Arc Studio Alternatives for Screenwriters, Free and Paid

Arc Studio is a cloud screenwriting app with automatic formatting, cloud sync and, on its top plan, outlining tools that sit next to the script. The pricing page lists three plans. Free allows 2 scripts and puts a watermark on PDF exports. Essentials, at $69 a year, removes both limits and adds the desktop and iPhone and iPad apps. Pro, at $99 a year, adds collaborators, revision management, history and the outlining and season-outline tools. Every account starts with a 7-day Pro trial, and students with an .edu address get $70 off Pro.

The usual reasons to look elsewhere are the yearly-only billing, the 2-script free cap and the fact that outlining sits on Pro only. Some writers also want to own their software or work on Linux. The picks below cover cloud apps you can pay for by the month, one-time desktop editors and two free open source tools. If planning matters more to you than formatting, our Causality alternatives page covers visual story planners.

Prices below are as of November 8, 2026. Our method is on How we review tools.

Quick comparison

WriterDuet

WriterDuet works most like Arc Studio: a browser-based editor that formats as you type and keeps scripts in the cloud. Its focus is co-writing, with partners editing the same script at the same moment. The free plan allows 3 projects, one more than Arc Studio's, and includes outlining tools, scene numbering and import and export, per the plan guide.

The bigger difference is billing. Every paid tier comes monthly or yearly and can be cancelled at any time, so a writer who drafts in bursts can pay for three months and stop. Plus adds the desktop app. Pro and Premium sit above it at a few dollars more a month.

Best for: Writing partners and anyone who wants monthly billing instead of a yearly plan.

Pricing:

• Free: 3 projects, one document each
• Plus: $9.99/month or $89.88/year
• Pro: $11.99/month or $107.88/year
• Premium: $13.99/month or $125.88/year
• Prices per WriterDuet's help article, updated June 17, 2025

Watch out for:

• These prices come from a June 2025 help article, so check the total at checkout.
• Yearly Pro at $107.88 costs more than Arc Studio Pro at $99, so it only saves money if you pay month to month.

Official site: WriterDuet.

Fade In

Fade In is the answer for writers tired of subscriptions. You pay once and get free updates for the version you buy, per the support page, and one personal licence covers all your own computers on Windows, Mac and Linux. Version 5.0.15 runs on Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.10 or later on Intel and Apple Silicon, and 64-bit Linux.

There are no tiers, so nothing is held back for a higher plan. Cloud storage, version history and online editing are a separate, optional Fade In Access subscription, which also covers the iOS and Android apps. The free demo has every feature except realtime collaboration.

Best for: Writers who want to own their screenwriting software, including on Linux.

Pricing:

• $79.95 one-time (listed down from $99.95)
• Free demo with all features except realtime collaboration
• Fade In Access cloud subscription: optional

Watch out for:

• The demo shows a registration reminder after 10 pages and watermarks printed scripts.
• Without Fade In Access there is no built-in cloud sync. You manage files and backups yourself.

Official site: Fade In.

Final Draft

Final Draft 13 is the one to pick if your scripts go to agents, contests and production offices that ask for .fdx files. Arc Studio exports to Final Draft format, but writing in the native app means the file you send is the file they open. The product page lists a Beat Board, an Outline Editor and Structure Lines for planning, plus tracked revisions and comments.

It is sold both ways. A one-time licence activates on two computers at once, or you subscribe to a bundle that includes Final Draft Cloud. It runs on macOS 12 or later and Windows 11 on Intel or AMD.

Best for: Working screenwriters whose collaborators and buyers use Final Draft.

Pricing:

• One-time: $249.99
• Subscription with Final Draft Cloud: $16.99/month, or $99.99/year
• 5-day trial on subscriptions

Watch out for:

• Final Draft 13 does not run on iPad or Chromebook. The iPad app, Final Draft Go, is a separate App Store purchase.

Official site: Final Draft.

Celtx

Celtx is for writers whose script turns into a shoot. It runs in the browser like Arc Studio, and its Writer Pro plan can add production planning, so breakdowns and schedules live next to the screenplay. Celtx is now a Backlight business, per the pricing page.

Team plans start at 3 members, a fit for a small production company or a film school group. Solo writers can start on the free plan with one project. For tools focused on the production side, see our StudioBinder alternatives.

Best for: Writer-directors and small teams who will shoot what they write.

Pricing:

• Free: 1 project
• Writer: $14.99/month
• Writer Pro: $24.99/month, or $18.74/month billed yearly
• Team: you plus 4 to 14 collaborators, $59.99/month or $44.99/month billed yearly
• Prices as listed on the Celtx pricing page

Watch out for:

• The free plan allows one project, half of Arc Studio's free allowance.
• Writer alone costs more per year than Arc Studio Essentials. The value is in the production add-on, not the script editor.

Official site: Celtx. Our listing: Celtx.

Highland Pro

Highland 2 is now sold as Highland Pro, from John August's Quote-Unquote Apps. It is a plain-text screenwriting app for Mac, iPad and iPhone that syncs through iCloud. The product page highlights a Navigator for sections, scenes, synopses and notes, timed writing Sprints, and a Gender Analysis of speaking parts.

Where Arc Studio syncs through its own cloud, Highland syncs through your Apple iCloud account. The monthly option lets you try it for one draft and stop.

Best for: Apple users who want a clean writing window and files they control.

Pricing:

• Monthly: $9.99
• Yearly: $59.99, or $4.99 a month
• 30-day free trial, billed through the App Store

Watch out for:

• Apple only. There is no Windows, Linux, Android or web version on the product page.
• It is now a subscription, and the page does not mention a one-time purchase.

Official site: Highland Pro.

Beat

Beat is a free, open source screenwriting app for Mac, released under GPL v3, and the code is on GitHub, per the Beat site. Scripts are plain Fountain text, so any text editor can open them. It still has an outline view, drag-and-drop scene cards with synopses, revision tracking, scene numbering and screenplay statistics.

It imports from Final Draft, Highland, Fade In and Celtx and exports to Final Draft and PDF. There is no data collection and it works offline. Development is funded through Patreon and a paid iOS app, and the site's latest news post is dated September 26, 2026.

Best for: Mac writers who want a capable editor for nothing.

Pricing:

• macOS: free
• iOS: 12,99€ one-time, cheaper in some countries
• Separate paid edition for schools and organisations

Watch out for:

• The site says there will be no Windows or Linux version.
• There is no cloud sync or real-time collaboration. You share Fountain or Final Draft files the old way.

Official site: Beat.

Trelby

Trelby is the free choice for Windows and Linux users. The site says it is free and licensed under the GPL, and that it behaves the same on every platform. It formats screenplays offline, and it can import Fade In scripts.

The project is maintained on GitHub. Release 2.4.11 made it installable with pip, 2.4.13 fixed Fade In import and allowed loading large scripts, and the latest, 2.4.16.2, added translation support and an Italian translation.

Best for: Writers on Windows or Linux who want a free offline editor.

Pricing:

• Free and open source (GPL)

Watch out for:

• No cloud sync, collaboration or mobile app. It is a desktop editor and nothing else.
• The release page shows dates without years, so check the latest build before you rely on it for a long project.

Official site: Trelby.

How to choose

When to stay with Arc Studio

Stay with Arc Studio if you write every month and use Pro's outlining. At $99 a year, outlines, season outlines, collaborators, revisions and history together cost less than Final Draft's regular subscription or WriterDuet Pro billed yearly. The free plan's Fountain and Final Draft export also means leaving later is easy, so there is little risk in staying while it fits.

Frequently asked questions