Final Draft vs OpenDraft

Final Draft9.3Visit OpenDraft7.9Visit

Higher score Final Draft #1 in Screenwriting Software 9.3/10 5-day trial Free trial✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Final Draft

vs

OpenDraft #6 in Screenwriting Software 7.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit OpenDraft

• Final Draft fits best

  Production professionals wanting a mature standard

• OpenDraft fits best

  Free, full-platform collaborative screenwriting

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Final Draft 9.3/10 Visit ↗	OpenDraft 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	7.9
Ranking	#1 in Screenwriting Software	#6 in Screenwriting Software
Best for	Production professionals wanting a mature standard	Free, full-platform collaborative screenwriting
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	$99.99/yr	Free
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	5 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Integrations	5 integrations	3 integrations
Features Final Draft 1/4 · OpenDraft 4/4
Real-time collaboration	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Offline mode	✓	✓
Revision tracking	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Production breakdown tools	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Supported platforms	Not checked yet	macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS/iPadOS, Android, browser
Export formats	extensive	PDF, Microsoft Word (.docx), Final Draft (.fdx), Fountain (.fountain), Fade In (.fadein), Open Screenplay Format (.osf), OpenDraft (.odraft)
Our review
Pros	Automatic formatting, pagination, outlining, and revision tools Cloud collaboration, sharing, version viewing, and restoration Production reports, scheduling, budgeting, and breakdown features	Professional screenplay formatting with beat boards and index cards Real-time collaboration, permissions, version history, and track changes Broad platform support with imports, exports, and production tagging
Cons	No free plan; the free trial lasts 5 days Cloud is excluded from the one-time desktop purchase The full feature set may exceed the needs of casual writers	Its broad feature set may exceed the needs of simple drafting Production tagging is geared toward workflows beyond writing alone Self-hosting requires managing the deployment environment
Our verdict	Final Draft is screenwriting software for professional and aspiring screenwriters, filmmakers, producers, playwrights, and production teams. It automatically formats and paginates scripts, while also covering outlining, story planning,… Read the review →	OpenDraft is a free, open-source screenwriting application for writers, collaborators, and production-focused teams. It combines an industry-standard screenplay editor with beat boards, drag-and-drop index cards, character profiles,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Final Draft — where it wins

  • Automatic formatting, pagination, outlining, and revision tools
  • Cloud collaboration, sharing, version viewing, and restoration
  • Production reports, scheduling, budgeting, and breakdown features

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan; the free trial lasts 5 days
  • Cloud is excluded from the one-time desktop purchase
  • The full feature set may exceed the needs of casual writers

• OpenDraft — where it wins

  • Professional screenplay formatting with beat boards and index cards
  • Real-time collaboration, permissions, version history, and track changes
  • Broad platform support with imports, exports, and production tagging

  Where it doesn't

  • Its broad feature set may exceed the needs of simple drafting
  • Production tagging is geared toward workflows beyond writing alone
  • Self-hosting requires managing the deployment environment

• Final Draft9.3/10 · 5-day trial

  A mature, full-scope screenwriting suite for writing through production.

  Visit Final DraftFull verdict →
• OpenDraft7.9/10 · Free plan

  A broad, no-cost screenwriting suite for writing, collaboration, revisions, and production planning.

  Visit OpenDraftFull verdict →