# Shakespeare vs Save the Cat!

Shakespeare and Save the Cat! both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 74% of Shakespeare's written reviews are positive against 38% of Save the Cat!'s. Shakespeare also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (3.5K vs 472). Save the Cat!'s advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shakespeare sells 27 one-off in-app purchases and Save the Cat! sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Shakespeare against 4.7 for Save the Cat!. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shakespeare has 3.5K ratings behind it against 472, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Shakespeare's written reviews are positive against 38% of Save the Cat!'s.

Shakespeare ships an update every 3 weeks, Save the Cat! every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shakespeare | Save the Cat! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shakespeare/id285035416/reviews)** | [4.7 (472 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/save-the-cat/id1495073895/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | 472 |
| Positive reviews | **74.1% of reviews** | 37.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 416 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PlayShakespeare.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/809094812) | [Blake Snyder Enterprises](https://appshunter.io/developer/333296577) |

## What reviewers say

### Shakespeare

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shakespeare/id285035416)

Access the complete works of Shakespeare, including plays, sonnets, and poems. Features include a powerful search, integrated glossary, note-taking, and customization options for a rich reading experience.

**Highlights:** Complete works of Shakespeare, Powerful search and concordance, Integrated glossary with definitions, Add and share personal notes, Customizable reading experience, Scene breakdowns and character descriptions, Modern translations and lexicons

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (27)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Modern Translation (AYLI) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Sonnets) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (AWEW) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation(Coriolanus) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (CoE) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (WT) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Othello) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Much Ado) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (LLL) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Hamlet) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Macbeth) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (R&J) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (King Lear) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Glossary by Alexander Dyce | $3.99 | one-time |
| Glossary by C. T. Onions | $3.99 | one-time |
| Schmidt's Lexicon | $3.99 | one-time |
| Glossary by C. T. Onions | $4.99 | one-time |
| All Apocrypha | $7.99 | one-time |
| Course: Intro to Shakespeare | $9.99 | one-time |
| All Apocrypha | $9.99 | one-time |
| All Lexicons | $9.99 | one-time |
| Course Shakespeare for Kids | $9.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Shakespeare Pro | $12.99 | one-time |
| All Lexicons | $12.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (All Works) | $14.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (All Works) | $19.99 | one-time |
| Shakespeare Ultimate | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best app out there
- 👍 Excellent app
- 👍 Terrific app for Shakespeare lovers
- 👍 Remarkable level of detail and care
- 👍 Invaluable for actors and students

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes, buggy, unstable
- 💰 Nickel-and-diming for features
- 💰 Upgrade to pro is misleading
- 💰 Constant nagging to upgrade
- 🤔 Abbreviated character names

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch or opening plays
- Scrolling and UI issues
- Incompatible with latest iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add modern translations
- Include line numbers
- Improve search and navigation
- Add more content like sonnets
- Sync purchases across devices


### Save the Cat!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/save-the-cat/id1495073895)

This app helps writers structure stories for screenplays, novels, and TV episodes using a proven methodology. It guides you through developing loglines, genres, beat sheets, and scene organization with features for emotional arcs and character development.

**Highlights:** Develop logline and title, Choose from 10 story genres, Complete Blake Snyder Beat Sheet (BS2), Organize scenes with 'the Board', Track character arcs, Create emotional changes per scene, Sync files across devices

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Essentials Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Pro Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Essentials Subscription | $21.99 | per year |
| Premium Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Pro Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Upgrade Premium to Pro | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Essentials | $21.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Premium | $29.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Pro | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✍️ Excellent script outlining tool
- 🎯 Effective Save the Cat methodology implementation
- 📱 Good mobile app functionality
- 🔄 Syncing between devices works well
- 🎨 Visual board feature enhances creativity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model with limited free features
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔐 Website login problems
- 📝 Poor UI/UX design and clunky interface
- 💾 Data loss and unsaved work issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when opening Board feature
- Beat selection stuck in window mode
- Login credentials rejected on website
- Crashes every 10-15 minutes
- Unable to upload attachments

**Requested features**

- Monthly subscription or free trial option
- Spanish language support
- Downloadable desktop app with same login credentials
- Printable outline/board export
- Scrivener export functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shakespeare free?

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

### Is Save the Cat! free?

Save the Cat! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Shakespeare or Save the Cat!?

Shakespeare is rated higher. Shakespeare averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while Save the Cat! averages 4.7 from 472 ratings.

### Do Shakespeare or Save the Cat! have ads?

Neither Shakespeare nor Save the Cat! shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shakespeare or Save the Cat!?

Shakespeare ships an update every 3 weeks, and Save the Cat! every 2 months. Most recently, Shakespeare was updated on October 27, 2026 and Save the Cat! on October 23, 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.*