Screenwriting guide
Best Screenwriting Software (2026): Top 10 Apps
The best screenwriting software depends on how you work. Final Draft is the industry standard, WriterDuet is built for co writing, Fade In is the cheapest one time licence with pro features, and Trelby and ScriptLix Studio are free. Here are ten apps with prices checked October 2026, platforms, files and the catch with each.
Written and reviewed by ScriptLix Editorial
In short
Pick Final Draft if a job, show or production asks for it, since its FDX file is the industry standard, and Fade In if you want a one time licence for less. Write free with Trelby on the desktop or ScriptLix Studio in the browser, choose WriterDuet if you co write in real time, and Highland Pro if you only use Apple devices.
Quick picks by what you need
- Free
- Trelby on the desktop, or ScriptLix Studio in the browser. Both open and save FDX and Fountain.
- Beginners
- Start free with WriterDuet, Arc Studio or ScriptLix Studio. Buy Final Draft when a job asks for it.
- Collaboration
- WriterDuet, built around real time co writing. Arc Studio Pro also co writes live.
- Mac and iPad
- Highland Pro if you are all Apple. Arc Studio paid plans also cover Mac and iPad.
- One time purchase
- Fade In, with free updates. Final Draft 13 if you need the standard.
- Industry standard
- Final Draft. Its FDX file is what studios and shows trade.
The ten apps, one by one
Prices checked October 2026, in US dollars, from each vendor’s own site. Sale prices change, so check the vendor before you buy. ScriptLix makes ScriptLix Studio and is not affiliated with the other apps.
Final Draft 13
- Price
- One time licence, list $249.99, on sale for $199.99 when checked. Or the Final Draft Suite subscription at $99.99 a year or $16.99 a month, with Final Draft Cloud included. Upgrade and educational prices: check the vendor site.
- Free tier
- None. A 5 day trial on the Suite and a 30 day money back guarantee.
- Runs on
- macOS 12 or later and Windows 11 or later. No Chromebook. iPad and iPhone need Final Draft Go, a separate App Store app. One licence, two computers at once.
- Collaboration
- Tracked revisions, built in comments and auto version saving. Real time co writing is not described on its product page.
- Files
- FDX is its native file. Exports PDF. Cannot open or import Fountain files, per its own help center.
- Best for
- Working on shows and productions that require it. It is the industry standard.
- Watch out for
- The highest price here, desktop only, no Fountain, and a two machine limit.
WriterDuet
- Price
- Free plan. Plus $9.99 a month ($7.49 billed yearly), Pro $11.99 ($8.99 yearly), Premium $13.99 ($10.49 yearly). Students and educators get 50% off.
- Free tier
- 3 projects. You can co write on an upgraded user script, but not invite writers to your own.
- Runs on
- Browser and mobile. A desktop app on Plus and up.
- Collaboration
- Real time co writing on Plus and up, with comments, mentions and text or video chat.
- Files
- Imports and exports PDF, Final Draft, Fountain, Celtx, docx, rtf, html, JSON and csv.
- Best for
- Writing partners working at the same time on different machines.
- Watch out for
- The free plan caps you at 3 projects and the desktop app is paid.
Arc Studio
- Price
- Free plan. Essentials $69 a year, Pro $99 a year. Yearly billing only. AI add ons cost extra credits.
- Free tier
- 2 scripts, watermarked PDF export, no desktop or mobile app, no collaborators.
- Runs on
- Browser. Mac, Windows, iPhone and iPad apps on paid plans. No Android app.
- Collaboration
- Real time co writing. Inviting collaborators needs a paid plan.
- Files
- FDX import and export, Fountain export on every plan, PDF.
- Best for
- A modern editor at a low yearly price.
- Watch out for
- Free is 2 scripts with a watermark, and there is no monthly option.
Fade In
- Price
- One time licence, regular $99.95, on sale for $79.95 when checked. Updates are free. Educational pricing and the optional Fade In Access subscription: check the vendor site.
- Free tier
- A free trial download.
- Runs on
- Windows, Mac and Linux. Fade In Access works on iPhone, iPad and Android.
- Collaboration
- Through Fade In Access. Real time co writing is not stated.
- Files
- Opens, edits and saves FDX. Fountain, docx, rtf, Celtx, Scrivener, plain text and more. Outputs PDF.
- Best for
- A one time purchase with professional features, including on Linux.
- Watch out for
- Cloud and collaboration details are hard to find on its site.
Highland Pro
- Price
- $59.99 a year or $9.99 a month, with a 30 day trial. Highland 2 is now sold as Highland Pro.
- Free tier
- None stated beyond the trial.
- Runs on
- Mac, iPad and iPhone, with iCloud sync. No Windows, Linux, Android or web.
- Collaboration
- Comments for a writing partner. No shared editing described.
- Files
- Its page does not list import and export formats. Check the vendor site.
- Best for
- Apple users who like plain text, distraction free writing.
- Watch out for
- Apple only and subscription only now.
Celtx
- Price
- Free plan. Writer $11.24 a month, Writer Pro $18.74 a month and Team $44.99 a month, all billed yearly. Student $79.99 a year. Monthly billing prices: check the vendor site.
- Free tier
- 1 project, 1 seat, read only script history.
- Runs on
- Browser, plus a Mac script app.
- Collaboration
- Team plan seats, or paid collaborators on Writer plans. Real time is not stated.
- Files
- Imports Fountain, FDX, Celtx, doc, docx, rtf, txt, html and text based PDF. Export formats are not confirmed on its pages.
- Best for
- Teams that also plan the shoot, with production tools past the script.
- Watch out for
- The free plan is a single project and the pricing leans toward production teams.
Trelby
- Price
- Free and open source.
- Free tier
- The whole program.
- Runs on
- Windows, macOS and Linux. No mobile or web.
- Collaboration
- None.
- Files
- Imports FDX, Fountain, Celtx, Fade In, Adobe Story and formatted text. Exports PDF, FDX, Fountain, RTF, HTML and text.
- Best for
- A no cost offline desktop app.
- Watch out for
- No collaboration, no cloud, a dated look and slow releases.
Story Architect (formerly KIT Scenarist)
- Price
- Free plan. Pro $4.17 a month billed yearly or $150 lifetime, Creator $8.34 a month billed yearly. 30 day trial.
- Free tier
- Unlimited projects, without AI credits, mind maps, timeline or corkboard.
- Runs on
- Mac, Windows and iPhone.
- Collaboration
- Real time collaboration on the Creator plan.
- Files
- Its pricing page says import and export without naming formats. Check the vendor site.
- Best for
- A generous free plan and a cheap lifetime option.
- Watch out for
- KIT Scenarist is discontinued and gets no more updates. If you still use it, this is its replacement.
StudioBinder
- Price
- Plans are Free, Starter, Indie and Professional. Its pricing page sits behind a login. Check the vendor site for current prices.
- Free tier
- 1 screenplay, 1 version, 1 project.
- Runs on
- Web app.
- Collaboration
- Paid plans add script collaboration, from 1 user on Starter to 4 on Professional.
- Files
- Imports FDX, PDF, DOC and Fountain. Export formats are not confirmed on its pages.
- Best for
- Productions that want the script tied to breakdowns, stripboards and call sheets.
- Watch out for
- Built for production teams. Free writing is one script.
ScriptLix StudioOurs
- Price
- Free to write, import and export, no account needed. The optional AI helper runs on credits. See our pricing page for paid plans.
- Free tier
- No writing limit stated. AI credits: 5 a day signed out, 50 to start and 10 a day signed in, or bring your own DeepSeek key.
- Runs on
- Any browser, desktop or phone. Works offline once loaded.
- Collaboration
- Share links with comments. No real time co editing or dual dialogue yet.
- Files
- Opens Fountain, FDX, TXT and Markdown. Saves Fountain, FDX and PDF, the PDF through the print dialog.
- Best for
- Writing anywhere without installing anything, with FDX and Fountain both ways.
- Watch out for
- No real time co editing or dual dialogue yet, and PDF goes through the print dialog.
Only want free? See every free screenwriting option. Leaving Final Draft? Read Final Draft alternatives that open FDX.
How to use it
- 1
Decide where you write: one desktop, any browser, or an iPad.
- 2
Check the exits: PDF for readers, FDX for productions that use Final Draft, Fountain as a plain text backup.
- 3
Pick how you pay, free, once or by subscription, then write ten pages in a trial before you buy.
Screenwriting software compared
| App | Price | Free tier | Runs on | FDX | Fountain | Live co writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Draft 13 | $249.99 once, or $99.99 a year | Trial only | Mac, Windows | Native | No | Not described |
| WriterDuet | Free, paid from $9.99 a month | 3 projects | Browser, mobile, desktop on paid | Yes | Yes | Yes, paid |
| Arc Studio | Free, Pro $99 a year | 2 scripts, watermark | Browser, apps on paid | Yes | Export | Yes, paid |
| Fade In | $99.95 once | Trial | Windows, Mac, Linux | Yes | Yes | Not stated |
| Highland Pro | $59.99 a year or $9.99 a month | Trial | Mac, iPad, iPhone | Check site | Check site | Not described |
| Celtx | Free, Writer $11.24 a month yearly | 1 project | Browser, Mac app | Import | Import | Not stated |
| Trelby | Free | Everything | Windows, Mac, Linux | Yes | Yes | No |
| Story Architect | Free, Pro $150 lifetime | Unlimited projects | Mac, Windows, iPhone | Check site | Check site | Creator plan |
| StudioBinder | Check site | 1 screenplay | Browser | Import | Import | Paid plans |
| ScriptLix Studio | Free to write | No account needed | Any browser | Yes | Yes | No |
How did we pick these?
We took the apps screenwriters compare most and read each vendor’s own pricing and feature pages in October 2026. Where a vendor page did not show a price or would not load, we say check the vendor site instead of repeating a number from a third party. Sale prices change often, so treat every number here as a snapshot.
ScriptLix makes ScriptLix Studio, one of the apps on this list, so we kept its entry to what it does today, limits included. We are not affiliated with any other app here and none of these links pay us.
What happened to KIT Scenarist?
Its official site says KIT Scenarist is now replaced by Story Architect and will get no more updates. If you still write in KIT, export your scripts to FDX or Fountain and move them to Story Architect or another app on this list.
Is Highland still free?
Highland 2 is now sold as Highland Pro, a subscription at $59.99 a year or $9.99 a month after a 30 day trial. It runs on Mac, iPad and iPhone only, with no Windows, Android or web version.
Questions writers ask
What is the best screenwriting software?
Final Draft if you work on shows or productions, since its FDX file is what the industry trades. For a spec, any app that exports a clean PDF and FDX will do: Fade In, WriterDuet, Arc Studio, Trelby or ScriptLix Studio.
What is the best free screenwriting software?
Trelby is free and open source on Windows, macOS and Linux. ScriptLix Studio is free in any browser with no account. WriterDuet, Arc Studio, Celtx and Story Architect have free plans with limits.
What is the best script writing software for beginners?
A free one that formats as you type, so you learn the page and not the menus. WriterDuet, Arc Studio and ScriptLix Studio all run in a browser for free. Buy Final Draft later if a job asks for it.
What is the best screenwriting app for iPad?
Highland Pro runs natively on Mac, iPad and iPhone. Final Draft on iPad is a separate app, Final Draft Go. Arc Studio has an iPad app on paid plans, and ScriptLix Studio runs in the iPad browser.
What screenwriting software do professionals use?
Most studios and TV shows work in Final Draft and trade FDX files. Readers, managers and contests see a PDF, so no one can tell which app wrote a spec.
Is there screenwriting software you can buy once?
Yes. Fade In is a one time licence at $99.95 regular price with free updates. Final Draft 13 lists at $249.99. Story Architect sells Pro for $150 lifetime. Sale prices change, so check each site.
Further reading
More free tools
- Free screenwriting softwareGuideWhat matters and the real free options
- Final Draft alternativesGuideWhen to pay, and free options with FDX
- FDX to PDFToolFinal Draft or Fountain to a clean PDF
- How to write a screenplayGuideIdea to final draft, step by step
- Screenwriting contest calendarToolDeadlines, fees and prizes, soonest first