OpenDraft vs Story Architect

OpenDraft7.9Visit Story Architect7.8Visit

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

vs

Story Architect #7 in Screenwriting Software 7.8/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 4 features Try Story Architect

• OpenDraft fits best

  Free, full-platform collaborative screenwriting

• Story Architect fits best

  Budget-conscious writers needing broad features

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Side by side

Feature	OpenDraft 7.9/10 Visit ↗	Story Architect 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	7.9	7.8
Ranking	#6 in Screenwriting Software	#7 in Screenwriting Software
Best for	Free, full-platform collaborative screenwriting	Budget-conscious writers needing broad features
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free	$4.17/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	30 days
Deployment	Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile	Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features OpenDraft 4/4 · Story Architect 4/4
Real-time collaboration	✓	✓
Offline mode	✓	✓
Revision tracking	✓	✓
Production breakdown tools	✓	✓
Specs
Supported platforms	macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS/iPadOS, Android, browser	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Export formats	PDF, Microsoft Word (.docx), Final Draft (.fdx), Fountain (.fountain), Fade In (.fadein), Open Screenplay Format (.osf), OpenDraft (.odraft)	DOCX, PDF, FDX, Fountain
Our review
Pros	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	Free plan includes unlimited projects and documents Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android Supports collaboration, breakdowns, revisions, and broad file formats
Cons	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	Mobile sync is still in development Real-time collaboration starts with the Creator tier AI writing assistance uses separately priced credit packs
Our verdict	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 →	Story Architect is screenwriting and story-development software for screenwriters and other authors. Its screenplay editor covers loglines, synopses, title pages, treatments, script text, statistics, and scene-number locking. The… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• 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

• Story Architect — where it wins

  • Free plan includes unlimited projects and documents
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android
  • Supports collaboration, breakdowns, revisions, and broad file formats

  Where it doesn't

  • Mobile sync is still in development
  • Real-time collaboration starts with the Creator tier
  • AI writing assistance uses separately priced credit packs

• OpenDraft7.9/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit OpenDraftFull verdict →
• Story Architect7.8/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A broad, affordable writing suite with planning, collaboration, breakdowns, and AI tools.

  Try Story ArchitectFull verdict →