Final Draft vs Screenwriter-mode

Final Draft9.3Visit SMScreenwriter-mode7.9Visit

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

vs

SM Screenwriter-mode #5 in Screenwriting Software 7.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 4 features Visit site

• Final Draft fits best

  Production professionals wanting a mature standard

• Screenwriter-mode fits best

  Plain-text writers using lightweight desktop tools

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Side by side

Feature	Final Draft 9.3/10 Visit ↗	SMScreenwriter-mode 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	7.9
Ranking	#1 in Screenwriting Software	#5 in Screenwriting Software
Best for	Production professionals wanting a mature standard	Plain-text writers using lightweight desktop tools
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	$99.99/yr	Free plan
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	5 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Desktop
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS	Windows, macOS, Linux
Integrations	5 integrations	1 integrations
Features Final Draft 1/4 · Screenwriter-mode 1/4
Real-time collaboration	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Offline mode	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Revision tracking	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Production breakdown tools	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Supported platforms	Not checked yet	Linux, macOS, Windows
Export formats	extensive	PDF, .screenplay, .scp, .org
Our review
Pros	Automatic formatting, pagination, outlining, and revision tools Cloud collaboration, sharing, version viewing, and restoration Production reports, scheduling, budgeting, and breakdown features	Free and cross-platform on Linux, macOS, and Windows Core screenplay formatting with automatic .scp and .screenplay activation Character, location, scheduling, and production-oriented reports
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	Requires comfort with GNU Emacs and command-line tools Collaboration features are outside its stated focus Revision and publishing capabilities are limited in scope
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 →	Screenwriter-mode is a screenplay-formatting plug-in for GNU Emacs, aimed at writers and production users who are comfortable working with Emacs and command-line tools. It supports slug lines, action, dialogue, and transitions, while… 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

• Screenwriter-mode — where it wins

  • Free and cross-platform on Linux, macOS, and Windows
  • Core screenplay formatting with automatic .scp and .screenplay activation
  • Character, location, scheduling, and production-oriented reports

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires comfort with GNU Emacs and command-line tools
  • Collaboration features are outside its stated focus
  • Revision and publishing capabilities are limited in scope

• Final Draft9.3/10 · 5-day trial

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

  Visit Final DraftFull verdict →
• SMScreenwriter-mode7.9/10 · Free plan

  A free, plain-text screenplay tool for writers comfortable with GNU Emacs.

  Visit siteFull verdict →