It isn’t easy to be a screenwriter. The job of a screenwriter is challenging and hectic. You have to meet strict deadlines and stay on your toes most of the time. This is because writing a novel or an essay or fiction is totally different rather straightforward. As a screenwriter, you have to write a story visually describing the movement, expressions, actions, and other details of the characters.

This is indeed challenging.

Therefore, buy a perfect screenwriting software keeping the important things in mind. Here are listed a few screenwriting apps for Windows and Mac to help you get started with your upcoming screenwriting project. Best Screenwriting Apps For Windows/Mac 1. Final Draft: The Best In Industry Standard Screenwriting Software Image Source: finaldraft.com.

1. If you want to get anywhere in the movie industry, you need to use the rightsoftware to format your screenplay. The 7 Best Screenwriting Apps For Windows And Mac – WebsFavourites.com However, screenwriting software isn't cheap.
2. Oct 12, 2020 However, screenwriting software isn't cheap. And you don't want to waste money buying the wrong app. To help you out, we have found the best screenwriting apps for Windows and Mac. Any of which will be a great choice to start your next screenwriting project with. Final Draft: The Industry Standard Software.
3. DubScript is a full-featured screenwriting app. It has all the tools and formatting options that you need to produce a high-quality, professional screenplay. Some may prefer the solitude of sitting at a desk and pounding the script out from a keyboard, but for the rest of you, check out DubScript.
4. The best thing about thisfree script writing software for Macis that it automatically formats your words into a screenplay format. It gives you all tools that help you work through your ideas, dialogue and scenes. This software has a script tab where users can upload their own work for feedback and criticism. Cons of Scripped Pro.

Such a demanding job doesn’t just require expertise in writing, but you must be tech-savvy so you can make the best use of technology to help you with screenwriting. One of the most essential things that you need is screenwriting software – probably the best screenwriting software.

Screenwriting software help you with a lot of things such as following industry standards, improve formatting, write quickly, organize sections and characters, proofread and edit as you write, create and manage your own writing templates, take notes, collaborate, and others.

With the right tools and apps, you can finish your script quickly while maintaining the quality. You'll be able to focus on what you do best – writing. Everything else will be managed by the software.

If you aren’t sure what screenwriting software to choose and you have no idea where to start, I have prepared a list of the best screenwriting software with their features, pricing, and what they're best for. The following list will make your job a lot easier:

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1. Squibler

Squibler is an all-purpose best screenwriting software. It helps you with story development and dialogue writing with its feature-rich text editor. It has screenplay templates that make your job a lot easier. Select a template and start writing. You don’t have to create an outline, develop characters from scratch, and spend time in create sections and chapters. It is all there already in the template, just start writing right away.

Squibler Features

Here is a list of the major Squibler features:

• A simple text editor and a word processor that is exceptionally easy-to-use
• Drag-and-drop interface that makes arranging and organizing elements a whole lot easier
• Distraction-free writing mode
• More than 30 screenplay templates
• Note-taking feature
• Collaborate in real-time
• On-screen sidebar makes it easier to access screenplay elements instantly
• Storyboard that automatically maps notes to index cards
• Built-in grammar checker
• Integrates with leading cloud storage companies like Google Drive and Dropbox
• Auto-save feature
• It supports full-screen production
• Works on Windows, Mac, and mobile

Squibler Pricing

You can try Squibler for free with full access to all the features. The premium plan costs $9.99 per month.

2. Final Draft

Final Draft is a professional scriptwriting software that’s specifically used in the entertainment industry. It is a professional multi-purpose tool that works for screenwriters, producers, and filmmakers. It comes with 300+ templates for writers that make your writing job easier. It follows the industry standard and format for screenwriting and scripts and converts your text into the right format automatically.

Final Draft Features

Final Draft offers you a lot of exciting features:

• An easy-to-use interface and text editor
• A powerful drag-and-drop user interface
• Converts your script in entertainment industry format
• Comes with more than 300 templates to choose from
• A beat board to manage notes, characters, and more
• Visual story mapping
• Write, collaborate, brainstorm, and organize your script easily
• Speech to script converter
• Format your script the way you like with tons of formatting features
• Revision and tags mode to simplify the writing process
• Works on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iOS, and mobile phones.

Final Draft Pricing

Being a top screenwriting software that’s used by professional screenwriters for Hollywood, First Draft is expensive and has a learning curve. You'll need the training to get used to the interface. The starting price is $169.99 one-time. You'll have to pay additional for the mobile version of the software.

3. Celtx

Celtx offers professional production tools for screenwriters and video producers. It is a complete screenwriting and video production suite for professionals that let you write, plan, and shoot. The scriptwriting tool comes with powerful collaboration and index cards feature to make scriptwriting easier for you.

Celtx Features

Here is a list of the major Celtx features for screenwriters:

• An easy-to-use feature-rich professional screenwriter tool
• Intuitive scriptwriting editor
• Supports video and game production
• Collaborate with peers and editors easily
• Storyboard lets you arrange and organize your script hassle-free
• Take notes and organize with Index cards
• You can use it in the offline mode too
• Revision tracking
• It is online screenwriting software that you can access from any internet-enabled device including mobile phones

Celtx Pricing

Celtx scriptwriting is priced at $10 per month. It comes with a 30 days free trial. You can upgrade to the video production plan that costs $15 per month that includes both the scriptwriting and video production tool.

4. WriterDuet

WriterDuet is a simple yet professional screenwriting program that is focused on real-time collaboration. It is best for teams and projects where multiple screenwriters have to work on a single script simultaneously. It supports text messages and video chat to make collaboration a piece of cake. It is a cloud-based software that you can access on the go from any device including mobile phones.

WriterDuet Features

Here is an overview of the leading WriterDuet features:

• Simple user-interface that you can use without any training
• The text editor is extremely user-friendly making it easier to write, rewrite, and share content
• A powerful collaboration feature that supports simultaneous writing and editing
• Create templates and customize workflows to write scripts quickly
• Create outlines with the help of tools like maps and scene cards
• Take notes on cards and share them with the co-writers
• Supports unlimited co-writers
• Auto translate feature
• It is a cloud-based scriptwriting software that comes with online and offline desktop apps.

WriterDuet Pricing

WriterDuet has a free plan that comes with limited features. The paid plans start from $7.99 per month that gives you full access to the basic features. However, to get access to all the advanced features, you'll have to upgrade your plan to the premium that costs $15.99 per month.

5. Fade In

Fade In is a professional and feature-rich screenwriting program that offers a lot of features that you'll find in most of the other screenwriting apps. It supports screenwriting for movies, television, radio, stage, video games, and more. One of the major features of Fade In is that it is available in multiple languages. It is one of the few screenwriting software that has an app for Linux. If you use Linux, Fade In might be a decent option for you.

Fade In Features

The major Fade In features include:

• A simple user-interface with a sidebar that gives you access to everything
• Built-in screenplay styles that you can customize as per need
• Real-time collaboration
• Autocomplete feature helps you write repeated words e.g. character names
• Organize scenes and characters with the help of index cards
• Distraction-free writing mode
• It supports multiple file formats
• Dialogue tuner helps you see all the dialogues of a single character
• Powerful revision feature, page lock, screen lock, omitted scene retrieval, and more
• Production reports and script breakdown into industry standards with a single click
• The software is available is for Windows, Mac, and Linux and has a mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and Android
• Integrates with cloud storage solutions.

Fade In Pricing

You can download the free version and start using Fade In for free. If you want to purchase the software, it costs $79.95 per license. It doesn’t come with subscription-based pricing.

6. Highland

Highland is a simple screenwriting software for Mac users. It doesn’t offer a lot of features like some of the other screenwriting software like Squibler, but it gets the job done. It has a simple text editor where you can start typing right away. The best thing about Highland is that it has no learning curving at all. You'll get to work right away as soon as the download is completed.

Highland Features

Here is an overview of the core Highland 2 (the upgraded version of Highland) features:

• Clean and simple text editor
• Over 10 templates to choose from
• Revision mode that helps you track changes
• Take notes with the scratchpad
• Goal setting feature to keep you motivated
• Distraction-free writing mode
• Word and gender analysis
• Auto-suggest helps you write scripts quickly
• Supports PDF and FDX and other file formats.

Highland Pricing

You can try Highland 2 for free. Upgrading to the premium plan costs $49.99 once.

7. Trelby

Trelby is open-source screenwriting software that’s free. It is developed by Osku Salerma and Anil Gulecha and is available as computer software for Windows and Linux. It is fully customizable which means you can add new features and develop it the way you want. Of course, it is something that a developer will do for you.

Trelby Features

Here is an overview of the leading Trelby features:

• An open-source and fully customizable screenwriting software
• Simple, intuitive interface and text editor that requires no learning or training
• A huge collection of names from multiple countries (200K+ names)
• Compare and check scripts for changes and revisions
• It has built-in auto-complete and spell checker features
• Fullscreen and distraction-free mode
• Supports PDF, HTML, RTF, and several other file formats for exporting
• Works on Windows and Linux hassle-free
• You can contribute and upgrade the software by adding your own features via a developer.

Trelby Pricing

Trelby is open source and is free. You can download, use, and customize it at no cost whatsoever.

8. Movie Magic Screenwriter

Movie Magic Screenwriter is award-winning screenwriting software that’s used by professional screenwriters, scriptwriters, and leading writers from Hollywood. One of the key benefits of using it is that it makes your scripts Hollywood ready so if you are writing for Hollywood or a movie or at a professional-level, Movie Magic Screenwriter will work best for you.

Movie Magic Screenwriter Features

The key Movie Magic Screenwriter features include:

• Comes with tutorials and resources to help you fully understand the tool
• It has more than 100 templates for screenwriters including instructional and TV templates
• A powerful outlining feature that includes acts, scenes, characters, sequences, and more
• Quickly navigate between sections, chapters, and scenes with the NaviDoc feature
• Note-taking feature with categorization option to organize notes easily
• Customize your writing view by choosing an appropriate view from the options e.g. distraction-free, full screen, etc.
• Full support for the production script
• Import your documents from other tools and software in any format you like
• Integrates with other tools like Outline 4D
• Works on Mac and Windows.

Movie Magic Screenwriter Pricing

It is a desktop software for Windows and Mac that’s priced at$169. You can download its demo version to see how it goes for you before buying a license.

9. Microsoft Word

Last but not the least, you can have your screenwriting done in none other than Microsoft Word. It is a perfect screenwriting software for new screenwriters who have just started. Or, if you are a student and learning to write a script, you'll find Microsoft Word quite handy as it has zero learning curve.

Microsoft Word Features

Here is an overview of the core Microsoft Word features for screenwriters:

• No learning curve at all
• Download a screenwriting template or start from scratch
• Distraction-free mode
• You can add add-ons like Grammarly to supercharge your writing
• Autocorrect and built-in grammar checker
• Create macros to automate your writing process
• Save your document in multiple file formats including PDF and HTML
• Lots of formatting options
• Referencing styles available to choose from
• Comments, track changes, and full support for images and graphics
• Works online and on your computer and smartphone.

Microsoft Word Pricing

The starting price is $69.99 per year for personal use. However, you can purchase Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for a one-time price of $149.99.

How to Select the Right Screenwriting Software

This list of the best screenwriting software in 2020 gives you a full overview of the leading tools available in the market. Of course, you can’t buy all of them. You need to pick one and stick with it.

How to do it?

Ask yourself: What features you expect to have in the screenwriting software you need and how much you can afford to pay for it?

This will give you a good idea of what software to choose. Still confused?

Let me simplify it for you: If you aren’t sure what screenwriting software is right for you, go for Squibler.

It is an all-in-one multi-purpose screenwriting software that offers you all the features that you'll find in the expensive Hollywood-level screenwriting software. It is a tool that’s specifically developed for screenwriters.

It won’t disappoint you. Give it a try by clicking here.

As a screenwriter, you want to spend most of your time writing and less time worrying about typeface and line spacing.

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And in TV, where every line counts, and people are waiting on your pages to shoot, you want to be able to type away without worrying about if you’re maximizing every last space and margin.

As a script coordinator on award-winning television shows, I’m responsible for tracking revisions, editing for continuity and helping find trims and cuts to make that page count — so I’ve come across many different screenwriting software tools that can take your script from the writers room, to set, to post.

Lights, camera, write! 6 screenwriting software options for filmmakers

Many scriptwriting software options can meet your screenwriting needs, and it can feel overwhelming to pick one — especially with so many varying price tags.

But don’t worry: We’ve rounded up the most popular screenwriting options for every budget to help you write your next Oscar (or Emmy!) winner. Or at least finally finish that script you’ve been working on.

1. Final Draft

Final Draft has been on the market since 1991, and has long since been 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. Natalie Bounassar, television writer and blogger, is quick to recommend this above all other options: “Final Draft is my screenwriting software of choice. It’s an intuitive program that takes the work out of the technical process of crafting a script and allows you to focus instead on your creative process.”

And she’s right: using one of their 100 templates, you can create screenplays, stage plays, teleplays to help whatever project you’re working on. The software even provides glimpses into how Emmy-winning dramas like “Game of Thrones” or “Better Call Saul” are formatted, making your spec writing a breeze. If you’re working on a comedy sample, there’s also templates available for this too — including the formats for “Veep” and “Silicon Valley.”

Final Draft hasn’t just become the industry standard for personal writing, but for use in TV writers rooms across the business. Because of its ease in tracking revision pages, many of your favorite TV shows require all of its staff to be using this program as scripts are brought to the screen. Final Draft has an excellent customer service support line to support these writers for any bumps along the way.

But it’s also the most expensive screenwriting software available, and has been slow to adapt to some of the new tools that programs like Scrivener and WriterDuet offer. Final Draft 11 has been particularly challenging for many writers, as these Amazon reviews point out (including issues opening documents made in Final Draft 11 with any earlier versions).However, Final Draft 11 offers a live chat function that allows you to write and edit with your partner in real time — in order to compete with WriterDuet – and you can save your files using Dropbox and iCloud. Both of these options aren’t as effortless as other programs make it, so this in conjunction with the high price may not make it the right tool for you and what you’re hoping to accomplish!

Cost: $249.99

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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.

Like almost every tool available, Movie Magic will automatically format your script to industry standards, and offers many of the same perks that Final Draft does. But you can quickly change the layout of the interface so you have as many or few distractions as you want. It’s also one of the only softwares that offers, in addition to TV and Screenplay templates, novel, comic book writing, and radio play (ie, podcast!) formats, making it a “one-stop shop” for whatever kind of writing you want!

Unlike Final Draft, you can collaborate with other writers online in real time using iPartner. And, the price includes 3 activations, instead of Final Draft’s one-per-purchase policy. That being said, Movie Magic, while once the industry standard, has lessened in popularity. It doesn’t offer a direct import for Final Draft documents, so if you’re working in a television writers room with Final Draft users, or a partner who uses another product, Movie Magic might not be right for you.

Cost: $249.95

3. Celtx

If you’re not ready to splurge on an expensive screenwriting software like Final Draft, Celtx is a popular option without the hefty price tag. Having started as a free scriptwriting software, Celtx has grown to be a budget friendly option with many of the same formatting features other programs offer.

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.

One thing to look out for when using Celtx is that it will often incorrectly format characters, parentheticals and stage directions. In a cutthroat industry where every punctuation counts, you’ll have to do a thorough job checking your script after it’s saved as a .pdf file before sending it to other professionals in the industry!

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. It’s one of the first screenwriting programs on the market to offer simultaneous writing and editing options for you and your writing partner – and its this feature that users cite as the reason they prefer it over Final Draft or Movie Magic.

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. Novelists swear by its ease of use and enjoy the benefits of this highly-visual platform. 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. Users indicate that collating pages into a pdf, a seamless process in Final Draft, is far more complicated when used here. 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.

Be sure to check out Scrivener’s tutorials or consider investing in a course like Learn Scrivener Fast, which will teach you everything you need to know to become a master of the tool.

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. You can import and export files made with other programs, making it easy to collaborate with people using, say, Final Draft or MovieMagic. Reversely, Fade In allows you to save your own files in plain text so you can open using another program later on.

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).

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Fade In is the most compatible and user-friendly of them all, and comes with all the bells and whistles an expensive program like Final Draft offers. While this program is great for personal use, it’s not used industry wide, and so you may have to move to using a more popular program for future projects.

Cost: $49.95

You never want to give someone a reason not to read your script, and when the difference between “consider” and “pass” could be just a few formatting issues, you want to make sure you have a program that takes care of that for you! This way, you can focus on the important thing – the writing!

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?

The original version of this story was written by Marian Schembari. We updated the post so it’s more useful for our readers.

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