Final Draft vs Dillinger

Final Draft8.8Visit Dillinger8.3Visit

Higher score Final Draft #4 in Text App 8.8/10 5-day trial Free trial✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Final Draft

vs

Dillinger #8 in Text App 8.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Dillinger

• Final Draft fits best

  Screenwriters needing production-ready tools

• Dillinger fits best

  Markdown writers who want a free browser editor

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Side by side

Feature	Final Draft 8.8/10 Visit ↗	Dillinger 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.3
Ranking	#4 in Text App	#8 in Text App
Best for	Screenwriters needing production-ready tools	Markdown writers who want a free browser editor
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	$99.99/yr	Free plan
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	5 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Cloud
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS	Web
Integrations	5 integrations	5 integrations
Features Final Draft 2/4 · Dillinger 0/4
Markdown support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Real-time collaboration	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Offline access	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Version history	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Platforms	Not checked yet	web
Our review
Pros	Automatically formats and paginates scripts, with PDF and other exports Combines outlining, revisions, comments, and real-time collaboration Adds production reports, scheduling, budgeting, and breakdown tools	Side-by-side live preview with synchronized scrolling Imports and saves files through five cloud services Exports to Markdown, styled HTML, and PDF
Cons	The desktop application is a USD 249.99 one-time purchase The one-time desktop purchase does not include Final Draft Cloud Its screenplay focus may not suit broader writing needs	Available as a web app, not a multi-platform editor No collaboration features are described Core editing works offline only after the initial load
Our verdict	Final Draft is screenwriting software for professional and aspiring screenwriters, filmmakers, producers, playwrights, and production teams. Its workflow spans script formatting and story planning through revisions and production… Read the review →	Dillinger is a free, browser-based Markdown editor for developers, technical writers, and others creating READMEs, documentation, blog posts, or structured prompts. Its Monaco-based editor includes syntax highlighting, multiple cursors,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Final Draft — where it wins

  • Automatically formats and paginates scripts, with PDF and other exports
  • Combines outlining, revisions, comments, and real-time collaboration
  • Adds production reports, scheduling, budgeting, and breakdown tools

  Where it doesn't

  • The desktop application is a USD 249.99 one-time purchase
  • The one-time desktop purchase does not include Final Draft Cloud
  • Its screenplay focus may not suit broader writing needs

• Dillinger — where it wins

  • Side-by-side live preview with synchronized scrolling
  • Imports and saves files through five cloud services
  • Exports to Markdown, styled HTML, and PDF

  Where it doesn't

  • Available as a web app, not a multi-platform editor
  • No collaboration features are described
  • Core editing works offline only after the initial load

• Final Draft8.8/10 · 5-day trial

  A specialist screenwriting suite with formatting, collaboration, and production tools.

  Visit Final DraftFull verdict →
• Dillinger8.3/10 · Free plan

  A free web editor for Markdown, with live preview, offline editing, and cloud-file connections.

  Visit DillingerFull verdict →