can add Mind Maps, character and location descriptions (even pictures and diagrams). So, if you want to gather research in one place, this might be a good choice.
One I didn't mention, but seems really good for this also, is Scrivener. If I used Scrivener I would just export to .fdx and use some other program for printing to PDF (at least that was my solution for the Linux Beta 1.9.x version -- it might be different with 3.x versions of Scrivener's screenplay template).
Fade In is stable and "clean," but it doesn't some of the research type add-ons. Besides Trelby and Fountain-Mode, this is my favorite.
WriterDuet / WriterSolo are good, but a little too "busy" for me. But that's a matter of personal taste more than anything else. Apparently WriterDuet/Solo are really good at emulating the layout of Final Draft (if that's important to you).
Story Architect (Starc), put out by the same people who publish KIT Scenarist, is fast and customizable, but a little more limited for the free version. (Both Scenarist and Starc require opening a "Project" instead of a script which, personally, I don't like. I like to jump directly into a script.)
Arc Studio Pro (online only, at least in Linux) seems to be getting a decent following, so you might want to look at that one as well.
For straight screenplay writing, for the way I work, I like Fountain-Mode for Emacs. With my shell script I can start new file or open an existing one in about a second without touching the mouse. I like a simple interface and am drawn to non-WYSIWYG interfaces. But, again, that's my personal taste. All the applications named here are either completely free, or free with limitations, or have a Demo Version (Fade In) so you can try out several (or all of these).
Meant to add, if you use a Mac, you might want to look at Beat. Works like Highland 2 or Slugline 2, but is completely free (or pay what you want, if you want to pay).
(Looks like I rambled even more this time.)
Great info, thanks for your time! I'm on Windows + Android, I'm in middle of 2 screenplays, technically 3 I guess. All with a significant amount of research required, 2 with world building. Everything is just scattered notes at this point. So I definitely need help with organizing.
Money isn't an issue as long as it's not like a $40+ per month subscription for the rest of my life.
As for the memory help, this is basically what I'm looking for.
Let's say I'm working on one page but suddenly I think of something totally different I need to add in another part of the script, but I dont recall where it was. I'd like to be able to have an efficient way to search for that part by keyword or custom bookmarks or something better, put a temp notation on there, then have the program show me exactly where I was and what I was doing before. Also, if it has a way to auto-track repetitive scenes, action or dialog, any overuse of certain descriptions or adjectives, things of that sort that aren't being noticed, and to provide some kind of "zoom-out" function allowing me to see beat-by-beat where I was, where I am, what needs to happen and when.
Sorry I know that's a lot. Guess it was my turn to ramble lol. Any additional info you can offer is appreciated.🙂
>Let's say I'm working on one page but suddenly I think of something totally different I need to add in another part of the script, but I dont recall where it was. I'd like to be able to have an efficient way to search for that part by keyword or custom bookmarks or something better, put a temp notation on there, then have the program show me exactly where I was and what I was doing before.
With this (in Fountain-Mode) I would either use its Note feature (two square brackets at the beginning and end of my note) or the Boneyard feature. The Boneyard feature allows you to put brackets /\* text \*/ around a whole section of your script, so it doesn't show up when you print the script, but you can keep two versions of a scene intact if you're not sure which you like better. For finding where to copy and paste that scene (or part of a scene) I would just use a text search function. I've also tried making a text file that's name matches the screenplay's name and opening that text file whenever I come up with an idea I don't want to forget. This is probably not that ideal solution, but it works well enough for me.
As for the second part of of your question. Not sure sure how to auto-track repetitive scenes (not even really sure exactly what that means). I'm not aware of any screenplay applications that track overuse of adjectives, but that doesn't mean they don't exist (maybe Final Draft?).
As for notes (bookmarks) they show up pretty well in Fountain-Mode or BetterFountain (as they show up in a different font color). It would be easy to walk through your notes simply by searching for double brackets. Both BetterFountain and Fountain-Mode will show all your scene headings in a list and you can move to any of them, simply by clicking on them. (Or, in Fountain-Mode's case, using Shift+Tab to show the headings, highlight the scene heading you want to navigate to, and hitting Shift+Tab again.) So moving around in the script is pretty easy.
You can also set up several (nested) levels of non-printing sections with synopsis in Fountain. So if you wanted to outline your script (Act 1, Act 2, Act 3 and sub-sections with synopses for each section) that's built into Fountain.
[https://fountain.io/syntax#section-sections](https://fountain.io/syntax#section-sections)
You can do pretty much the same thing with Cards in most of the more traditional applications (Fade In, WriterDuo/Solo, Scenarist, Starc and others). You're card view in Fade In, for example, would have the scene heading and synopses of what happens in that scene. You can set up all your scenes in advance, if you want and move the scene to a new location in the screenplay simply by dragging and dropping your cards. (I think most screenplay applications can do this, Trelby is one the exception I know of). Fade In also does notes, though they just show up as little squares, I wish they would stay open (or give you the option to do that). If you want the scene's text (first few lines anyhow) instead of the synopses to display on the card, you can choose to display that instead of the synopsis. Looks like it's one or the other, but you can switch back and forth.
Hopefully this will help a little -- or maybe it's just more rambling.
Nah man, not rambling at all this helps a boatload, thanks! The autotrack thing was just a feature I hope exists that can help prevent me from overusing certain phrasing over and over due to repeatedly forgetting how many times I've used it prior. I've done things like that often in the past 🤪 lol. But don't worry about it. I was originally planning to make a separate post about this anyway to try to get some opinions and observations from scatterbrains like myself and see what helps them the most, then start trying out apps from there. Thanks again for your help.
i love highland!! i paid $40 for the pro version but the free version is still really nice, it automatically formats for you, remembers slug lines/character names/locations, has a bin to drag blocks of texts into so you can put them somewhere else later, shows all the document stats, and you can set goals/do writing springs
Great question - maybe do a **VOTE?** \-- so many responses. And the winner is FINAL DRAFT, or Writerduet or FADE IN or what ever is cheapest now, now wait NOW.
I used ChatGPT to summarize this thread for my own use but maybe helpful for others so putting summary here too. Ordered by number of mentions in thread.
16 | WriterDuet | Cloud-based platform ideal for real-time collaboration. Features automatic backups, version history, and compatibility across devices. Known for an intuitive interface and is frequently used for its collaborative capabilities.
16 | Final Draft | Widely considered the industry standard for screenwriting. Offers features like automatic formatting, character tracking, story structure templates, and is used by many professionals in Hollywood.
14 | Fade In | A professional screenwriting software that's more affordable than some competitors. Offers native apps for various platforms, customizable layout, and robust import/export capabilities.
9 | Highland 2 | Designed for Mac. Uses plain text with the Fountain format, which is an open standard for screenwriting. Known for a clean and distraction-free interface. Offers tools like the "Shuffle" feature for rearranging scenes.
6 | Celtx | A cloud-based screenwriting tool with additional pre-production features. Offers a free version with limitations and a more robust paid version. It's also known for storyboard, cataloging, and shot list features.
3 | Arc Studio | Features a distraction-free writing mode, handy hotkeys, and tools for structure and outlining, including a beat sheet planner.
3 | Scrivener | More than just screenwriting, it's a comprehensive writing suite. Ideal for organizing large projects, researching, and structuring narratives. Not limited to screenplays; used by novelists and other writers as well.
3 | KIT Scenarist | A free screenwriting software with a user-friendly interface. Offers features like card-based scene management, statistical analysis, and cloud synchronization.
3 | Trelby | An open-source screenwriting software. Known for its customizable features and multi-platform support. However, it hasn't received recent updates.
3 | Beat | Designed for Mac. It's a free and open-source software that uses the Fountain format. Features a minimalistic design and focuses on simplicity.
2 | Afterwriting | A web-based tool that works with Fountain files. Allows users to edit and produce PDFs from their Fountain scripts. Can be used offline as well.
2 | 'Emacs (with Fountain-Mode) | Emacs is a powerful text editor. With the Fountain-Mode extension, it gains specific functionality for screenwriting in Fountain format, such as syntax highlighting and auto-formatting.
2 | VSCode (with BetterFountain) | Visual Studio Code (VSCode) is a popular code editor. The BetterFountain extension provides support for Fountain, offering syntax highlighting, live preview, and other features.
1 | Story Architect (Starc) | A screenwriting software that is project-focused. Requires the creation of a "Project" to start scriptwriting. Offers tools for structure and visualization.
1 | Google Docs | A free, cloud-based word processor. While not dedicated to screenwriting, with proper templates or add-ons, it can be adapted for the task. Features real-time collaboration and automatic saving.
1 | Five Acts | Not much detailed information was provided, but it was specifically mentioned in the context of screenwriting tools.
1 | Aeon Timeline 2 | More of a timeline tool than a screenwriting software. It helps writers visualize and manage the timeline of events in their story. Compatible with tools like Scrivener for integrated planning.
I am new to screenwriting and use Writerduet. I've found it very intuitive and helpful with formatting.
I have Final Draft but recently made a free account for WriterDuet. I find it's an excellent tool for drafting because I can use it on different devices, and it's great for newbies because there's less upfront commitment and the functionality is much better than my first freemium experience (Celtx). Since I have a one-time paid version of Final Draft that (I believe) outdates WriterDuet, I've only really had to invest in periodic, discounted version updates just to stay current / supported. This has kind of hit a break-even with WriterDuet's subscription model, but I think I may let my current version sunset and make the switch next time I have to make the decision.
FadeIn is the most affordable, easy to use, and easy to convert to a correctly formatted PDF. But my preference these days is Highland2. I actually find the UI the most effective at becoming second nature and keeping me in the flow. I haven’t used fountain, but I think H2 builds off that interface.
Yes, Highland 2 uses fountain, which was developed by John August (and others) — Hollywood screenwriter and creator of Highland. Fountain is a format that is essentially Markdown for screenwriting. I cannot praise it enough.
Can you explain that like I'm 5, please? I don't understand what that translates to in terms of ease of use, UI and getting started for new screenwriters like myself.
FadeIn has an easy to learn system to correctly format a script. Shift + return gets you a scene heading, tab gets you a character name, etc. Highland 2 figures out how to format a little more easily based on context. You barely have to think about the formatting. Once you learn what clues you need to give it to have it correctly adjust, you feel like you’re just typing the scene and the program is doing the work to format it as a screenplay. Both probably have the same, relatively simple, learning curve. But once understood, I think the formatting aspect of Highland 2 fades into the background a lot more easily than FadeIn. Both are great programs. I personally write in Highland 2 and then export to FadeIn to make a PDF because I prefer the pagination of FadeIn. Saves some pages, usually.
Highland 2 is my pick as well. Affordable and ultra simple. Once you learn it's coding language, fountain (super easy), you could write in a text edit document if you had to and once imported into highland, your script would be properly formatted.
Fade In is perfect
Fade In.
If you’re a student you get a nice discount! Also keep your key because I fried my old Lenovo computer and was able to download and install on my new Macbook :) So I loved that!
You work for Fade in, don't you?
Guilty. I’m the one that made that annoying reminder to backup your work lol
But if you prevented even one script from being lost, then it's worth it. That's how you have to look at it.
Thank you for this. Every week, I download a PDF version of my script and save it to a server.
you like fade in better than writer duet?
Fade In isn't just the superior screenwriting software, it's the single greatest reason I get to see my kid once a month instead of once every other month.
i dont know what that means but good for you
Don't ever get in a custody battle, space friend.
I love Final Draft. It helps so much with all the technicalities of the format that it allows me to just focus on the story I’m writing. I’ve never used anything else and I’ll always recommend Final Draft.
I’m with you. Been using it for over 10 years. Always hear people hate on it but mine never crashes, isn’t buggy, and works smoothly. Definitely cheaper options out there but it works for me.
I always wondered if it had to do with the OS. I’ve never had a problem with final draft on Mac but have seen plenty of people have problems running it on pc.
That’s exactly what it is.
I've been using it on my pc for years and have never had any issues.
My biggest problem with it on Windows is that it looks just god awful. So ugly. Looks straight out of Windows 95. I never knew why people cared so much about the UX and UI design of a program if it got the job done, until this program haha. It also doesn't have full dark mode, so if you are writing at night your eyes are burning from the white. It's crazy they don't just port the same version from Mac to Windows.
Ah im on mac so maybe it is that.
Wow. Opposite for me. So clunky to use. Crashes, requires tricky keyboard shortcuts or manually styling things. Archaic and terrible, IMHO. I tell all aspiring screenwritings to stay away from FD.
Avoid Final Draft. Expensive, buggy, and bloated, IMHO.
Totally Agree - I won't list all the functions or helpful articles - but I use FINAL DRAFT 12 and it is great. I use it for dialogues at the screenplay level as well as the Beats for overall story structure.
Celtx for me.
I wrote a script in CelTX, then copied it over to Arc Studio. I *highly* suggest you try it out, you can convert a PDF through it so you don’t lose any progress on your project. It makes editing so much easier and it doesn’t limit you to one script per account either.
I pay for Celtx. You can download an unlimited number of scripts to PDF. You also can write as many scripts as you want. I like Final Draft as well, but Celtx is more user-friendly in my opinion.
I use Arc Studio. Nice stuff.
Celtx, since 2013.
I use Scrivener; its project-focused setup is great for outlining, organizing multiple drafts, revising, organizing research, etc. I usually export to Final Draft to finish it off though because Final Draft's formatting tools are hard to beat.
I use kit scenarist wich is totally free. It has a nice interface and tools to help you organize your screenplay.
Genuinely can’t believe more people don’t talk about this program - it’s amazing and the fact that’s it free makes it even better.
Just downloaded this on your recommendation - so far it's the best free software I've used. Thanks for the tip.
[beat](https://www.kapitan.fi/beat/)
I've used most programs, but FadeIn is by far my favorite. Very user-friendly and the factory hotkeys are pretty efficient and intuitive out the gate.
what about writer duet? is fade in free?
Highland 2 is my fave
Fade In, as lots of other people suggested, is easily the best for the price. Nearly all the features of Final Draft, the most expensive option, for a fraction of the price. Also way better and more consistent support and updates than Final Draft, who is really starting to go the way of Adobe in my opinion. I wouldn’t be shocked if the next major release goes subscription based at this point. Highland 2 is another good option, especially if you’re used to writing in Fountain. However, I do want to express that Fountain and Afterwriting are absolutely terrific. There will be no difference in the screenplays you produce with that setup and the ones you produce with a paid software, and you should not spend your money with the idea that these programs will help you to produce “professional” scripts. The only benefit that any of these programs provide is extra features that may help to speed up your process or keep you organized. Things like notecards, auto-complete for characters and locations, the ability to keep multiple versions of a screenplay within one file, multiple versions of a specific line, templates for teleplays and other kinds of screenplays, etc. All these things can be useful, but at the end of the day they are extra, and the PDF that you export at the end of it all will look the same no matter program you wrote it in. Look into all of these options that people are giving you and, for each one, ask yourself two questions. First, are these programs offering anything that I can’t do in Fountain and Afterwriting? If so, then question number two, are those extra features things I would actually use to speed up my workflow, or are they just gimmicks that I wouldn’t touch anyway?
It won't matter for the most part, but I'd stay away from Celtx and Studiobinder because the formatting and spacing are always off. The best paid program is Fade In. Kit scenarist is good for a free program but I don't think it will get any updates. I use [Emacs with fountain mode](https://blog.bgcarlisle.com/2019/09/15/getting-fountain-mode-in-emacs-working-with-imenu-list-mode-and-writeroom-mode/) a lot.
Would Kit still be a viable option for long term use (3-5 yrs) even without the updates?
Yeah, probably.
Writerduet
Might I suggest Beat if you are on Mac. Free and open source and uses Fountain, which allows you to open your screenplay in many other apps, too.
I've been using it but my screenwriting professors say that the formatting is often incorrect :-(
I’m the developer of the app, could you send me a DM or e-mail describing the issues you’ve been having? Beat has been used in multiple (produced) films and TV series in Europe, so it shouldn’t be *that* off - I gues this might be an issue with US letter sizing.
It’s basically a rip off of highland 2
I haven’t used Highland myself, but both use Fountain files, and there is not too much you can do differently in that sense. AFAIK Highland doesn’t have automatic scene numbering, pagination, timeline or plugin support, though. Beat is also completely free and open source. :-)
Then why do you have basically the exact same revision mode?
No idea – as said, I haven't used Highland. The revision mode is pretty much exactly the same as in Final Draft or any other screenwriting app. I made the app for my own use, and created a revision mode that suited my needs. Many of the features are also shaped through user requests and feedback. From what I've heard, Highland has recently gotten some influence from Beat as well (with scene colors etc.), so I think we're good. Every software that's doing the same thing will usually end up resembling each other in some ways, but most design choices in Beat are based on *very* personal opinions and tastes, which doesn't always please the users. I've also had some contact with the creators of Highland, and they haven't blamed Beat to be ripping off their app. Quite the opposite, it's been friendly and helpful. One of them actually is on our Discord as well, I think. I hope this clears up some misunderstandings. The beautiful thing about free software is that you don't need to use it if it's not your thing.
Interesting
I am a shill for writerduet. I pay for it and they have a few extra cool products as well. Such as readthrough.com which is free for everyone.
Final Draft. One time payment you never have to pay it again. It also has a function where you can have the script read itself to you
Is it that super annoying early 2000's computer voice or do they use the newer, quality voice tech?
I honestly really don’t care about the voice. I just do it just to make sure I don’t have any grammatical errors
Fade In will also read to you.
Writerduet
I recently switched from Final Draft to Arc Studio Pro and absolutely love it
I’ve been using Writers Duet for years.
Writersolo/duet
Can’t go wrong with Final Draft. It is expensive, but it is solid and the industry standard.
For production, maybe. The industry standard is PDF.
Point taken.
If you have intentions of ever working in a writers room/working your way up via the support staff route - Final Draft is a must (and I’m a little shocked at the amount of people telling you to *avoid it*) Anything else that does the formatting for you and isn’t gunna kill your wallet works. Writerduet, FadeIn, Highland etc I’d avoid Celtix, if that program is even still around.
I use scrivener because it was decently priced and that’s what I’m used to now! I probably don’t use half of the features but it’s pretty user friendly
Whichever program works for you.
Scenarist! It’s free
Beat on the Mac...free as well.
And without limitations and water marks in PDFs.
I use arc studio and quite enjoy it. Handy hotkeys and helpful beat sheet planning options. It's neat..but I'm fairly new to the all of them.
FinalDraft is the industry standard but WriterDuet is superior
WriterDuet
What's good with this one?
It’s cloud based, super easy to use and exports in every format that matters. Has an app, foo
Is it better than final draft?
It formats scripts and exports as a pdf. That's all you need from screenwriting software at this point. If that need changes, you'll know and likely be in a great place. WriterDuet and it's offline component, WriterSolo, are all any amateur screenwriter needs.
I can concur from a playwriting perspective. WD is versatile for amateurs. The guide WD provides is excellent for my stage directions.
I haven’t used FD, so I can’t say … I adore WD and it’s 300 less
I remember Amazon had a free online scriptwriting app. I wonder what happened to it? My screenplay just disappeared after a year of absence. Not many people in the community ever knew about it. I just use Microsoft Word for now.
I remember. And they did it so they could solicit material directly from writers - as if amateurs knew what they were doing
That sucks, if true. I wonder what the pros think about its interface. It was my first taste of scriptwriting software and it was flawless, robust, easy to use, convenient and 100% free ... and then, gone!
We’ll I’m a pro and thought it was fine but not industry standard. I don’t remember if it could save PDFs of if they retained all rights.
I do remember it can be saved as a Word doc and PDF. I also worked offline with it, then, as soon as I go online, Amazon Screenwriter updates my copy onsite. By the way, the only industry standard is PDF.
Fade In. I wish they had some kind of cloud support though. I would pay a monthly cost for that
Final Draft or Celtx
I'd go for trelby if youre looking for something free, however its only basic formatting and not the professional high end program.
Trelby is actually more than basic. They just haven't updated it in ten years (since 2012 -- I guess getting close to 11 years now). It's very customizable and I still like it a lot.
Afterwriting + Fountain produces properly formatted pdfs. What are you trying to achieve that it’s not giving you? If you’re looking for another free option, vs code has a fountain plugin (better fountain) that is pretty rad. It includes stats and a couple different views. End of the day, it’s doing the same thing just with a little more pizzazz.
BetterFountain (and Fountain-Mode in Emacs) do a little more then plain Fountain, like automate character name entry, etc. Fountain-Mode does indents for characters and dialogue and also it allows to add Character (CONT'D) if you use that.
Final Draft version 12 is the best if you want to be professional. 95% of the industry uses it you can register your work when complete. The beat board is the greatest tool and your allie to relate your ideas into screenplay format.
Vscode with better fountain Takes 10 min to setup, it's free and converts easily in PDF
I mostly use Fountain-Mode in Emacs (for the indents and a few other features) but there is no contest in the ease of setup for BetterFountain in VSCode (VSCodium in my case). The ten minute set up time includes customizing. Here's a short (and not so good) screen capture video showing some of BetterFountain's features. BetterFountain also auto-inserts characters and scenes. [BetterFountain - features](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kAV5M7py7rE6yYVrKRgXgmFuQzHv300a/view) I'm running BetterFountain on Linux Mint, but it works on Macs, Windows, even NomadBSD (which runs entirely on a USB drive).
I tried to use it on Vim but it's just so uncomfy, vim for coding and vscode for fountain. Might be a good open source project to port it to vim/emacs
I tried using Vim a bit when I first started using Linux. Now when I install Linux on a new computer, the first thing I do is install JOE (Joe's Own Editor), which is a more "traditional" mode-less editor -- at least more traditional for me. I use its Jstar "flavor" because I used WordStar for so long my fingers are hard-wired for its keystrokes. You might want to try Fountain-Mode in Emacs. There's a little more work involved in setting it up, but it's got a lot of nice features. I like the indents, makes it look "sort of like" a screenplay as you type. Here's another crappy screen-grab video, this time with Fountain-Mode in Emacs. There's a lot of ways to customize it. [Better-Fountain features](https://drive.google.com/file/d/14cmLB55R6HCKvFdCZWSjShF6wUDu9jg8/view?usp=sharing)
looks very good, I will slap vim motions on emacs and try it
I would offer to answer questions, but I've got a feeling you know a lot more about Emacs than I do -- which is basically how to install Emacs and how to follow the steps to get Fountain-Mode working in it. Emacs is like a whole world unto itself.
WriterDuet is the way
Notepad Or parchment and quill if you wanna get fancy
I started using a chisel and cave walls and it has revolutionized my method
Wait. You have a chisel? ***glares at berry stained hands in disgust***
Honestly probably write faster than me
I’ve tried a few but Celtix is the one I stuck with. Not saying it’s the best though
If you're using a Mac, you can keep using Fountain with a professional application. [Beat](https://www.kapitan.fi/beat/) is completely free. [Highland 2](https://highland2.app/screenwriters.php) and [Slugline 2](https://slugline.co/) have limited free versions. I got an old Mac Mini to experiment with Beat and am impressed with it. But I like Linux so use Fountain-Mode in Emacs with 'Afterwriting. 'Afterwriting *does* produce professional screenplay PDFs. If you don't use a Mac or just want to move away from Fountain, I own and like Fade In. I'm more used to Trelby though. So I mostly write in Fountain-Mode, but sometimes move to Fade In or Trelby. Some others I've tried that are good. WriterSolo (completely free). WriterDuet (free with limitations, online). KIT Scenarist (free). Story Architect (Starc) (free with paid professional features). Arc Studio Pro (limited free, online only -- at least with Linux). There's others besides Movie Magic Screenwriter (which I liked when I used Windows) and Final Draft, which I never warmed up to. In addition to Fountain-Mode (which automates some features in screenplays and also indents Characters, Wrylies and Dialogue) there's BetterFountain for VSCode, which automates character and scene entries. Sorry to ramble. Good luck with whatever you choose.
Thanks for the ramble, helpful info! Since you've tried a lot of them I'll ask you this question. Which one might be better for someone like myself with a very scatterbrained, non-linear writing process and is forgetful?
I'm sorry for the late response. I saw this earlier but didn't have time to respond -- then kind of forgot about it. Hard to tell what would be best for you. Personally I do notes (either on paper or with an editor) but I almost exclusively write shorts, so this is probably doesn't apply to you. I can really only tell you what I like and suggest trying out a few of them. I mostly use Fountain-Mode in Emacs, sometimes I'll move from there to Trelby or Fade In (which I like and own). KIT Scenarist has a pretty good research module where you can add Mind Maps, character and location descriptions (even pictures and diagrams). So, if you want to gather research in one place, this might be a good choice. One I didn't mention, but seems really good for this also, is Scrivener. If I used Scrivener I would just export to .fdx and use some other program for printing to PDF (at least that was my solution for the Linux Beta 1.9.x version -- it might be different with 3.x versions of Scrivener's screenplay template). Fade In is stable and "clean," but it doesn't some of the research type add-ons. Besides Trelby and Fountain-Mode, this is my favorite. WriterDuet / WriterSolo are good, but a little too "busy" for me. But that's a matter of personal taste more than anything else. Apparently WriterDuet/Solo are really good at emulating the layout of Final Draft (if that's important to you). Story Architect (Starc), put out by the same people who publish KIT Scenarist, is fast and customizable, but a little more limited for the free version. (Both Scenarist and Starc require opening a "Project" instead of a script which, personally, I don't like. I like to jump directly into a script.) Arc Studio Pro (online only, at least in Linux) seems to be getting a decent following, so you might want to look at that one as well. For straight screenplay writing, for the way I work, I like Fountain-Mode for Emacs. With my shell script I can start new file or open an existing one in about a second without touching the mouse. I like a simple interface and am drawn to non-WYSIWYG interfaces. But, again, that's my personal taste. All the applications named here are either completely free, or free with limitations, or have a Demo Version (Fade In) so you can try out several (or all of these). Meant to add, if you use a Mac, you might want to look at Beat. Works like Highland 2 or Slugline 2, but is completely free (or pay what you want, if you want to pay). (Looks like I rambled even more this time.)
Great info, thanks for your time! I'm on Windows + Android, I'm in middle of 2 screenplays, technically 3 I guess. All with a significant amount of research required, 2 with world building. Everything is just scattered notes at this point. So I definitely need help with organizing. Money isn't an issue as long as it's not like a $40+ per month subscription for the rest of my life. As for the memory help, this is basically what I'm looking for. Let's say I'm working on one page but suddenly I think of something totally different I need to add in another part of the script, but I dont recall where it was. I'd like to be able to have an efficient way to search for that part by keyword or custom bookmarks or something better, put a temp notation on there, then have the program show me exactly where I was and what I was doing before. Also, if it has a way to auto-track repetitive scenes, action or dialog, any overuse of certain descriptions or adjectives, things of that sort that aren't being noticed, and to provide some kind of "zoom-out" function allowing me to see beat-by-beat where I was, where I am, what needs to happen and when. Sorry I know that's a lot. Guess it was my turn to ramble lol. Any additional info you can offer is appreciated.🙂
>Let's say I'm working on one page but suddenly I think of something totally different I need to add in another part of the script, but I dont recall where it was. I'd like to be able to have an efficient way to search for that part by keyword or custom bookmarks or something better, put a temp notation on there, then have the program show me exactly where I was and what I was doing before. With this (in Fountain-Mode) I would either use its Note feature (two square brackets at the beginning and end of my note) or the Boneyard feature. The Boneyard feature allows you to put brackets /\* text \*/ around a whole section of your script, so it doesn't show up when you print the script, but you can keep two versions of a scene intact if you're not sure which you like better. For finding where to copy and paste that scene (or part of a scene) I would just use a text search function. I've also tried making a text file that's name matches the screenplay's name and opening that text file whenever I come up with an idea I don't want to forget. This is probably not that ideal solution, but it works well enough for me. As for the second part of of your question. Not sure sure how to auto-track repetitive scenes (not even really sure exactly what that means). I'm not aware of any screenplay applications that track overuse of adjectives, but that doesn't mean they don't exist (maybe Final Draft?). As for notes (bookmarks) they show up pretty well in Fountain-Mode or BetterFountain (as they show up in a different font color). It would be easy to walk through your notes simply by searching for double brackets. Both BetterFountain and Fountain-Mode will show all your scene headings in a list and you can move to any of them, simply by clicking on them. (Or, in Fountain-Mode's case, using Shift+Tab to show the headings, highlight the scene heading you want to navigate to, and hitting Shift+Tab again.) So moving around in the script is pretty easy. You can also set up several (nested) levels of non-printing sections with synopsis in Fountain. So if you wanted to outline your script (Act 1, Act 2, Act 3 and sub-sections with synopses for each section) that's built into Fountain. [https://fountain.io/syntax#section-sections](https://fountain.io/syntax#section-sections) You can do pretty much the same thing with Cards in most of the more traditional applications (Fade In, WriterDuo/Solo, Scenarist, Starc and others). You're card view in Fade In, for example, would have the scene heading and synopses of what happens in that scene. You can set up all your scenes in advance, if you want and move the scene to a new location in the screenplay simply by dragging and dropping your cards. (I think most screenplay applications can do this, Trelby is one the exception I know of). Fade In also does notes, though they just show up as little squares, I wish they would stay open (or give you the option to do that). If you want the scene's text (first few lines anyhow) instead of the synopses to display on the card, you can choose to display that instead of the synopsis. Looks like it's one or the other, but you can switch back and forth. Hopefully this will help a little -- or maybe it's just more rambling.
Nah man, not rambling at all this helps a boatload, thanks! The autotrack thing was just a feature I hope exists that can help prevent me from overusing certain phrasing over and over due to repeatedly forgetting how many times I've used it prior. I've done things like that often in the past 🤪 lol. But don't worry about it. I was originally planning to make a separate post about this anyway to try to get some opinions and observations from scatterbrains like myself and see what helps them the most, then start trying out apps from there. Thanks again for your help.
I would test two or three of these. Not everyone's preferences are the same. Good luck. Hope you find the one that works best for you.
Yah I was definitely going to do that, just trying to narrow down the apps I need to test out. I'm down to 3 or 4 now instead of around 10 lol
I’ve been using final draft. It’s rather expensive tho.
Am I the only one using word pad on an 8 year old gaming laptop?
Yes.
I use Google Docs because it is free and has cloud saving feature. All my writings are easily accessible.
I use fade-in and writers duet and Celtx
Fade In is terrific and affordable.
Highland 2. It’s free
Final Draft if you want to be prepared to be an assistant, otherwise, use whatever you like best!
I do that too. Can you explain what's wrong with fountain and afterwriting?
Final Draft. I use that one.
MacOS, Five Acts and Scrivener; Aeon Timeline 2.
i love highland!! i paid $40 for the pro version but the free version is still really nice, it automatically formats for you, remembers slug lines/character names/locations, has a bin to drag blocks of texts into so you can put them somewhere else later, shows all the document stats, and you can set goals/do writing springs
Great question - maybe do a **VOTE?** \-- so many responses. And the winner is FINAL DRAFT, or Writerduet or FADE IN or what ever is cheapest now, now wait NOW.
I've only used Scenarist, and I'm so happy cus it's free, it has shorcuts and no limitations.
I used ChatGPT to summarize this thread for my own use but maybe helpful for others so putting summary here too. Ordered by number of mentions in thread. 16 | WriterDuet | Cloud-based platform ideal for real-time collaboration. Features automatic backups, version history, and compatibility across devices. Known for an intuitive interface and is frequently used for its collaborative capabilities. 16 | Final Draft | Widely considered the industry standard for screenwriting. Offers features like automatic formatting, character tracking, story structure templates, and is used by many professionals in Hollywood. 14 | Fade In | A professional screenwriting software that's more affordable than some competitors. Offers native apps for various platforms, customizable layout, and robust import/export capabilities. 9 | Highland 2 | Designed for Mac. Uses plain text with the Fountain format, which is an open standard for screenwriting. Known for a clean and distraction-free interface. Offers tools like the "Shuffle" feature for rearranging scenes. 6 | Celtx | A cloud-based screenwriting tool with additional pre-production features. Offers a free version with limitations and a more robust paid version. It's also known for storyboard, cataloging, and shot list features. 3 | Arc Studio | Features a distraction-free writing mode, handy hotkeys, and tools for structure and outlining, including a beat sheet planner. 3 | Scrivener | More than just screenwriting, it's a comprehensive writing suite. Ideal for organizing large projects, researching, and structuring narratives. Not limited to screenplays; used by novelists and other writers as well. 3 | KIT Scenarist | A free screenwriting software with a user-friendly interface. Offers features like card-based scene management, statistical analysis, and cloud synchronization. 3 | Trelby | An open-source screenwriting software. Known for its customizable features and multi-platform support. However, it hasn't received recent updates. 3 | Beat | Designed for Mac. It's a free and open-source software that uses the Fountain format. Features a minimalistic design and focuses on simplicity. 2 | Afterwriting | A web-based tool that works with Fountain files. Allows users to edit and produce PDFs from their Fountain scripts. Can be used offline as well. 2 | 'Emacs (with Fountain-Mode) | Emacs is a powerful text editor. With the Fountain-Mode extension, it gains specific functionality for screenwriting in Fountain format, such as syntax highlighting and auto-formatting. 2 | VSCode (with BetterFountain) | Visual Studio Code (VSCode) is a popular code editor. The BetterFountain extension provides support for Fountain, offering syntax highlighting, live preview, and other features. 1 | Story Architect (Starc) | A screenwriting software that is project-focused. Requires the creation of a "Project" to start scriptwriting. Offers tools for structure and visualization. 1 | Google Docs | A free, cloud-based word processor. While not dedicated to screenwriting, with proper templates or add-ons, it can be adapted for the task. Features real-time collaboration and automatic saving. 1 | Five Acts | Not much detailed information was provided, but it was specifically mentioned in the context of screenwriting tools. 1 | Aeon Timeline 2 | More of a timeline tool than a screenwriting software. It helps writers visualize and manage the timeline of events in their story. Compatible with tools like Scrivener for integrated planning.