# The best free screenwriting software for Mac (2026)

For a full editor that costs nothing on a Mac, use Inkwell (macOS 15+) or Beat (older Macs too). Both are free in full and open Final Draft files. Story Architect, WriterDuet, and Arc Studio have useful but limited free plans.

Last checked: November 2026. Every claim was checked against the vendor's own site or App Store listing; sources are listed under each app. Published by Inkwell (Rundquist Tech LLC). Inkwell is our app and gets the same treatment as the others, limits included.

We make Inkwell, so weigh our takes accordingly. The facts are checked against each vendor's own site; the takes are our opinion.

## Quick picks

- **Inkwell** (Fully free): A complete free editor that opens Final Draft and PDF scripts. Mac · macOS 15+, iPhone/iPad reader (free). Official site: https://inkwell.app
- **Beat** (Fully free): Open source, plain-text Fountain, runs on older Macs. Mac · macOS 10.13+, iOS (paid). Official site: https://www.beat-app.fi/
- **Story Architect** (Free tier): Free on every platform, Mac to Linux. Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android. Official site: https://starc.app/
- **WriterDuet** (Free tier): Try a cloud workflow on up to three scripts. Web browser, Mobile, Desktop app (paid). Official site: https://www.writerduet.com/
- **Arc Studio** (Free tier): A polished interface for one or two scripts. Web browser, Desktop app (paid). Official site: https://www.arcstudiopro.com/
- **Highland Pro** (Paid): One subscription across Mac, iPad and iPhone. Mac · macOS 13+, iPad, iPhone. Official site: https://quoteunquoteapps.com/highland-pro/
- **Fade In** (Paid): Pay once, no subscription. Mac, Windows, Linux. Official site: https://www.fadeinpro.com/
- **Final Draft** (Paid): When a studio requires Final Draft itself. Mac, Windows. Official site: https://www.finaldraft.com/

Fully free = no project cap, no watermark, no time limit. Free tier = a free plan you can keep, with caps. Paid = a trial or a watermarking demo only.

## At a glance

| App | Free? | Mac | Windows | iPhone / iPad | Final Draft .fdx | Fountain | Live co-writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inkwell | Yes | Yes | No | Yes (Reader app) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Beat | Yes | Yes | No | Paid | Yes | Yes | No |
| Story Architect | Free tier | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Paid |
| WriterDuet | Free tier (3 projects) | Web | Web | Yes | Yes | Yes | Paid |
| Arc Studio | Free tier (2 scripts) | Web | Web | Web | Yes (Export) | Yes (Export) | Paid (Join free) |
| Highland Pro | No (30-day trial) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Fade In | No (Demo) | Yes | Yes | Not checked | Yes | Yes | Paid |
| Final Draft | No (5-day trial) | Yes | Yes | Not checked | Yes | Not checked | Not checked |

Prices in USD.

## The free apps

### 1. Inkwell: Fully free

A native Mac screenplay editor, free in full, with an optional paid AI partner. (Our app, held to the same standard.)

- **Official site:** https://inkwell.app
- **What's free:** The whole editor, forever: unlimited scripts, outline, beat board, revisions, import and export. No account, no watermark, works offline.
- **Limits:** Quill AI is free for one week (500 credits), then packs from $4.99 or Quill Pro at $10/mo. No live co-writing.
- **Platforms:** Mac · macOS 15+, iPhone/iPad reader (free)
- **Formats:** FDX in/out, Fountain in/out, PDF in/out
- **Best for:** Mac writers who want a full free editor that opens Final Draft files, with AI on hand but never in the way.
- **Downside:** Mac-only and needs macOS 15 or later.
- **Our take (opinion):** Free in full and fast at its core; Mac-only, and the AI is the part you pay for. Inkwell is a younger app than Final Draft or Highland, and it shows in what's missing: there's no Windows version and no live co-writing, so a writers' room that works together in real time will want something else. What it does well is the free part: a complete editor that opens Final Draft and PDF scripts, with no caps or watermark. Quill is useful if you want a second opinion on demand, but after the free week it costs money, and you can skip it entirely.
- **Checked against:** [Inkwell pricing](https://inkwell.app/pricing), [Inkwell features](https://inkwell.app/features), [Inkwell Reader on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/inkwell-reader/id6770158409)

### 2. Beat: Fully free

A free, open-source (GPL) Fountain editor for Mac, made by a screenwriter.

- **Official site:** https://www.beat-app.fi/
- **What's free:** The full Mac app: index cards, timeline, revisions, scene numbering, statistics, and JavaScript plugins.
- **Limits:** The iOS app is a paid one-time purchase and a lighter companion.
- **Platforms:** Mac · macOS 10.13+, iOS (paid)
- **Formats:** Fountain (native), FDX in/out, PDF export
- **Best for:** Fountain fans, open-source fans, and anyone on an older Mac.
- **Downside:** No live co-writing or AI, and the iOS app costs extra.
- **Our take (opinion):** Light, fast, and lovely for drafting; thin once a script goes into production. Beat is a plain-text Fountain editor at heart, and it has more structure tools than its minimal look suggests: index cards, a timeline, revision tracking, and statistics. It has no co-writing features, and its developer calls the iOS app a companion with a limited feature set. If you draft alone on a Mac and like files you can open anywhere, it's hard to beat for free.
- **Comparison:** https://inkwell.app/compare/beat
- **Checked against:** [beat-app.fi](https://www.beat-app.fi/), [Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/beat/id1549538329), [GitHub](https://github.com/lmparppei/beat)

### 3. Story Architect (formerly KIT Scenarist): Free tier

KIT Scenarist's successor: a cross-platform studio for scripts, plays, comics, and novels.

- **Official site:** https://starc.app/
- **What's free:** Unlimited projects, the screenplay editor, title page, treatment, basic character and location info, and import/export.
- **Limits:** Corkboard, timeline, cloud sync, live collaboration, and AI tools are paid. KIT Scenarist itself is no longer updated.
- **Platforms:** Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- **Formats:** FDX in/out, Fountain in/out, PDF export, DOCX, Celtx import
- **Best for:** Writers who switch between Mac, Windows, and Linux.
- **Downside:** The corkboard and timeline are behind the paid plan.
- **Our take (opinion):** Ambitious and genuinely cross-platform; the best planning tools are paid. Story Architect tries to cover every kind of writing in one project, from screenplays to comics, novels, and audio dramas. That breadth is the appeal if you also write prose or work on Windows or Linux. The free plan is the editor plus import and export; the corkboard, timeline, and deeper character tools most screenwriters plan with are paid, and the app's version numbers are still 0.x.
- **Checked against:** [starc.app pricing](https://starc.app/pricing/), [starc.app download](https://starc.app/download/), [Export help](https://starc.app/help/screenplay-exporting/), [kitscenarist.ru](https://kitscenarist.ru/en/index.html)

### 4. WriterDuet: Free tier

A cloud screenwriting app built around collaboration.

- **Official site:** https://www.writerduet.com/
- **What's free:** Three projects, industry-standard formatting, writing on computer or phone, and Google Drive or Dropbox backups.
- **Limits:** More projects, live collaboration, the desktop app, and offline writing need the paid Plus plan.
- **Platforms:** Web browser, Mobile, Desktop app (paid)
- **Formats:** FDX, Fountain, PDF, Celtx, DOCX
- **Best for:** Trying a cloud workflow with one to three projects.
- **Downside:** The collaboration it's known for is paid.
- **Our take (opinion):** Made for co-writing, and the free plan is a sampler of that. WriterDuet's whole pitch is writing together in real time, and that's exactly what the free plan leaves out. Three projects is enough to learn the editor, not to live in it. If you co-write, budget for Plus; if you write alone, the free plans of Inkwell or Beat give you more.
- **Comparison:** https://inkwell.app/compare/writerduet
- **Checked against:** [WriterDuet pricing](https://www.writerduet.com/pricing)

### 5. Arc Studio: Free tier

A clean, modern cloud screenwriting app.

- **Official site:** https://www.arcstudiopro.com/
- **What's free:** Two scripts, cloud sync, comments, and Fountain and Final Draft export. You can co-write free when a paid user invites you.
- **Limits:** PDFs are watermarked, there's no desktop app, and inviting collaborators is paid ($69 or $99 a year).
- **Platforms:** Web browser, Desktop app (paid)
- **Formats:** FDX export, Fountain export, PDF (watermarked)
- **Best for:** A short or first feature, especially if a co-writer already pays.
- **Downside:** Two-script cap and watermarked PDFs.
- **Our take (opinion):** The most polished free plan here, and also one of the tightest. Arc Studio's free plan is clean and modern, but two scripts and a watermark on every PDF make it a trial run more than a home. Its paid plans bill yearly, and inviting a co-writer is one of the things you pay for. If a co-writer already pays, joining their script for free is a good deal.
- **Comparison:** https://inkwell.app/compare/arc-studio
- **Checked against:** [Arc Studio pricing](https://www.arcstudiopro.com/pricing)

## Not free, but often listed as free

### 6. Highland Pro (replaced Highland 2): Paid

Highland 2 and its free version are no longer sold. Highland Pro replaced it in 2025.

- **Official site:** https://quoteunquoteapps.com/highland-pro/
- **What's free:** A 30-day free trial.
- **Limits:** Then $9.99/month or $59.99/year. If it lapses, it still opens, prints, and exports.
- **Platforms:** Mac · macOS 13+, iPad, iPhone
- **Formats:** Fountain in/out, FDX in/out, PDF in/out
- **Best for:** Fountain writers who want one app on Mac, iPad and iPhone.
- **Downside:** No longer free.
- **Our take (opinion):** Still the purist's Fountain editor, but no longer free. Highland Pro keeps Highland's quiet, plain-text approach and adds iPad and iPhone, plus a tool for turning PDFs back into editable scripts. The trade-off is a subscription where Highland 2 used to be free. It's fair about lapsing: your documents still open, print, and export.
- **Comparison:** https://inkwell.app/compare/highland
- **Checked against:** [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/highland-pro/id6612007609), [johnaugust.com](https://johnaugust.com/2025/introducing-highland-pro)

### 7. Fade In: Paid

A full-featured desktop app sold as a one-time license.

- **Official site:** https://www.fadeinpro.com/
- **What's free:** A demo with all key features except online collaboration.
- **Limits:** The demo watermarks PDFs and printouts. The full app is $79.95 once.
- **Platforms:** Mac, Windows, Linux
- **Formats:** FDX, Fountain, DOCX, PDF export
- **Best for:** Writers who want a full desktop app and no subscription.
- **Downside:** Not free once you need clean PDFs.
- **Our take (opinion):** The best value in a full desktop app, if you're willing to pay once. Fade In's feature list is the closest to Final Draft's on this page: revisions, a Dialogue Tuner, format checking, version comparison, and real-time collaboration, on Mac, Windows, and Linux. It costs $79.95 once, with free updates. The demo is a real way to test it, but the watermark means it isn't a free way to finish a script.
- **Comparison:** https://inkwell.app/compare/fade-in
- **Checked against:** [Download](https://www.fadeinpro.com/page.pl?content=download), [Features](https://www.fadeinpro.com/page.pl?content=features), [Purchase](https://www.fadeinpro.com/page.pl?content=purchase)

### 8. Final Draft: Paid

The industry standard, with a short free trial.

- **Official site:** https://www.finaldraft.com/
- **What's free:** A 5-day trial of Final Draft Suite on one computer.
- **Limits:** The trial turns into a paid subscription automatically on day 5.
- **Platforms:** Mac, Windows
- **Formats:** FDX (native)
- **Best for:** Writers whose studio or production requires Final Draft.
- **Downside:** Not free; cancel before day 5 if you don't want to pay.
- **Our take (opinion):** Buy it when someone requires it; the trial is too short to write in. Final Draft is the format many productions expect, and most apps on this page can open its .fdx files. Five days is enough to check compatibility, not to draft, and the trial turns into a subscription on its own, so set a reminder. If nobody is asking you for Final Draft itself, the free options above open its files.
- **Comparison:** https://inkwell.app/compare/final-draft
- **Checked against:** [Final Draft trial](https://www.finaldraft.com/trial/)

## Which should you pick?

- **A full, free editor on a current Mac that opens Final Draft files:** Inkwell or Beat. Both are free in full, and both read and write .fdx.
- **An older Mac (before macOS 15):** Beat, which runs on macOS 10.13 and later.
- **Open source:** Beat (GPL). Story Architect's core is open source too, with paid extras.
- **Mac plus Windows or Linux:** Story Architect's free plan. If you'd rather pay once, Fade In.
- **Co-writing in real time:** Paid everywhere on this list. Arc Studio's free plan lets you join when a paid co-writer invites you.
- **AI help that never writes into your script without asking:** Inkwell. Quill's suggestions arrive as changes you accept or reject. Free for a week, then paid.
- **A PDF script you need to edit:** Inkwell turns a PDF back into an editable screenplay for free.

## Common questions

**Is there a free Final Draft alternative for Mac?** Yes. Inkwell and Beat are both free on the Mac in full, with no project limits or watermarks, and both open and save Final Draft (.fdx) files. Inkwell needs macOS 15 or later; Beat runs on macOS 10.13 and later. Story Architect's free plan also imports Final Draft files and exports .fdx.

**Can I open Final Draft files for free?** Yes. Inkwell (Mac) and Beat (Mac) both import and export .fdx at no cost, and Story Architect's free plan imports Final Draft files on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Inkwell can also turn a PDF of a script back into an editable screenplay.

**Is Highland 2 still free?** No. Highland 2, including its free version, is no longer sold. Its replacement, Highland Pro, has a 30-day free trial and then costs $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year.

**What's the catch with Inkwell being free?** The editor is free forever: unlimited scripts, import and export, no watermark, no account needed. What costs money is Quill, the optional AI writing partner. Every new account gets one free week of Quill Pro (500 credits, no card); after that, credit packs start at $4.99, or Quill Pro is $10 a month or $100 a year. Inkwell is Mac-only and needs macOS 15 or later.

**Can I write and export a screenplay on a Mac without paying anything?** Yes. Inkwell and Beat both let you write, format, and export a finished PDF, Fountain, or Final Draft file without paying. Free tiers of cloud apps like WriterDuet and Arc Studio also work for a few scripts, though Arc Studio's free plan watermarks PDFs.

App names and icons are trademarks of their respective owners.

## Links

- Page: https://inkwell.app/best-free-screenwriting-software-mac
- All comparisons: https://inkwell.app/compare
- Inkwell pricing: https://inkwell.app/pricing
- Download Inkwell for macOS: https://inkwell.app/download/mac