Final Draft vs Trelby
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Final Draft
Screenwriting software with automatic script formatting
Where they differ
- Final Draft starts at $99.99 per year or $16.99 per month (Suite); $249.99 one-time for Final Draft 13. Trelby is free.
- Trelby has a free plan. Final Draft does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Final Draft lists a web app.
- Only Final Draft lists an iOS app.
- Only Trelby lists a Linux app.
- Final Draft can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Trelby is open source, according to its own site.
- Final Draft also covers templates.
At a glance
| Final Draft | Trelby | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $99.99 per year or $16.99 per month (Suite); $249.99 one-time for Final Draft 13 | Free |
| Free plan | None | The whole program is free software licensed under the GPL. There is no paid edition. |
| Free trial | Free 5-day trial of Final Draft Suite on one computer. It turns into a paid subscription automatically after 5 days. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Final Draft, a Cast & Crew Company | Trelby developers |
| Price read from | web.archive.org (not the vendor's own page) | trelby.org |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Final Draft
- Screenwriters who need scripts in industry-standard format
- Productions that rely on tracked revisions and production reports
- Writers who would rather buy a desktop license once than subscribe
Trelby
- Screenwriters who want free software with standard script formatting
- Linux users looking for a desktop screenwriting program
- Writers moving scripts between Final Draft and Fountain files
Worth knowing
Final Draft
- The one-time Final Draft 13 license does not include Final Draft Cloud, which comes only with the Suite subscription.
- Final Draft 13 needs macOS 12 or later or Windows 11 or later, and is not available on Chromebook.
- The iPhone and iPad app, Final Draft Go, is a separate subscription at $3.99 a month or $19.99 a year.
- A license can be signed in on two computers at once; a third sign-in requires signing out of another.
Trelby
- Version 2.4 is installed on Windows and macOS through Python's pip; the Windows installer on the download page is for version 2.2.
- Version 2.4 added no new features: it moved the program to Python 3 and updated its packaging.
- Celtx, Adobe Story and Fade In Pro files can be imported but not exported.
- It is a desktop program only; no web or mobile version is listed.
Key features
Final Draft
- Automatic script formatting
- Paginates and formats a script to entertainment-industry standards for film, TV, theater and other media, so layout does not have to be set by hand.
- Story planning tools
- The Beat Board, Outline Editor and Structure Lines are used to brainstorm and outline a story inside the script file, alone or with writing partners in real time.
- Revisions and production reports
- Tracked revisions, built-in commenting and automatic version saving support rewrites, and production reports can be run from the script.
- Final Draft Cloud
- Part of the Suite: an online editor called Final Draft Writer, a Vault for storing and sharing files, ScriptNotes comments and asynchronous collaboration.
- Reader Mode
- People invited to a script in Final Draft Cloud can view and comment on it free of charge, with no credit card, but cannot edit it.
- Writing goals and focus modes
- Final Draft 13 includes Writing Goals and Productivity Stats along with Midnight and Typewriter modes.
Trelby
- Screenplay editor
- Enforces correct script format and pagination as you type, with auto-completion and spell checking.
- Choice of views
- Offers several views of the script, including a draft view, a WYSIWYG mode and fullscreen.
- Reports and script comparison
- Produces scene, location, character and dialogue reports, and compares two scripts to show what changed between versions.
- Import and export
- Imports formatted text, Final Draft XML, Celtx, Fountain, Adobe Story and Fade In Pro files. Exports PDF, formatted text, HTML, RTF, Final Draft XML and Fountain.
- PDF generator
- A built-in, configurable PDF generator can embed a chosen font and add custom watermarks to help track copies of a shared script.
- Name database
- Includes a character name database with over 200,000 names from various countries.
Plans
Final Draft
Final Draft Go$3.99
per month, or $19.99 per year, in the App Store
A separate subscription app for writing, editing and reading Final Draft scripts on iPhone and iPad.
Final Draft Suite$99.99
per year, or $16.99 per month
Final Draft 13 for desktop plus Final Draft Cloud, the online workspace with cloud storage, sharing and collaboration.
Final Draft 13 Educational$129.99
one-time purchase
All the features of Final Draft 13 for students and teachers. Verification is required to buy.
Final Draft 13 Upgrade$129.99
one-time purchase
For owners of any previous desktop version, who must give a registered customer number or email.
Final Draft 13$249.99
one-time purchase
The desktop app for Mac and Windows, with activation on two computers. Does not include Final Draft Cloud.
Volume licensingCustom
Multi-user licenses for studios, production companies, schools and nonprofits, arranged with the sales team.
Trelby
Free$0
The complete program. Version 2.4 installs from PyPI on Windows and macOS, and from Fedora, Debian/Ubuntu or Flatpak packages on Linux.
Ways to pay less
Final Draft
- Other savings
Sale price of $199.99 on Final Draft 13
The US store listed Final Draft 13 at $199.99 against its regular $249.99 when the page was captured on 2026-09-29.
- Annual discount
Annual Suite plan costs about half of monthly
Final Draft Suite is $99.99 a year, against $203.88 for twelve payments on the $16.99 monthly plan.
- Education
Educational edition for students and teachers
Final Draft 13 Educational has a regular price of $129.99, against $249.99 for the standard license, and was on sale at $99.99 on 2026-08-30. Verification is required.
- Other savings
Military and first responder price of $129.99
Members of the military, veterans and first responders can buy Final Draft 13 for $129.99 instead of the regular $249.99.
- Other savings
Upgrade pricing for existing owners
Owners of any earlier desktop version can move to Final Draft 13 for a regular price of $129.99; the upgrade was on sale at $99.99 on 2026-09-22.
Trelby
No public discounts listed.
