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.
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.
- 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
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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
The Script Tool
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Open Draft Screenwriting | The Script Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% 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, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Base Information Management Pvt. Ltd. | Greg Howard |
In-app purchases
Open Draft Screenwriting
No in-app purchases
The Script Tool
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Open Draft Screenwriting free?
Is The Script Tool free?
Do Open Draft Screenwriting or The Script Tool have ads?
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