# Scriptation vs Shadowbox Studios

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shadowbox Studios at none against Scriptation's 10. Scriptation's advantage is ratings volume (3.6K vs 11). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Scriptation sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Shadowbox Studios asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Scriptation against 4.9 for Shadowbox Studios. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scriptation has 3.6K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scriptation | Shadowbox Studios |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scriptation-annotate-scripts/id1094587086/reviews) | **[4.9 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowbox-studios/id6472732687/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.6K** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 247 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Scriptation LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/970111950) | [Blackhall Management Services LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1780801858) |

## What reviewers say

### Scriptation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scriptation-annotate-scripts/id1094587086)

This Emmy-winning app revolutionizes script annotation for film and TV professionals. It intelligently transfers your notes and markups to new script revisions, saving significant time. Organize all your production documents digitally and enhance your rehearsal process with advanced features.

**Highlights:** Intelligent note transfer to new revisions, Comprehensive annotation tools, Digital production binder organization, Annotation layers for note separation, Page Maker for custom inserts, Auto-highlight for character lines, Read/rehearse/record modes

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scriptation Industry Pro | $14.99 | per month |
| Scriptation AI | $19.99 | per month |
| Scriptation AI | $39.99 | per month |
| Scriptation Industry Pro | $39.99 | per 3 months |
| Scriptation AI | $59.99 | per month |
| Scriptation Industry Pro | $69.99 | per 6 months |
| Scriptation AI | $79.99 | per month |
| Scriptation AI | $99.99 | per month |
| Scriptation Industry Pro | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent for script prep and organization
- 🚀 Seamless transfer of notes between script versions
- 👍 Customizable and user-friendly
- 👍 Helpful for various departments (directors, actors, etc.)
- 👍 Reduces paper usage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🐛 Issues with iCloud/Dropbox sync
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔧 Some features could be more intuitive

**Reported bugs**

- Annotations disappearing or shifting when transferring to new script versions
- Inability to open password-protected scripts
- Unreliable performance on certain devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to create new scripts
- Improved text editing and formatting tools
- Better integration with other production apps
- Handwriting recognition for notes
- More customization options for the toolbar and layout


### Shadowbox Studios

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowbox-studios/id6472732687)

This app serves as a mobile concierge and studio guide, providing essential on-lot resources for productions. It offers quick access to facility details, schedules, campus navigation, and contact information for crew, staff, and vendors.

**Highlights:** Interactive campus maps, Crew, staff & vendor directories, Facility specs & technical documents, Stage manager schedules, Food truck schedules, Campus alerts

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scriptation free?

Scriptation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Shadowbox Studios free?

Shadowbox Studios is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Scriptation or Shadowbox Studios?

Shadowbox Studios is rated higher. Scriptation averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.6K ratings, while Shadowbox Studios averages 4.9 from 11 ratings.

### Do Scriptation or Shadowbox Studios have ads?

Neither Scriptation nor Shadowbox Studios shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Scriptation or Shadowbox Studios?

Scriptation ships an update fortnightly, and Shadowbox Studios fortnightly. Most recently, Scriptation was updated on November 1, 2026 and Shadowbox Studios on October 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*