Fade In alternatives · Writing
Free alternatives to Fade In
Fade In has no free plan. 45 of the 67 other writing tools in this directory are free or have a free plan.
Fade In is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $79.95 one-time. 8 of them have no paid plan at all; the rest pair a free plan with paid ones.
45 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 9, 2026 · Where the facts come from
The 12 closest to Fade In
- Free plan · from $7.49/mo
WriterDuet
Screenwriting software built for real-time co-writing
What is free: Free plan with no time limit: three projects of one document each, industry-standard formatting, read-only collaborators, Google Drive and Dropbox backups, and import and export in common formats.
- WriterDuet starts at $7.49 per month, billed annually ($89.88); $9.99 billed monthly (Plus). Fade In starts at $79.95 one-time.
- WriterDuet has a free plan. Fade In does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only WriterDuet lists iOS and Android apps.
- Fade In can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Free plan · from $69/yr
Arc Studio
Screenwriting app with outlining and real-time co-writing
What is free: 2 scripts with industry-standard formatting, cloud sync, automatic backups, comments, and Fountain and Final Draft export. PDF export is watermarked, and the desktop and iOS apps are not included.
- Arc Studio starts at $69 per year (Essentials). Fade In starts at $79.95 one-time.
- Arc Studio has a free plan. Fade In does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Arc Studio lists an iOS app.
- Only Fade In lists a Linux app.
- Free
Trelby
Free, open-source screenwriting program for desktop
What is free: Everything. There is no paid plan.
- Trelby is free. Fade In starts at $79.95 one-time.
- Trelby has a free plan. Fade In does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Fade In lists a web app.
- Trelby is open source, according to its own site.
- Free plan · from $11.99 one-time
Beat
Free, open-source Fountain screenwriting app for Mac and iOS
What is free: Beat for macOS is free on the Mac App Store, and its listing says the core app will always be free of charge.
- Beat starts at $11.99 one-time for the iOS app. Fade In starts at $79.95 one-time.
- Beat has a free plan. Fade In does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Beat lists an iOS app.
- Only Fade In lists a web app.
- Free plan · from $11.24/mo
Celtx
Online scriptwriting with pre-production planning tools
What is free: 1 project with the screenplay, stageplay and multi-column AV editors, script goals and read-through. Script history is read-only and there is no commenting or collaboration.
- Celtx starts at $11.24 per month, billed yearly ($134.88); $14.99 billed monthly (Writer). Fade In starts at $79.95 one-time.
- Celtx has a free plan. Fade In does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Celtx lists an Android app.
- Only Fade In lists macOS and Linux apps.
- Free plan · from $19.99 one-time
Slugline
Plain-text screenwriting app for Mac, iPhone and iPad
What is free: Slugline 2 for Mac is a free download that works without watermarks or limitations until a screenplay passes page six. Longer scripts and Final Draft export need the paid upgrade.
- Slugline starts at $19.99 one-time for the iPhone and iPad app; $49.99 one-time on Mac. Fade In starts at $79.95 one-time.
- Slugline has a free plan. Fade In does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Slugline lists an iOS app.
- Only Fade In lists a web app.
- Free plan · from $4.17/mo
Story Architect
Writing app for screenplays, novels, comics and stage plays
What is free: Unlimited projects and documents, editors for screenplays, comics, audio dramas, stage plays and novels, import and export, and basic character, location and world profiles. No AI credits are included.
- Story Architect starts at $4.17 per month, billed annually. Fade In starts at $79.95 one-time.
- Story Architect has a free plan. Fade In does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Story Architect lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Fade In lists a web app.
- Free plan · from $16.75/mo
Overleaf
Collaborative online LaTeX editor for papers and theses
What is free: Unlimited projects, 1 collaborator per project, a basic compile timeout, 5 AI uses a day and document history for the previous 24 hours only.
- Overleaf starts at $16.75 per month, billed yearly at $199 (Standard); students from $8.25. Fade In starts at $79.95 one-time.
- Overleaf has a free plan. Fade In does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Fade In lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Overleaf is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Reedsy Studio
Browser-based book writing app with free EPUB and PDF typesetting
What is free: Standard: the manuscript editor, unlimited books and devices, import, PDF and EPUB export, one manuscript goal, 30-day writing history, basic stats and 1 Board limited to card view.
- Reedsy Studio starts at $4.99 per month, or $52.99 billed annually (Craft add-on). Fade In starts at $79.95 one-time.
- Reedsy Studio has a free plan. Fade In does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Fade In lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Fade In can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Free plan · from $0.50/mo
Campfire
Modular novel writing and worldbuilding app with per-module pricing
What is free: Free account with limited use of all 18 modules: 25,000 manuscript words, 10 characters, 20 timeline events, 2 maps, 5 encyclopedia articles and similar caps on the rest. No credit card required.
- Campfire starts at $0.50 per month for one module; $12 per month for all modules (Standard). Fade In starts at $79.95 one-time.
- Campfire has a free plan. Fade In does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Campfire lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Fade In lists a Linux app.
- Free plan · from $15/mo
LivingWriter
Cloud writing app for books and screenplays with planning boards
What is free: One manuscript with a limited word count, outlines and templates, notes and to-dos, a basic Elements board, a small AI allowance and basic PDF export.
- LivingWriter starts at $15 per month, billed monthly (Pro). Fade In starts at $79.95 one-time.
- LivingWriter has a free plan. Fade In does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only LivingWriter lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Fade In lists a Linux app.
- Free plan · from $7.99/mo
Typst
Markup-based typesetting system with a collaborative web app
What is free: Free web app plan: create, share and co-edit projects, community packages and templates, and file conversion, with 200 MB of storage and up to 100 files per project. The compiler itself is free.
- Typst starts at $7.99 per month, billed monthly ($79.99 billed yearly). Fade In starts at $79.95 one-time.
- Typst has a free plan. Fade In does not, though it has a free trial.
- Typst is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Fade In can be bought with a one-time purchase.
33 more that are free or have a free plan
- JotterPad
- 4thewords
- Microsoft Word
- LibreOffice Writer
- WPS Writer
- World Anvil
- bibisco
- Ellipsus
- ProWritingAid
- Hemingway Editor
- Lex
- Rytr
- Novlr
- Jenni AI
- Zettlr
- Calmly Writer
- AutoCrit
- Manuskript
- yWriter
- novelWriter
- Cold Turkey Writer
- Grammarly
- QuillBot
- LanguageTool
- Wordtune
- DeepL Write
- Paperpal
- Writefull
- FocusWriter
- ghostwriter
- HyperWrite
- Trinka
- MarkText
Common questions
Is there a free alternative to Fade In?
Yes. WriterDuet, Arc Studio, Trelby, Beat, Celtx, Slugline, Story Architect, Overleaf and 37 more are free or have a free plan.
Does Fade In have a free plan?
Fade In has no free plan. Fade In is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $79.95 one-time.
When was this checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Oct 9, 2026. Vendors change prices and plans without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.
This page is built from the listings. A tool is here because its listing says so, and the order is how close each is to Fade In: the alternatives its listing names first, then the tools that share the most features with it.