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Head-to-head · Writing Apps

Final Draft vs Scrivener

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Final Draft #1 in Writing Apps 9.4/10 5-day trial Free trial✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Final Draft
Scrivener #2 in Writing Apps 9.3/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Scrivener

Final Draft leads on 1 check, Scrivener on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreFinal Draft · 9.4/10
  • Free trialboth
  • Most featuresFinal Draft · 5 of 5

Final Draft scores higher on our rubric for writing apps: 9.4 against 9.3 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #2.

Final Draft offers real-time collaboration; Scrivener doesn't.

Final Draft is the better fit for professional screenwriters and production teams. Scrivener is the better fit for novelists and other long-form authors.

  • Final Draft fits best

    Professional screenwriters and production teams

  • Scrivener fits best

    Novelists and other long-form authors

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Side by side

Feature Final Draft 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Scrivener 9.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.3
Ranking #1 in Writing Apps #2 in Writing Apps
Best for Professional screenwriters and production teams Novelists and other long-form authors
Pricing model Paid Paid
Starting price $99.99/yr $23.99 one-time
Free plan — —
Free trial 5 days 30 days
Free trial length 5 days 30 days
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Desktop, Mobile
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, iOS macOS, Windows, iOS
Integrations 5 integrations 4 integrations
Features Final Draft 5/5 · Scrivener 4/5
Publishing tools ✓ ✓
Real-time collaboration ✓ (best) —
Version history ✓ ✓
Offline mode ✓ ✓
Mobile apps ✓ ✓
Specs
Export formats Extensive Extensive
Our review
Pros
  • Automatically formats and paginates screenplays to industry standards.
  • Combines beat planning, outlining, tracked revisions, and commenting.
  • Adds production reports, collaboration, and cloud version restoration.
  • Organizes drafts and research in a binder-style project structure
  • Snapshots, targets, and progress tracking support revision
  • Compiles manuscripts, screenplays, and ebooks for export
Cons
  • The one-time Final Draft 13 purchase does not include Final Draft Cloud.
  • Suite Monthly costs more per month than the annual Suite plan.
  • Desktop sign-in requires internet access initially.
  • Separate perpetual licences are required for each platform
  • No Google Docs-style real-time collaboration
  • Its extensive project structure may be unnecessary for short-form writing
Our verdict

Final Draft is screenwriting software for professional and aspiring screenwriters, filmmakers, producers, playwrights, and production teams. Its core purpose is to handle screenplay conventions while supporting story planning and the work…

Read the review →

Scrivener is a writing application for novelists, screenwriters, academics, journalists, and other long-form writers. Its binder-style structure lets authors divide a project into sections, rearrange them, and keep research alongside the…

Read the review →
  1. Final DraftWriting Apps 9.45-day trial
  2. ScrivenerWriting Apps 9.330-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Final Draft — where it wins

    • Automatically formats and paginates screenplays to industry standards.
    • Combines beat planning, outlining, tracked revisions, and commenting.
    • Adds production reports, collaboration, and cloud version restoration.

    Where it doesn't

    • The one-time Final Draft 13 purchase does not include Final Draft Cloud.
    • Suite Monthly costs more per month than the annual Suite plan.
    • Desktop sign-in requires internet access initially.

  • Scrivener — where it wins

    • Organizes drafts and research in a binder-style project structure
    • Snapshots, targets, and progress tracking support revision
    • Compiles manuscripts, screenplays, and ebooks for export

    Where it doesn't

    • Separate perpetual licences are required for each platform
    • No Google Docs-style real-time collaboration
    • Its extensive project structure may be unnecessary for short-form writing

More comparisons

All writing apps comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update