FADE IN: SOFTWARE COMPARISON — REV. 2, SEPT 2026
Your original list plus the five additional tools from the first pass, now folded into one table — with a dedicated Export Capacity column showing exactly what each tool can produce and where it falls short. Pricing and features are current published numbers as of this revision; always confirm on the vendor site before you buy.
| Software | Industry Standard? | Formatting | Revision Tracking | Collaboration | Script Breakdown / Production Tools | Export Capacity | Platform | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Draft 13$249.99 one-time, or $99.99/yr Suite · 5-day trial | YES — the format authority | Locked-in industry-standard formatting, auto-styled as you type | Colored revision pages, ScriptNotes, full version history | Shared real-time sessions (Final Draft Cloud) | Beat boards, production sides, scene breakdowns | PDF · .fdx (native) Widest acceptance — the de facto interchange format every other tool builds around |
Mac, Windows, iOS | Scripts headed to a studio, agency, or production office that expects .fdx |
| Fade In$79.95–$79.99 one-time · free trial | YES — matches Final Draft output | Industry-standard, fully customizable | Built-in revision mode, multiple draft tracking | Collaboration tools included | Outlining, index cards, basic production notes | PDF · .fdx · Fountain · RTF Clean two-way FDX round-trip — one of the broadest ranges of any paid tool |
Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | Writers who want Final Draft-level output without the subscription price |
| Movie Magic Screenwriter 6From $169 one-time · trial available | YES — long-time studio staple, esp. TV | Industry-standard, powered by NaviDoc (script + outline + scene cards side by side) | Draft comparison, tracked revisions, version control | Collaboration tools, shared notes/tags | Strong breakdowns, rundown sheets, Gantt-style production views; pairs with Movie Magic Budgeting/Scheduling | PDF · .fdx · RTF No native Fountain export, but round-trips cleanly with Final Draft |
Windows, Mac | Writers who also need to hand off breakdowns/scheduling into production |
| Scrivener~$59.99 one-time (Win/Mac) · 30 non-consecutive free days | NOT DEDICATED — Script Mode outputs standard format, but it's a writing app, not a screenwriting app | Script Mode auto-formats to industry standard as you type; film, TV, stage & comic templates | Snapshots (manual version saves), not true tracked-changes | No real-time collaboration | None built for production; strongest at outlining/binder-level story organization | PDF · RTF · Word · Final Draft-compatible · Fountain Broad range, but exports are compile-based rather than a true FDX round-trip |
Mac, Windows, iOS | Writers juggling research, treatments, and drafts alongside the script itself |
| WriterDuetFree (3 scripts) · $9–$14/mo or ~$89/yr paid tiers | NOT OFFICIAL — but near-identical, widely accepted output | Industry-style formatting, browser + desktop | Line-by-line revision history | Best-in-class real-time multi-cursor co-writing | Basic outlining/index cards | PDF · .fdx · Fountain Free tier limits export options — full range unlocks on paid plans |
Browser, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | Writers' rooms and co-writing teams |
| CeltxFree tier · paid plans for production tools | NOT INDUSTRY STANDARD | Solid formatting, easiest on-ramp for beginners | Version/revision tracking included | Browser-based, built for teams | Storyboarding, production scheduling, and budgeting tools (paid tier) | PDF · .fdx · Fountain (HTML export on older versions) Solid range; deeper production exports (schedules, budgets) gated to paid tiers |
Browser, desktop & mobile apps | Beginners, and teams that want script + pre-production in one place |
| Highland 2Free (limited) · $49.99 one-time for full version | NICHE — respected among screenwriters, not a studio default | Fountain-based plain-text formatting — clean, portable | Version-control-friendly since files are plain text | No real collaboration features | Minimal — writing-focused | PDF · .fdx · Fountain (native) Fountain-first, so it plays cleanly with almost any other Fountain-based tool |
Mac only | Writers (like John August's audience) who want a lightweight, distraction-free plain-text tool |
| Arc StudioFree tier (2–3 scripts) · Pro ~$69/yr | NOT YET industry standard, gaining traction | Clean automatic formatting | Revision/version management | Cloud-based collaboration built in | Outlining, character arcs, story structure guidance | PDF · .fdx · Fountain Free-tier PDF exports are watermarked; full range on paid plans |
Mac, Windows, browser | Beginners who want a modern interface with built-in structure guidance |
| TrelbyFree, open source | YES — standard formatting output | Industry-standard, distraction-free editor | Basic version tracking | None — single-user, offline | None | PDF · .fdx · Fountain Best export range of any fully free tool |
Windows, Linux (no Mac) | Writers who want a zero-cost, offline, no-cloud tool |
| StudioBinderFree (forever, core features) · paid Teams/Enterprise tiers | PARTIAL — formats to spec, but known as a production tool first | Industry-standard, auto-complete, imports from Final Draft/Fountain/PDF/Word | Auto-save history, restore prior versions, script locking | Strong — sharing, script notes, feedback threads built for teams | Full pre-production suite: breakdowns, shot lists, storyboards, shooting schedules, call sheets | PDF (customizable, watermark option) · .SBX only (StudioBinder's own format, for other SB accounts) No direct .fdx export — the gap to know about if a script needs to leave the platform |
Web & mobile | Writer-producers who want the script to flow straight into scheduling and storyboards without switching tools |
| SluglineFree (first 6 pages) · $49.99 one-time to unlock | NICHE — Fountain-based, John August's team, not a studio default | Fountain, industry-standard pagination, minimal/distraction-free interface | Live Compare (draft-to-draft comparison) | None built-in; syncs via iCloud/Dropbox for shared access | None — writing-focused, drag-and-drop outline/timeline only | PDF · Fountain (native) · .fdx (unlocked only on the paid tier) Free version cannot export FDX at all |
Mac, iOS/iPadOS only | Mac/iOS writers who want the cleanest, most minimal Fountain writing environment |
| KIT ScenaristFree, open source (desktop) · mobile apps paid | NOT INDUSTRY STANDARD | Automatic scene heading/character/dialogue formatting | Revision tools included | None notable | Research module (bible, characters, locations, maps), cards, mind maps, writing stats | PDF · .fdx · Fountain · DOCX One of the broadest export ranges of any free tool |
Windows, Mac, Linux, Android/iOS | Writers who want a full free "story bible + script" toolkit — note: development has ended; succeeded by Story Architect |
| SoCreateFree (1 project) · paid plans for more | NOT INDUSTRY STANDARD by design — abstracts formatting away while you write | Visual, drag-and-drop story-building; converts to standard screenplay format only on export | Not a focus of the tool | Community Feedback tool, viewer stats, public writer profile | None — a public "Storyteller Library" to share/market finished work instead | PDF only (one-click, industry-standard format) No .fdx or Fountain export |
Web-based | Writers who get stuck on formatting rules and want to draft visually before ever touching margins |
| Squibler14-day free trial · from $9.99/mo | NOT INDUSTRY STANDARD | 30+ genre templates; some reported font/format bugs (Courier 12 not always default) | Corkboard/List-based version and structure tracking | Share with co-writers, editors, proofreaders | None — a writing/organizing tool, not a production tool | PDF · Word (.docx) No .fdx, no Fountain |
Web-based (syncs to Google Drive/Dropbox) | Writers who move between novels and scripts and want AI-assisted drafting |
| LaperFree (Junior tier) · $20–$400/mo paid tiers | NOT INDUSTRY STANDARD — newer AI-native entrant | Automatic industry-standard Courier formatting and pagination | Full version history with draft comparison | Real-time multi-user collaboration (best-in-class per some reviews); full collaboration gated to paid Master tier | AI-derived scenes/characters/locations/props/storyboards; beat generation, structure analysis, table-read audio | PDF · .fdx (native import/export) Free tier limits export options |
Browser-based | Writers curious about AI-assisted structure/production tools alongside real-time collaboration — new, unproven at studio level yet |
Rows outlined in red are the five tools added in this revision.