Afterwriting vs WriterDuet (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Afterwriting grades higher than WriterDuet: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Afterwriting grades higher on value for money and the free plan. WriterDuet grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
WriterDuet
Screenwriting software built for real-time co-writing
Which one is for you
Pick Afterwriting if
- Fits if you already write in Fountain and want a clean PDF
- Works for people who want a no-cost script tool with a command line
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a full screenwriting editor, because the editor is basic
- Not for you if you want Fountain explained, since there are no lessons listed
- Watch out: cloud sync with Google Drive and Dropbox works in the online version only
- Watch out: one person maintains it, and the copyright notice reads 2015 to 2020
Pick WriterDuet if
- Fits if you write a script with a partner or a writers' room and will pay for live co-writing
- Works for writers who switch between a browser, a desktop app and a phone
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, as that's three projects of one document each
- Not for you if you want to co-write for free, because free users can only add read-only collaborators
- Skip it if you outline on a phone or tablet, as cards can't be edited or rearranged there
- Watch out: the desktop app and offline writing start at Plus, revision tracking at Pro, and full history is Premium-only
- Pricey if you pay monthly: Plus, Pro and Premium are $9.99, $11.99 and $13.99, against $7.49 to $10.49 a month yearly
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAAfterwritingVery good | 2.8GPAWriterDuetGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$0 under the MIT licence, for the online, offline and command-line versions. | CPlus is $7.49 a month billed annually ($89.88), or $9.99 monthly, which sits in the middle band for writing tools. Pro at $8.99 adds revision tracking and production tools, and Premium at $10.49 adds full history. Students and teachers get 50% off. |
| Free plan and trial | AEverything is free, with no paid plans listed. | CFree has no time limit and gives you industry-standard formatting, Google Drive and Dropbox backups, and import and export. But the caps bite: three projects of one document each, and the people you invite can only read. The co-writing it's named for is paid. |
| Features | CFountain to PDF, script stats, Final Draft import and a basic editor. It does that job fully, but it's a smaller job than a whole screenwriting suite. | BLive co-writing with comments, mentions and text and video chat, formats for screenplays, stage plays, sitcoms and A/V scripts, scene cards and a mind map, tracked and colored revisions and locked pages on Pro, and Final Draft, Fountain and PDF in and out. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You need to know Fountain, and the command line is another route in. | BNo store rating on record, so we go on the listing: formatting is driven from the keyboard with no menus to hunt through, work saves to the cloud as you type, and the free plan lets you start without paying. Cards can't be rearranged on a phone or tablet, mind. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, an offline version and a command line, with Google Drive, Dropbox and Final Draft. | AA browser, desktop apps for Mac, Windows and Linux, and iOS and Android apps, with backups to Google Drive, Dropbox and iCloud. The desktop app and offline writing start on Plus, though. |
| Best for | turning Fountain scripts into PDFs | co-writing a screenplay in real time |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Afterwriting and WriterDuet. How we grade
Price against what you get
Afterwriting has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. WriterDuet starts at $7.49 a month and scores 3.3.
WriterDuet scores higher, and starts $7.49 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other writing tools on the chart, none scores higher than Afterwriting for less, and none scores higher than WriterDuet for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Afterwriting is open source, according to its own site.
- Afterwriting also covers documents.
- WriterDuet also covers templates and long-form writing.
At a glance
| Afterwriting | WriterDuet | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $7.49 per month, billed annually ($89.88); $9.99 billed monthly (Plus) |
| Free plan | The online version, the downloadable offline version and the node.js command line tool are all free; the code is under the MIT license. | 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. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of the full-featured version for new users |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Piotr Jamróz | WriterDuet Inc. |
| Price read from | github.com | writerduet.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Afterwriting
- It post-processes Fountain text; the editor is basic compared with full screenwriting software.
- Cloud syncing with Google Drive and Dropbox works only in the online version.
- The project is maintained by an individual; its copyright notice reads 2015-2020.
WriterDuet
- The Free plan is limited to three projects of one document each, and free users can add only read-only collaborators.
- The desktop app and offline writing with auto-sync are listed from the Plus plan up.
- Revision tracking and production tools start at Pro, and full line and document history is Premium-only.
- Cards cannot be edited or rearranged in the mobile app or in phone and tablet browsers; WriterDuet recommends a computer for them.
Key features
Afterwriting
- Fountain to PDF
- Converts Fountain screenplays into formatted PDF files.
- Screenplay information
- Extracts basic details such as the number of pages, action and dialogue time, and locations.
- Script statistics
- Charts location distribution, page balance and dialogue; experimental views include script pulse and primary and secondary characters.
- Final Draft import
- Imports .fdx files from Final Draft so existing scripts can be converted to Fountain.
- Basic editor
- A simple editor with auto-complete for writing Fountain text in the app.
- Google Drive and Dropbox sync
- The online version loads and syncs files with Google Drive and Dropbox.
WriterDuet
- Real-time co-writing
- Paid subscribers can invite any number of WriterDuet users, free or paid, to edit a script live, with comments, mentions and text and video chat.
- Script formats and templates
- Keyboard-driven formatting follows industry conventions for screenplays, stage plays, sitcoms and A/V scripts. Pro adds custom margins, line types and title pages.
- Cards, outlining and mind map
- Each scene can be viewed as a card and dragged into a new order, and a mind map view lets cards be placed freely and linked.
- Revisions and production tools
- Pro tracks revisions with accept and reject, shows deleted text, and adds colored revisions, locked pages and scene omission for scripts in production.
- Saving, history and backups
- Work saves to the cloud as it is typed, with automatic backups to a computer, email, Dropbox, Google Drive or iCloud. Premium can rewind a document or a line to any earlier point.
- Import, export and narration
- Imports and exports PDF, Final Draft, Fountain, Celtx, docx and other formats. Premium's ReadAloud voices each character, and AutoTranslate covers more than 80 languages.
Plans
Afterwriting
Afterwriting$0
Online and offline versions plus a command line tool, with no paid plans listed.
WriterDuet
Free$0
Three projects, industry-standard templates, writing from computer and mobile, and Google Drive and Dropbox backups.
Plus$7.49
per month, billed annually ($89.88); $9.99 billed monthly
Unlimited projects, real-time collaboration, the desktop app and offline writing with auto-sync.
Pro$8.99
per month, billed annually ($107.88); $11.99 billed monthly
Custom formatting, dialogue and character filters, document statistics, a format checker, revision tracking and production tools.
Premium$10.49
per month, billed annually ($125.88); $13.99 billed monthly
Full line and document history, ReadAloud narration with distinct voices, AutoTranslate and MultiColumn tools.
Ways to pay less
Afterwriting
No public discounts listed.
WriterDuet
- Annual discount
About 25% less with yearly billing
Yearly plans cost $89.88 (Plus), $107.88 (Pro) and $125.88 (Premium), against $119.88, $143.88 and $167.88 for twelve monthly payments.
- Education
50% off for students and educators
Individual students and teachers get 50% off any monthly or yearly subscription, or the Premium Lifetime license, after verifying by email. Bundled class licenses are priced separately.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Afterwriting or WriterDuet?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Afterwriting is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $7.49 a month for WriterDuet. Afterwriting is free, and WriterDuet starts at $7.49 per month, billed annually ($89.88); $9.99 billed monthly (Plus).
Which has a free plan, Afterwriting or WriterDuet?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Afterwriting and WriterDuet have a free plan.
Which platforms do Afterwriting and WriterDuet run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only WriterDuet lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.