Comparison

Open Draft Screenwriting vs The Script Tool

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

Head to head
About

Open Draft Screenwriting

This application provides professional screenplay formatting, real-time collaboration, and visual planning tools for writers. It offers robust version control, character management, and versatile export options to various formats. The software is free, open-source, and available across multiple platforms.

Highlights
  • Professional screenplay formatting
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Visual beat boards and index cards
  • Git-based version history
  • Character profiles and production tools
  • Export to PDF, FDX, Fountain, and TXT
  • Cross-platform availability
Features
Read full description

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

About

The Script Tool

Features
Read full description

The Script Tool app is for writers who already use The Script Tool. Sign in with the same email and password you use on the website. There is no sign-up in the app. Your whole library, in your pocket: • Read and edit your screenplays in proper screenplay format — scene headings, action, character, dialogue, parentheticals and transitions. • Checks: spelling, punctuation, format and character-name consistency, flagged right in the script. • Reports: pages, scenes, speaking parts, dialogue share, and breakdowns by character and location. • Collaboration: see notes from the people you've invited, and share a read-only link you can revoke at any time. • Home-screen widget: the status of your latest review and the size of your library, at a glance. • Face ID and Touch ID: the app locks itself whenever you leave it, so an unpublished script is never left open. • Notifications: when a review finishes, a collaborator leaves a note, or accepts an invitation — each one switchable. Import Final Draft (.fdx) and Fountain files and download them back any time; your original file is kept byte for byte. Optional AI features run on your own Anthropic API key. Everything else works without one.

Screenshots

Open Draft Screenwriting4 screens
The Script Tool4 screens

Verdict

The call

Open Draft Screenwriting and The Script Tool 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Open Draft Screenwriting versus The Script Tool: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpen Draft ScreenwritingThe Script Tool
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBase Information Management Pvt. Ltd.Greg Howard

In-app purchases

None

Open Draft Screenwriting

No in-app purchases

None

The Script Tool

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Open Draft Screenwriting free?
Open Draft Screenwriting is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Script Tool free?
The Script Tool is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Open Draft Screenwriting or The Script Tool have ads?
Neither Open Draft Screenwriting nor The Script Tool shows ads.

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