Comparison

Arc Studio Screenwriting vs Highland Pro

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

Highland Pro

This app offers a streamlined writing experience for screenplays, scripts, and novels. It provides distraction-free tools, organizational features, and compatibility with professional formats to help writers focus on their story and enhance their creative process.

Highlights
  • Distraction-free writing tools
  • Integrated lookup for quick answers
  • Snippet and idea storage (The Shelf)
  • Professional title page builder
  • Overview of entire document
  • Grammar and gender analysis
  • Import/export Fountain, Final Draft, and PDF
Features
Read full description

Highland Pro is a better screenwriting app — one you’ll want to use for everything you write. Highland’s clean design and innovative writing tools help you focus on your story, not formatting. With full support for Mac, iPad, and iPhone, you can write scripts, screenplays, and novels anytime, anywhere. “Highland is just a cleaner, purer way to be creative.” — Phil Lord, Writer/Director of The Lego Movie, 21 & 22 Jump Street . . . . . F E A T U R E S . . . . . Created by screenwriter and novelist John August, Highland Pro is built by writers, for writers. Its distraction-free tools help you get things written: •/Lookup. (NEW!) Get quick answers — definitions, rhymes, world facts — without leaving your draft. •The Shelf. (NEW!) Store snippets, notes, and ideas. Afraid to cut dialogue? Save it while you write. •Title Page Builder. (NEW!) Build professional title pages that meet script formatting standards. •Custom Pages. (NEW!) Add prefaces, cast lists, or production breakdowns to any screenplay or script. •Overview. (NEW!) See your entire screenplay, script, or novel in one view. Highlight characters, scenes, and more. •Grammar Highlight. (NEW!) Strengthen writing by exploring nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in your document. •The Navigator. (Improved!) Track your story’s structure — what you’ve written and what’s next. •Headers and Footers. (Improved!) Add custom headers and footers to your script or draft. •Templates. (Improved!) Choose from 14 writing templates, including Screenplay, Multi-Cam, and Manuscript. •Themes. (Improved!) Customize your writing environment with 12 themes or build your own. •Revision Mode. Track changes with color and margin stars. •Writing Sprints. Boost output with timed, focused writing sessions. •Full Screen Mode. Create in a clean, distraction-free environment. •In-line Notes & Synopses. Keep beats and screenplay notes inside your draft. . . . . . S C R E E N W R I T E R S . . . . . Highland Pro is made for screenwriters working on film, TV, or any professional writing project. •Compatibility. Import/export Fountain, Final Draft (.fdx), and PDFs, perfect for studio workflows. •Autocomplete. Type faster with smart suggestions for character names and scene headers. •Character Highlighting. Organize characters visually in the writing interface and exports. •Gender Analysis. Analyze gender representation across your script or novel. •Scene Numbering. Automatic scene numbering, including custom ranges, essential for professional scripts. •PDF Melting. Highland’s exclusive tool “melts” Final Draft and Fountain PDFs for full editing. . . . . . A D V A N T A G E S . . . . . Highland Pro is built for today’s professional writers, whether writing a first screenplay or polishing a production draft. •Excellent Performance. From scrolling to previews, Highland is fast, using native Apple technologies. •Great Typography. Beautiful, readable fonts optimized for screenwriting and long-form writing. •Standards-Leading. From the creators of Fountain, Highland speaks Fountain and Markdown fluently. . . . . . S U B S C R I P T I O N . . . . . After a free 30-day trial, your subscription unlocks ALL FEATURES and supports Highland’s development. If your subscription lapses, Highland Pro still opens, prints, and exports documents in compatible formats. You’re never locked in. . . . . . S U P P O R T . . . . . The in-app “Welcome to Highland” tutorial walks you through the features. We also have an extensive FAQ available in-app and online: http://quoteunquoteapps.com Questions? Use the Help menu or email: support@quoteunquoteapps.com . . . . .P R I V A C Y . . . . . We’re fully committed to respecting your privacy and your content. For details, visit:https://support.quoteunquoteapps.com/privacy-policy . . . . . E U L A . . . . . https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Arc Studio Screenwriting4 screens
Highland Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Highland Pro at 4.9 against Arc Studio Screenwriting's 3.4. Highland Pro also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). Arc Studio Screenwriting's advantage is ratings volume (85 vs 13) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Arc Studio Screenwriting sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $99.99 per year and Highland Pro sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Highland Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Arc Studio Screenwriting has 85 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of Arc Studio Screenwriting's written reviews are positive against 46% of Highland Pro's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Arc Studio Screenwriting versus Highland Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArc Studio ScreenwritingHighland Pro
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (85 ratings)4.9 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews39.4% of reviews46.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings85 — better13
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.4 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB74 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperArc Studio Labs, Inc.Quote-Unquote LLC

Customer experience

Arc Studio Screenwriting

All ratings85 ratings
Positive52.9%
Neutral8.2%
Negative38.8%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive39.4%
Neutral6.1%
Negative54.5%

Highland Pro

All ratings13 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews137 reviews
Positive46.0%
Neutral6.6%
Negative47.4%

Bugs and requests

Arc Studio Screenwriting

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Highland Pro

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Sync deleting draft documents
  • Preview mode not remembering last position
  • Crashes and data loss on iPad

Requested features

3 requests
  • Customizable color themes
  • Export options beyond PDF
  • Retain free version for students

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Arc Studio Screenwriting

Subscriptions1
  • Pro$99.991 Year
2 purchases

Highland Pro

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Yearly1 Month trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Arc Studio Screenwriting free?
Arc Studio Screenwriting is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Highland Pro free?
Highland Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Arc Studio Screenwriting or Highland Pro?
Highland Pro is rated higher. Arc Studio Screenwriting averages 3.4 out of 5 from 85 ratings, while Highland Pro averages 4.9 from 13 ratings.
Do Arc Studio Screenwriting or Highland Pro have ads?
Neither Arc Studio Screenwriting nor Highland Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Arc Studio Screenwriting or Highland Pro?
Arc Studio Screenwriting ships an update every 3 weeks, and Highland Pro every 3 weeks. Most recently, Arc Studio Screenwriting was updated on September 22, 2026 and Highland Pro on September 16, 2026.

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