Comparison

Scenarist vs Inkwell Reader

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

Head to head
About

Scenarist

This app provides professional screenwriting tools with smart auto-formatting and on-device speech recognition. It offers unlimited script creation and export options, with an optional Pro upgrade for advanced features like revision tracking and production reports.

Highlights
  • Smart auto-formatting
  • On-device speech recognition
  • Unlimited script creation
  • PDF and Fountain export
  • iCloud sync
  • Revision tracking (Pro)
  • Script statistics (Pro)
Features
Read full description

Scenarist is the screenwriting app built for writers who take their craft seriously. Whether you're drafting your first short film or polishing a feature-length screenplay, Scenarist gives you industry-standard tools in a beautiful, distraction-free interface. WRITE WITH CONFIDENCE Smart formatting automatically applies proper screenplay structure as you type. Scene headings, action, dialogue, parentheticals, transitions — everything lands in the right place without manual formatting. Just write, and Scenarist handles the rest. BRING YOUR SCRIPTS FROM FINAL DRAFT Open Final Draft (.fdx) and Fountain files from Files, Mail or AirDrop and keep writing on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Scene headings, dialogue, dual dialogue and the title page come in formatted. BUILT FOR FULL-LENGTH SCRIPTS Scenarist stays responsive as your script grows. A hundred-page feature keeps up with your typing, scrolls smoothly, and jumps between scenes instantly. SMART KEYS (PRO) Keys above the keyboard that follow the line you're writing: INT./EXT., your locations and DAY/NIGHT on a scene heading; your cast, (V.O.) and (CONT'D) on a character line. In YouTube and Short Form scripts: hook openers, B-roll shots and calls to action. DICTATE YOUR SCRIPT (PRO) Speak your screenplay and watch it format itself. Say "new scene," "character John," or "cut to" and Scenarist builds properly typed elements as you talk — entirely on-device, no account, no cloud. Voice commands recognize English only. FREE FEATURES • Up to 3 scripts with full editor access • Smart auto-formatting for all screenplay elements • Final Draft (.fdx) and Fountain import • Auto-complete for scene headings and characters • Dual dialogue • Scene numbering and page breaks • PDF and Fountain export • Read Aloud with a narrator voice • iCloud sync across all your devices • Find & replace • Focus mode for distraction-free writing • Notes and bookmarks on any element • Dark mode support • Keyboard shortcuts on iPad and Mac • Recently Deleted — restore any script within 30 days • In English, German, Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Russian SCENARIST PRO — UNLOCK EVERYTHING Upgrade to Pro for the complete professional toolkit: • Unlimited scripts • Smart Keys • Clean PDF export, without the Scenarist credit line • Final Draft (.fdx) export for production workflows • Voice to Script — hands-free dictation with spoken formatting commands • Teleprompter — full-screen auto-scrolling reader for filming and table reads • Table Read — a voice for every character • Revision tracking with industry-standard color coding • Script statistics and pacing analysis • Character dialogue reports • Script validation for formatting issues • Title page editor with contact info • Index cards for visual story structure • Print-ready script preview • Color-coded markers for review FOR CONTENT CREATORS Scenarist isn't only for features. Switch to YouTube or short-form mode and you get element types built for video: hooks, B-roll notes, on-screen text, ad placements, sponsor reads, and timestamps. Pair it with the Pro teleprompter and you can write a script and shoot from it on the same phone. PRO PRICING Choose what fits: a monthly plan, an annual plan that saves you over 60%, or a one-time Lifetime unlock with no subscription at all. Monthly and annual plans start with a 7-day free trial. Prices shown in your local currency below. YOUR SCRIPTS, YOUR DEVICE All scripts are stored on your device and optionally synced through your personal iCloud account. We never see your work. No account required. No data collection. No ads. EXPORT ANYWHERE Share your screenplay in industry-standard formats: • PDF — perfectly formatted, ready to print or submit • Final Draft (.fdx) — the production standard (Pro) • Fountain (.fountain) — plain-text screenplay format Built by a filmmaker, for filmmakers. Terms of use: https://scenaristapp.com/terms.html

About

Inkwell Reader

This app provides a dedicated reader for screenplays, supporting industry-standard formats like Fountain and .ink, with features for easy navigation and customization. It also offers an optional AI assistant for script analysis and discussion.

Highlights
  • Industry-standard script layout
  • Scene outline drawer
  • Full-text search
  • Files.app integration
  • Customizable themes and type size
  • Offline functionality
  • Optional AI screenplay assistant
Features
Read full description

Inkwell Reader is a clean, fast script reader for iPhone and iPad — built for writers, actors, directors, and crew who'd rather read their script on the device in their hand than print 120 pages. Open .ink projects from Inkwell, plus Fountain and PDF scripts from anywhere. Pages are laid out the way screenplays are meant to be read: correct margins, dual-dialogue side-by-side, scene numbers in the margin, properly placed (MORE) and (CONT'D) markers. Pinch to size, scroll smoothly, scrub through scenes with the outline drawer. KEY FEATURES · A real script reader, not a PDF viewer. Industry-standard layout for Fountain and .ink documents. PDFs open in a fast, tappable PDFKit viewer. · Scene outline drawer with one-tap jump to any heading. · Full-text search across the entire screenplay. · Files.app integration — open documents in place, no copy required. · Themes: paper, sepia, focus, midnight. Adjustable type size. · Works fully offline. Scripts live on your device. Nothing is uploaded unless you sign in to chat with Quill. QUILL (OPTIONAL) Sign in to your Inkwell account and Quill — the Inkwell screenplay assistant — rides along. Discuss characters, structure, themes, and pacing right next to the script you're reading. Read-only on iOS: Quill won't edit your script. The full agentic editor lives on macOS at inkwell.app/download. Sign in with Apple, Google, or a one-tap email link. No password to remember. REQUIREMENTS Free to download and read. Quill chat requires an Inkwell account, free to create at inkwell.app. PRIVACY Inkwell Reader does not track you across other companies' apps and sites. Anonymous product analytics are opt-in. Quill conversations are sent only to Inkwell's backend so the model can reply. Full details: https://inkwell.app/privacy

Screenshots

Scenarist4 screens
Inkwell Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Inkwell Reader at 5.0 against Scenarist's 4.2. Inkwell Reader also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 75%). Scenarist's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Scenarist sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Inkwell Reader sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Inkwell Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scenarist has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Scenarist's written reviews are positive against 100% of Inkwell Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Scenarist ships an update every 2 days, Inkwell Reader every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Scenarist versus Inkwell Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScenaristInkwell Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (5 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.218.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMykola ViunykRundquist Tech LLC

Customer experience

Scenarist

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Inkwell Reader

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Scenarist

Subscriptions2
  • Name: Monthly7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Scenarist Pro Lifetime$89.99
1 purchases

Inkwell Reader

Subscriptions1
  • Inkwell Pro7 Days trial$14.991 Month

Questions

Is Scenarist free?
Scenarist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Inkwell Reader free?
Inkwell Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Scenarist or Inkwell Reader?
Inkwell Reader is rated higher. Scenarist averages 4.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Inkwell Reader averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Scenarist or Inkwell Reader have ads?
Neither Scenarist nor Inkwell Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Scenarist or Inkwell Reader?
Scenarist ships an update every 2 days, and Inkwell Reader every 3 weeks. Most recently, Scenarist was updated on October 25, 2026 and Inkwell Reader on October 23, 2026.

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