Highland Pro vs WriterDuet

Highland Pro

• Screenwriters on Apple devices who like writing in plain text
• Writers who draft both scripts and novels in one app
• Anyone who needs to turn a script PDF back into an editable document

WriterDuet

• Writing partners and writers' rooms working on one script at the same time
• Screenwriters who move between a browser, a desktop app and a phone
• Students and teachers, who can get half off a subscription

Highland Pro

• It is listed only for Mac, iPad and iPhone; there is no Windows, Android or web version.
• After the 30-day trial a subscription is required for all features; without one the app still opens, prints and exports documents.
• The App Store listing requires iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 on mobile devices and macOS 13 or later on a Mac.
• Syncing between devices relies on iCloud.

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.

Highland Pro

Fountain and Markdown writing

Write in plain text and let the app format it. There are 14 templates, including Screenplay, Multi-Cam and Manuscript, and autocomplete for character names and scene headers.

Navigator and Overview

The Navigator maps sections, scenes, synopses and notes, and the Overview shows a whole script or novel in one view with characters and scenes highlighted.

Revision Mode

Tracks changes in different colors with stars in the margin, alongside automatic scene numbering with custom ranges.

Sprints and goals

Timed writing sprints track focused sessions, and goals set milestones for a page, word or character count.

/Lookup

Typing a slash and a question returns quick answers such as definitions, rhymes and world facts without leaving the draft.

Import, export and PDF melting

Imports and exports Fountain, Final Draft .fdx and PDF files. PDF Melting converts Final Draft and Fountain PDFs back into editable text.

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.

Highland Pro

• Yearly$4.99

  per month, billed $59.99 annually

  All Highland Pro features on Mac, iPad and iPhone, billed once a year. Advertised as a 50% saving on the monthly plan.

• Monthly$9.99

  per month, billed monthly

  The same features on a month-to-month subscription.

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.

Highland Pro

• Annual discount

  Save 50% with the yearly plan

  The yearly plan is billed $59.99, which works out to $4.99 a month against $9.99 on the monthly plan, or $119.88 over twelve months.

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.