Slugline vs Arc Studio Screenwriting
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Slugline
This app offers a minimalist, distraction-free writing environment for screenplays. It automatically formats your plain text into a proper screenplay, supports outlining, and includes helpful structure templates. Your work can be synced via cloud services or stored locally.
- Automatic screenplay formatting
- Integrated outlining
- Cloud sync (iCloud, Dropbox)
- Structure templates (Save the Cat!)
- Plain text (Fountain format) support
- Notes and scene synopses
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The highest-rated screenwiting app on the Mac App Store comes to iOS! Slugline is a minimal, distraction-free environment for the most important part of screenwriting—the writing part. Slugline works with plain text. It automatically turns your writing into a properly formatted screenplay, without you ever needing to press the Tab key. FEATURES ⋮ Automatic formatting ⋮ Sync files with iCloud and Dropbox, or work locally ⋮ Printed on paper or PDF, your screenplay is indistinguishable from one made with apps costing much more ⋮ Helpful structure templates, including the famous beat sheet from Save the Cat!® ⋮ Slugline’s famous Integrated outlining ⋮ Notes, Scene Synopses, and Omitted text help keep you organized ⋮ Includes Courier Prime, a beautiful typeface designed for screenplays • THE POWER OF PLAIN Slugline uses the free and open Fountain screenplay format, which is nothing more than plain text. You can work on your screenplay anywhere, using any writing app. When you open it in Slugline again, everything will be there, properly formatted. • INTEGRATED OUTLINING Start with an outline, then seamlessly transition to writing scenes. Or jot down a placeholder for your third-act twist while you’re still crafting your opening pages. Slugline allows you to be as structured as you like, even if that means not at all. • WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Slugline keeps getting better, and that's thanks to you! Slug us a line at http://slugline.co/contact with any questions or feedback you have, and follow us on Twitter at @SluglineApp.
Arc Studio Screenwriting
This app streamlines the entire screenwriting process, from initial idea generation to a polished script. It offers automatic professional formatting, advanced outlining tools, and real-time collaborative writing features. Worry-free editing with version history ensures your work is always safe.
- Automatic industry-standard formatting
- Advanced beat-board for story visualization
- Real-time collaborative writing
- Intuitive outlining and story structure tools
- Version history and worry-free editing
- Import/export Final Draft, PDF, Fountain
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Arc Studio Pro supports your screenwriting process from idea to finished script: * Format your script according to professional industry standards without even thinking about it * Write with flow, thanks to distraction-free, thoughtful design * From idea to story: Outline and visualize your story-structure with the most advanced beat-board available * Collaborate: Write with others in real-time, receive feedback and margin notes directly in your script PROFESSIONAL FORMATTING Arc Studio Pro automatically formats your screenplay to industry standards, even if you don’t know what they are. It’s super-easy to use for beginners and fully-customizable for pros. * Fully automatic, industry standard page layout and text formatting * Import and export Final Draft, PDF, and Fountain * Use intuitive shortcuts to format your text perfectly and effortlessly * The most advanced autocompletion on the market: Character names and sluglines automatically completed for you, for faster typing and consistent naming. * Elements are chosen for you based on what's most likely, and can be configured. KEEP IT FLOWING Stay focused thanks to state of the art design. Write with ease and only think about your story, not the page margins or when you saved the last time. * Intuitive interface * Autosave and automatic backups for worry-free writing * Super-pretty night mode CRAFT YOUR STORY Arc Studio Pro takes you beyond just formatting, and helps you build your story with the most powerful outlining features on the market. * Build your story from basic elements: plots, characters, and locations * Add beats and organize them in acts or sequences * Rearrange your story with intuitive drag & drop * Tag your beats with plots and characters, for intuitive color coding * Highlight certain storylines and characters to see their arcs at a glance TEAM WORK Arc Studio Pro is the screenwriting app that focuses most on collaboration. Screenwriting is often teamwork, so we want to make it as easy as possible for you to work together - that’s why we offer the most sophisticated collaborative writing tools on the market. * Write at the same time in the same document in real-time * Invite collaborators with one click via email * Comment directly on the script * Request reviews and send read-only excerpts WORRY-FREE EDITING Tying to find a certain scene or deleted dialogue? Miss a bit of text? Arc Studio Pro keeps track of all your edits and makes it easy for you and your collaborators to recover previous versions. Never search through piles of papers, different documents or endless emails again. * Search and manage your history with ease * Track your own changes * See who what others changed – who and when * Delete and recover whole scenes thanks to sophisticated history features PAY-AS-YOU-GO Arc Studio on iOS and iPadOS requires an annual Pro subscription. A 7-day free trial is included. PRIVACY AND TERMS Privacy policy: https://www.arcstudiopro.com/privacy Terms and Conditions: https://www.arcstudiopro.com/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Arc Studio Screenwriting at Free against Slugline's $19.99. Arc Studio Screenwriting also leads on rating (3.4 vs 2.6) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Slugline's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). On review sentiment, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Arc Studio Screenwriting is free to download; Slugline costs $19.99 up front. Arc Studio Screenwriting sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $99.99 per year. Slugline asks for nothing beyond the download.
Arc Studio Screenwriting holds the better App Store score, 3.4 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Arc Studio Screenwriting has 85 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 40% and 39% positive.
Slugline ships an update every 2 months, Arc Studio Screenwriting every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.
| Parameter | Slugline | Arc Studio Screenwriting |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 2.6 (14 ratings) | 3.4 (85 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews — better | 39.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 14 | 85 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 65 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Act Focused Media LLC | Arc Studio Labs, Inc. |
Customer experience
Slugline
Arc Studio Screenwriting
In-app purchases
Slugline
No in-app purchases
Arc Studio Screenwriting
- Pro$99.991 Year
Questions
Is Slugline free?
Is Arc Studio Screenwriting free?
Which has better reviews, Slugline or Arc Studio Screenwriting?
Do Slugline or Arc Studio Screenwriting have ads?
Which is updated more often, Slugline or Arc Studio Screenwriting?
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