Open Draft Screenwriting vs Scenarly
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Open Draft Screenwriting
This free, open-source application offers professional screenplay formatting, real-time collaboration, and visual planning tools. It supports multiple export formats and is available across all major operating systems, providing a privacy-first writing experience.
- Professional screenplay formatting
- Real-time collaboration
- Beat boards and index cards
- Version history tracking
- Character profiles and production tools
- Export to PDF, FDX, Fountain, and TXT
- Cross-platform availability
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OpenDraft is a free, open-source screenwriting application — a modern alternative to Final Draft. PROFESSIONAL SCREENPLAY FORMATTING Write in industry-standard format with automatic element formatting for scene headings, action, character names, dialogue, and parentheticals. What you see is what you export. REAL-TIME COLLABORATION Co-write with your writing partner in real time with live cursors, just like Google Docs. No account required — just share a link and start writing together. BEAT BOARDS & INDEX CARDS Plan your story visually. Drag and drop scene cards, color-code acts, and restructure your screenplay without losing a single word. VERSION HISTORY Every save is tracked with Git-based version control. Compare drafts side by side, see exactly what changed, and restore any previous version instantly. CHARACTER PROFILES & PRODUCTION TOOLS Build character bibles, track dialogue stats, tag scenes for production, and manage your entire project from one place. EXPORT ANYWHERE Export to PDF, Final Draft (.fdx), Fountain, and plain text. Your work is never locked into a proprietary format. WORKS EVERYWHERE Available on macOS, iOS, Windows, Linux, and Android. Run it as a desktop app or self-host in your browser. WHY OPENDRAFT? - 100% free and open source (MIT license) - No subscription, no cloud lock-in - Works fully offline — no internet required - Privacy-first: no tracking, no analytics - Import from Final Draft, Fountain, and PDF
Scenarly
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Write screenplays effortlessly with Scenarly® — a modern, elegant, and cross-platform screenwriting app designed for amateur and professional writers who refuse to compromise. ▸ WRITE screenplays in an editor designed for fluid, uninterrupted creative flow that automatically handles all industry-standard formatting as you type. ▸ PLAN your story research with total visual freedom by connecting cards, dropping in voice notes, and grouping images on a flexible canvas. ▸ TWEAK the workspace to make it truly yours by customizing visual themes, multi-language support, and screenplay layouts to match your workflow. ▸ MASTER production-ready scripts with locked scenes, frozen pages, and revision tracking to keep your entire crew aligned through every rewrite. ▸ FIND any scene effortlessly using the built-in sidebar and powerful script-wide search features that let you make updates in seconds. ▸ SYNC your writers' room online by collaborating live with co-writers and backing up every edit safely to the cloud in real time. ——— COMING FROM FINAL DRAFT? ——— ▸ SEAMLESS TRANSITION: Import your existing .fdx, .fadein, or .wdz files instantly and keep writing without breaking your stride. ▸ BUILT FOR TODAY: Enjoy a modern interface, real-time collaboration and full feature parity on every device. ▸ NO ACCOUNTS, NO RESTRICTIONS: Create unlimited projects and export clean, watermark-free scripts without forcing account registration. ▸ SOURCE-AVAILABLE CODE: Complete code transparency and open development vs. opaque legacy software. ▸ FREE TO USE: Professional-grade scriptwriting without steep legacy price tags or costly upgrade cycles. ——————— KEY FEATURES ——————— ▸ CROSS-PLATFORM Access and edit your projects seamlessly on desktop (Windows & macOS), phone (iOS & Android), or directly inside your browser. ▸ OFFLINE-FIRST Work anywhere with complete core functionality without needing an account or active internet connection. ▸ CLOUD SAVE Keep your work seamlessly updated and backed up across all your devices. ▸ REAL-TIME COLLABORATION Invite teammates to co-write, review, and edit documents together simultaneously. ▸ INDUSTRY FORMATTING Maintain professional standards with fully customizable layouts, standard screenplay page breaks, and dual dialogue positioning. ▸ LOCKING & REVISION MODE Prepare scripts for shooting using color-coded revision tracking and strict scene or page locking features. ▸ SCENE MANAGEMENT Organize your project effortlessly using easy outline navigation and drag-and-drop scene reordering. ▸ CHARACTER TRACKING Keep track of every character with custom color highlighting and dedicated profile synopses. ▸ BOARDS Brainstorm and structure your plot visually using flexible story cards, outlines, and recorded voice notes. ▸ FOLDERS Keep your workspace organized using structured folders, revision drafts, and visual mood boards. ▸ SMART EDITOR Speed up your writing flow with context-aware auto-completion and an integrated spellchecker. ▸ CUSTOMIZATION Personalize your editing space using visual color themes and fully custom keybinds. ▸ STATISTICS Gain deep insights into your script with visual charts for dialogue distribution and character frequency. ▸ THE SHELF Keep alternate scenes, dialogue lines, and extra drafts organized without cluttering your active script. ▸ SEARCH & REPLACE Locate and edit specific script elements, names, or terms instantly using advanced filtering tools. ▸ INLINE COMMENTS Collaborate smoothly by leaving inline discussion threads and targeted feedback directly on the text. ▸ TIME TRACKING Build consistent habits and monitor your output using dedicated timed writing sessions. ▸ AND MANY MORE...
Screenshots
Verdict
Open Draft Screenwriting and Scenarly are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Open Draft Screenwriting | Scenarly |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 63 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Base Information Management Pvt. Ltd. | Hugo Bois |
In-app purchases
Open Draft Screenwriting
No in-app purchases
Scenarly
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Open Draft Screenwriting free?
Is Scenarly free?
Do Open Draft Screenwriting or Scenarly have ads?
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