Inkwell vs Highland
Highland is a beloved minimalist, plain-text Fountain editor for Mac. Inkwell is a fuller Mac-native editor with a built-in AI assistant — for writers who want help without giving up control.
Highland, from Fountain creator John August's Quote-Unquote Apps, is a Mac-only screenwriting app built around plain-text Fountain. Its appeal is simplicity: distraction-free writing in readable .fountain files, with no proprietary lock-in. Highland Pro continues that lineage on the Mac App Store.
Inkwell shares Highland's respect for Fountain and the Mac, but adds a built-in AI assistant. Quill brainstorms, suggests dialogue, and helps restructure scenes — always as approve/reject suggestions, never automatic generation. Inkwell imports and exports both Fountain and Final Draft (.fdx) and works fully offline.
If you want the lightest possible plain-text writing tool, Highland is a classic. If you want that Fountain-and-Mac sensibility plus an AI assistant that keeps you in control, Inkwell is the step up.
Inkwell vs Highland at a glance
| Inkwell | Highland | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free to start. Pro is $10/month (or $100/year). | Highland 2 free to write ($49.99 one-time export unlock); Highland Pro $4.99–$9.99/mo. |
| Built-in AI assistant | Yes — Quill, with an approve/reject diff for every suggestion. | No built-in AI assistant as of June 2026; Highland is a focused, minimalist plain-text editor. |
| Platforms | Native macOS app. | Mac-only (Apple Silicon native). |
| Approach | Full screenplay editor with an AI assistant alongside. | Minimalist, plain-text Fountain writing. |
| File formats | Fountain and Final Draft (.fdx) import and export. | Fountain (.fountain) native; exports to PDF and Final Draft. |
| Offline writing | Fully offline; internet only needed to ask Quill. | Fully offline. |
Highland 2 is free to write in, with a one-time $49.99 unlock to export without a watermark; the line has consolidated into Highland Pro on the Mac App Store ($4.99/mo billed annually, or $9.99/mo). It's Mac-only (Apple Silicon native) and built on Fountain. Facts current as of June 2026; check quoteunquoteapps.com for the latest.
Choose Highland if…
- You want the simplest, most minimalist plain-text Fountain tool.
- You love John August's writing workflow and .fountain files.
- You don't want AI in your editor at all.
Choose Inkwell if…
- You want a built-in AI assistant that suggests but never auto-writes.
- You want a fuller editor while staying Mac-native and Fountain-friendly.
- You need clean Final Draft (.fdx) import/export.
- You'd like to start free and only pay when you want more AI.
Try Inkwell free
The full editor, unlimited scripts, and Fountain / Final Draft import are free. Bring a script over from Highland and see how Quill works.