A massive update to the best-reviewed screenwriting app for Mac.
Dark Mode. Drag-and-drop Outline. Timeline. Automatic formatting. Colored notes.
Live Compare. FDX import/export. Free for shorts.
Dark Mode. Drag-and-drop Outline. Timeline. Automatic formatting. Colored notes.
Live Compare. FDX import/export. Free for shorts.
- Download Free Script Writing Software For Mac
- Script Writing Software For Mac And Free Download
- Free Screenwriting Software Downloads
Jul 26, 2018 WriterDuet screenwriting software. This screenwriting software has a free version, in which writers can create up to three full-length scripts. Beyond that and for offline writing, collaboration, time-travel, and Pro tools, WriterDuet Pro is available for $11.99 per month or $79 per year. Start Writing for Free Slugline 2 is a free download, and works without watermarks or limitations until you pass page six, at which point you can upgrade to Unlimited Writing. Kick the tires at no cost — or, if all you write is short films, never pay a dime!
Start Writing for Free
Jan 05, 2016 It’s the number-one selling screenwriting software in the world, available for Windows, Mac and iPad. You can create screenplays, stage plays, teleplays and use one of their 100 templates to help you format them. The software even provides glimpses into how shows like Mad Men and How I Met Your Mother are formatted. Basically, name a feature. Jun 19, 2020 DramaQueen is a free screenwriting software program that’s compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux operating systems. It’s also very compatible with Final Draft, so if you want to import, export and format using that platform, DramaQueen is a good choice. Aug 13, 2018 Install: (Free, Pro version for $14.99/year) Best Apps for Screenplay Writing 1. I don’t claim to be an expert in screen-writing, however, I have my fair share of experience in it. For the most part, I have found FadeIn to be the best screenwriting app out there. The interface is easy to understand and you can start as soon as you. Dec 23, 2019 WriterDuet is another web-based, free screenwriting software, which prides itself on its intuitive keystrokes to help your stories flow from your brain to your fingers, and to the screen. It’s also some of the best script writing software on the market. It’s free script writing software, Mac.
Slugline 2 is a free download, and works without watermarks or limitations until you pass page six, at which point you can upgrade to Unlimited Writing. Kick the tires at no cost — or, if all you write is short films, never pay a dime!
The Darkest Timeline
Slugline 2 has dark mode. And a completely new design that maintains Slugline’s beloved no-buttons simplicity, while providing quick access to formatting options, the Outline Navigator, and the new Timeline, which gives you a bird’s-eye view of your structure and pacing.
- A4 paper support
- Easier title pages
- Courier Prime Sans for writing
- Multi-colored Notes
- Scene numbering
- Formatting helpers
- Preferences for new document settings
- Auto-save all the time
Slugline 2 uses Fountain, a plain-text screenplay format that’s free, open, and compatible with everything.
Slugline 2 produces beautiful, industry-standard paper and PDF screenplays, with perfect pagination.
And Slugline 2 works with Slugline for iPhone and iPad. Sync your work over iCloud or Dropbox, and write wherever, whenever.
Slugline 2 for Mac
Free for the first six pages, then $49.99 USD to unlock Unlimited Writing and FDX export. Live Compare, Scene Numbering, Search and Replace, an all-new Timeline, and the drag-and-drop outline.
Slugline for
iPhone & iPad
Write and edit your screenplay on your iPhone. Slugline for iOS/iPadOS is fully compatible with Mac, sharing files on iCloud and Dropbox. But it also works on its own, creating perfect Hollywood-standard print and PDF output.
As a screenwriter, you want to spend most of your time writing and less time worrying about typeface and line spacing.
“It’s just simpler to write dialogue when you can type quickly and get a flow of conversation going with the characters,” says screenwriter Schuyler Brumley. “If you aren’t familiar with the software, it can ruin the flow. Like Xbox versus PlayStation.” Brumley exclusively uses Final Draft, but you’ll eventually create a shorthand with whatever program you use.
With all the software and apps available, we could spend our whole lives hunting down the perfect tool for your screenwriting projects.
But don’t worry: We’ve rounded up the most popular screenwriting tools for every budget to help you write your next Oscar winner. Or at least finally finish that script you’ve been working on.
1. Final Draft
Considered the industry standard, Final Draft is used by heavy-hitters like James Cameron, J.J. Abrams and Matthew Weiner. It’s the number-one selling screenwriting software in the world, available for Windows, Mac and iPad.
You can create screenplays, stage plays, teleplays and use one of their 100 templates to help you format them. The software even provides glimpses into how shows like Mad Men and How I Met Your Mother are formatted. Basically, name a feature — Final Draft has it.
But it’s also the most expensive screenwriting software available, and since it’s been around for a long time, it’s considered a bit of a dinosaur. Amazon reviews called out the latest update as slow and buggy. The tool is still playing catch-up when it comes to cloud storage and online collaboration, so just because it’s the industry standard doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for you.
Cost: $249.99
2. Movie Magic Screenwriter
Movie Magic is almost as respected as Final Draft, but not quite. It is, however, the official screenwriting software of the Writers Guild of America East.
Download Free Script Writing Software For Mac
Like almost every tool available, Movie Magic will automatically format your script to industry standards. But you can quickly change the layout of the interface so you have as many or few distractions as you want.
Unlike Final Draft, you can collaborate with other writers online in real time using iPartner.
Cost: $249.95
3. Celtx
Script Writing Software For Mac And Free Download
If you’re more of a casual screenwriter, Celtx is a popular option without the Final Draft price tag.
Celtx features are pared down, sure, but their free version offers formatting for screenplays, storyboards, catalogs and more. The paid versions also work in tandem with its mobile apps so you can work offline and on-the-go.
Web-based Celtx Edge uses a collaborative model which allows an entire production team or scriptwriting class to collaborate on a project via browser. Celtx also includes the ability to change formats, so if you’re writing a stage play that you suddenly realize would be great as a short film, Celtx can easily convert between formats.
Cost: Free, with upgrades available for maximum of $19.99 per month
4.WriterDuet
WriterDuet’s motto is “You don’t need to spend $200 just to fit in” and the company’s features prove it values script content over formatting.
For example, WriterDuet has a neat feature to help shorten your script by automatically searching for places where you can cut a few lines. Same thing for error-checking: The software finds incorrect formatting, typos, characters with similar names and more.
You can even analyze your script by reviewing statistics on action versus dialogue, density and how characters speak.
WriterDuet has cloud storage with the ability to save to Dropbox, Drive and your hard drive with additional automatic backups.
Cost: Varies. Free version available with ability to upgrade to the $99 Pro version. Student pricing available.
5. Scrivener
If you’re not just a screenwriter and work on everything from novels to screenplays to articles to fiction, Scrivener’s your best bet.
The popular tool offers formatting options for all of the above, but with the added bonus of being able to visualize scenes that need to be grouped together. Scrivener’s corkboard feature allows you to make sense of all your notes and scenes — almost like creating a storyboard.
If you plan to take your script through filming, Scrivener falls short for long-term use. While great for character development, research and structure, it’s not compatible with the software producers and directors use to actually turn a script into a movie. You’ll need to convert your screenplay into another format, making it sluggish for last-minute rewrites.
Cost: $45 for Mac, $40 for Windows
6. Fade In
Billed as “More than just your final draft,” Fade In offers the powerful tools screenwriters expect without a lot of the extra fluff that makes programs like Final Draft slow to learn and use.
Like the end credits of a movie, Fade In’s interface is primarily black and white, which is easier on our exhausted writer’s eyes. It also saves your files as plain text, meaning you can open and edit in different applications, or import and export files from Final Draft, Movie Magic and other programs. Fade In is the most compatible and user-friendly of them all.
Fade In also offers robust organization (color-coding, index cards and marking significant sequences), a Dialogue Tuner (to see and edit a single character’s dialogue all in one place) and report downloads (scenes, cast, locations, and more).
Cost: $49.95
7. Amazon Storywriter
Amazon’s new tool is bare-bones, but free, which makes it great for students, beginners or artists on a budget. The app, which does everything from autoformatting to PDF exporting, can be used both on the site or via Chrome app.
One of Storywriter’s unique selling points is that you can submit your script directly to Amazon Studios for production consideration. But its submission agreement includes a “similar content” clause which essentially says, “We produce a lot of stuff, it might be coincidentally similar to something you submitted, so if you see an Amazon show that sounds similar, too bad.”
So be careful, as this does give them leeway to use aspects from submitted scripts without giving credit.
Free Screenwriting Software Downloads
Cost: Free
In a cutthroat industry that will quite literally throw away your screenplay if it doesn’t have the right margins, you’ll want a program to take care all aspects of your project.
So whether you’re a writer’s-room regular or a student working solo, find the tool that makes the most sense for you, learn it well, and stick with it!
Are you a screenwriter? Which tools do you find most useful?