5 Best Screenwriting Software 2024 (Reviewed & Chosen)
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5 Best Screenwriting Software 2024 (Reviewed & Chosen)

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5 Best Screenwriting Software 2024 (Reviewed & Chosen)

by Ashwin Mason
Updated
June 25, 2022
in Software Review
Best Overall
Arc Studio

Arc Studio Pro is the best-designed screenwriting software, and it is quickly becoming the best choice.

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Best for Beginners
Squibler

Squibler provides a high level of flexibility and usability, providing a variety of tools for a variety of writing tasks, including screenwriting and novel writing.

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Best for professionals
Final Draft

Final Draft is the program of choice for professionals which gained popularity in the entertainment industry.

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Best for collabs
Writer Duet

This screenwriting tool enables a group of writers to work together on screenplays or edit ones that they have written.

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Best screenwriting softwares

  1. Arc Studio Pro the best overall screenwriting software
  2. Squibler the best screenwriting software for beginners
  3. Final Draft the best screenwriting software for professionals
  4. WriterDuet the best screenwriting software for collaboration
  5. Celtx for the screenwriting software for screenwriters

Arc Studio Pro

Best screenwriting software overall

screenwriting software arc studio

Have you grown tired of trying out different screenwriting tools and now need nothing but the best? Then Arc Studio is the perfect tool for you.  

It’s one of the best screenwriting programs on the market right now.

A complete, industry-leading screenwriting tool that goes far beyond mere text formatting and industry standards, enabling you to be more productive, more collaborative, and more capable of telling your story effectively.

You can focus on writing without being distracted at all thanks to its minimalistic design. But it doesn’t end there. Regardless of your level, you will find this tool to be extremely helpful.

It is worth noting that this version of Arc Studio was also used by a professional writers room for the Netflix series Arcane.

Features

  • Minimalist Design
  • Teamwork
  • Automated backups and Synchronization
  • Auto-track comments
Minimalist Design

A simple format system with an aesthetically pleasing design, it will take care of all your formatting needs to make your writing process almost seamless.

Teamwork

Arc Studio enables users to collaborate, make comments, revise, re-examine, and make suggestions without having to be in the same room at the same time.

Automated backups and Synchronization

Worried that you will lose track of your screenplay or accidentally delete some of its most important parts. An automatic save feature is incorporated into Arc Studio Pro to ensure that your project is automatically saved along the way.

Auto-track comments

With this new feature, you will no longer be required to search countless texts and notes to find a certain comment from a collaborator.  

User Experience

Arc team did an outstanding job making screenwriting easier for everyone. Although most scriptwriting programs offer similar formatting options, the design of the sleek interface in Arc Studio Pro accentuates innovation.

Many conventional screenwriting programs are designed to look like word processing programs, and for some of them this can be tedious as well as distracting, but this isn’t the case with Arc Studio Pro.

An aesthetically pleasing interface resembles those of Google and Apple products, featuring a soft white color scheme with hints of purple.

The eye-pleasing design ensures a distraction-free space.    

What I Like/Dislike

I like this software for more than one reason. I appreciate the design, which is very professional. You’ll never get bored using it. Keeping the story focused is much easier than before. Until now, the free version of the service only supports browsers and only allows a limited number of scripts.    

Recent Updates

Arc Studio Pro has recently introduced revision management, which allows users to track changes over time and roll back whenever necessary.  

Overall Thoughts

An excellent choice to consider since it’s got everything you need. The system offers a simplified review system at a reasonable cost while offering all the essential features.

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Squibler

The best screenwriting software for beginners

screenwriting software squibler

A powerful tool for screenwriters, Squibler offers a great deal of flexibility and ease of use. Squibler offers a wide range of tools for a variety of writing tasks, such as screenwriting and novel writing.

The program is designed specifically to help writers become better writers, without having to worry about learning complex screenwriting software – as Squiblers is designed by writers just for writers.

With 30+ ready-to-use screenplay templates, you can jump right into the writing process. Simply choose one and begin writing.

Features

  • Automatic Formatting
  • Real-time Collaboration
  • Intuitive Design
  • Import Scripts
  • Corkboard
Automatic Formatting

The Squibler formatting feature formats the script automatically while you write it, allowing you to focus on what really matters – your story.

Real-time Collaboration

You can have multiple writers collaborate on a single story at the same time, so you don’t have to send it to multiple colleagues before they can add their contributions.

Intuitive Design

Minimalist interface and intuitive workflow that assists you in writing more efficiently, all while avoiding formatting hassles.

Import Scripts

You can import scripts from other programs, characterize locations, and design your own templates.  

Corkboard

A book-writing program needs to have this feature. With it, you can plan, organize, and see your draft as it develops.  

User Experience

You will find the user interface to be one that encourages you to write anything you like easily and without restrictions. All of the options are conveniently located in one place.

Various modes can be switched between, and in some cases, this is extremely useful. Squibler allows you to switch between full-screen, dark mode, and focus mode as well as split your screen for a customized writing experience.

What I Like/Dislike

I enjoy how Squibler helps people write better, faster, and more effectively, by adding a better sense of organization to their work.

While working on my script, it was apparent that the autofill function is lacking, something that needs to be addressed. Guess what? You have to turn that on in the elements section to use it, and that is something I do not like since it should be the default.  

Product Updates

The Squibler team has developed new files and folder structures to accommodate the wide range of users who use the system.

Overall Thoughts

There is no doubt that Squibler is a robust screenwriting program that any writer would be proud to use. It has all the features any type of writer would ever need. Lots of templates to choose from, plus collaborative and note-taking features that are unbeatable.

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Final Draft

The best screenwriting software for professionals

screenwriting software final draft

In the screenwriting industry, Final Draft is the go-to program among professionals. In the entertainment industry, this software has gained popularity, having received a number of awards along the way.

As such, if you’re looking for a great way to write TV or film scripts, you should take a look at this one. Presented with a Primetime Emmy Engineering Award in 2013, this technology is popular with companies like Netflix, Pixar, and Paramount.

Why? This is due to Final Draft‘s automatic suggestions about how to format your work to meet industry standards.

Features

  • Real-Time Collaboration
  • Cloud-based services
  • Notes
  • Distraction-free environment
  • Area outline
  • Templates
Real-Time Collaboration

You and your writing partner can collaborate in real-time to come up with the best script.

Cloud-based services

Cloud-based collaboration is possible using a program that is similar to Google Docs.

Notes

Final Draft gives you access to a beat board to manage notes, characters, and other details.

Distraction-free environment

Thanks to a clean and intuitive interface, you can expect to get a distraction-free environment that allows you to work for a long period of time without having to take a break.

Area outline

The index cards for the Final Draft are double-sided. One side allows you to write the scene and the other side allows you to outline the scene.

Templates

It offers 30+ templates for you to choose from.

User Experience

It is the simplicity of the program that makes it so good. This program is extremely user-friendly and can also be accessed on your laptop and computer.  

The ability to add notes separately to the document is a valuable feature when multiple people are adding notes.

What I Like/Dislike

There are plenty of features in the Final Draft toolbar, including pre-made templates based on the type of story you are writing. There are a lot of options for half-hour sitcoms that will help you format all your material correctly. The drafts that are coming out are better than their predecessors every time.

Upgrades should not be paid for. The final draft should be upgradable for free for a limited period of time, as the lower versions won’t be usable after that.

Recent Updates

Final Draft v12 includes a few notable enhancements, including substantial upgrades to Beat Boards, the Script Notes, and the Outline Editor.

Overall Thoughts

Screenwriting software like this is by far the best I’ve used. This is a very user-friendly and intuitive piece of software. Compared to its counterparts, it shows a very strong performance.

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WriterDuet

The best screenwriting software for collaborations

screenwriting software writerduet

This is a simple but powerful collaborative screenwriting tool that enables a group of writers to work together on screenplays or edit ones that they have written.

The software is extremely versatile – in addition to writing scripts, gamers and video editors can also use it. Suitable for group projects at school, or for giving each other feedback on other people’s writing.

Provides templates, outlines, tagging, and other useful features.

Features

  • Unlimited Co-writers
  • Real-time Collaboration
  • Notes
  • A cloud-based solution
  • Auto translate
Unlimited Co-writers

There is no limit to how many writers can collaborate with WriterDuet.

Real-time Collaboration

Coauthoring and editing can be done simultaneously with this powerful collaboration tool.

Notes

Collaborate with cowriters by taking notes on cards.

A cloud-based solution

It is a scriptwriting app with cloud technology, which includes both online as well as offline functionality.

Auto translate

Auto-translation is built into WriterDuet.  

User Experience

The simplicity of the program makes it very user-friendly, making it a breeze to understand how to get started. Working on the program is made easier due to its fast interface.

The thing I find most interesting about writing online is that no matter where you are, you can write from a computer.


What I Like/Dislike

I find the mobile app provided by WriterDuet to be very useful. A cloud-based writing service makes a lot of sense, and I am all in favor of it. Because it is lightweight, you don’t even need to take care of the limited downloads involved in other screenwriting programs.  

Navigating all the tools and menus involves a little bit of learning. To solve this problem, I suggest you simply fiddle with things until you figure out where everything is located.

Recent Updates

It is the aim of WriterDuet to continuously improve the platform to benefit its users. Their recent update 7.0.321 includes fixes and improvements to perform better on external clouds.  

Overall Thoughts

This program offers everything a scriptwriter could possibly need without being expensive. Contains all the vital tools for getting started. Overall, an excellent application for editing and writing scripts.

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Celtx

The best screenwriting software for screenwriters

screenwriting software celtx

Celtx – software that helps you write your own screenplay within a few minutes. Both video producers and screenwriters can use it. Intended for large production teams.

It is an all-in-one video and screenwriting package for professionals that combines writing, planning, and production. It’s got a script editor and production element library that can help you organize your film’s stylistic elements.

Using Celtx is easy since it works on desktops and mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Features

  • Highly versatile
  • A cloud-based system
  • Real-time Collaboration
  • Storyboards
  • Offline Mode
Highly versatile

Apps for iOS, Android, and iPhone are available that can be used offline as well as online

A cloud-based system

Celtx offers cloud-based solutions that are fully integrated.

Real-time Collaboration

Using Celtx, you can collaborate in real-time with your colleagues.

Storyboards

The program is capable of creating a production calendar as well as a stripboard.

Offline mode

Celtx also offers an offline mode, which is very convenient.

User Experience

Beginners will love it. There is no steep learning curve.

In my experience, Celtx is incredibly easy to use, with the ability to create scripts, save them, and view/share them on our computers. A variety of options are available depending on the scope of your project and the amount of work involved.

What I Like/Dislike

The Best thing about this is that I can share my project – my progress, and collaborate with my team. Templates are easily set and readily available. Love the use of the comment field and the ability to have my editor access my information and adjustment in real-time.

Celtx does not exist in the format I used in the past, so it’s not an installable version anymore. Even though cloud-based programs have numerous benefits, they require an internet connection, whereas a free downloadable program does not require one.  

Recent Updates

With the latest Celtx update, creating scripts is now faster and easier, with enhanced navigation and sharing capabilities.  

Overall Thoughts

Overall a great pre-production program with great features and ease of use. The software is very efficient and can be used in many ways. Scripts can be written for feature films, shows, music video scripts, and short films as well.  

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Article by
Ashwin Mason
I review the best software for freelance designers, photographers, and developers to run their businesses and hire the most appropriate freelancers for your project.