Movie Magic Screenwriter vs Trelby (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Trelby grades higher than Movie Magic Screenwriter: 2.6 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Movie Magic Screenwriter grades higher on ease of use. Trelby grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Movie Magic Screenwriter
Screenwriting software for scripts, stage plays and comics
Which one is for you
Pick Movie Magic Screenwriter if
- Fits if you write screenplays and want a desktop program
- Makes sense if you'd rather pay once than subscribe
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you're only trying screenwriting, at $169 with nothing free
- Skip it if you want a web or mobile version, as none is listed
- Watch out: the Windows version is 6.0 and the Mac version is 6.8
- Watch out: it needs an internet connection during installation
Pick Trelby if
- Fits if you want standard script formatting and don't want to pay for it
- Works for Linux users, as it installs from Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu or Flatpak packages
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if a command line puts you off, as the current version installs through Python's pip on Windows and Mac
- Not for you if you write on a phone or in a browser, because it's a desktop program only
- Tight if you work with Celtx, Adobe Story or Fade In users, since those files import but can't be exported
- Watch out: version 2.4 added no new features, only a move to Python 3 and new packaging
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAMovie Magic ScreenwriterWeak | 2.6GPATrelbyGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$169 once, against $19.99 in the middle of one-time prices in writing tools, though under two years of a $9.95 subscription. | AFree software under the GPL, kept going by volunteers, with no paid edition and nothing held back. Against writing tools charging about $8.33 a month in the middle, a complete screenwriting program for nothing is the top of the ladder. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial is listed. A 30-day money-back guarantee isn't a trial. | AThe complete program is free, with every feature in it. No paid edition exists to hold anything back, and there's no cap to hit. |
| Features | CScript templates, instructional and TV templates, sample files and free technical support. No web or mobile version on the page. | CIt does the screenwriting job fully, and plainly: format and pagination enforced as you type, auto-completion and spell checking, scene, location, character and dialogue reports, script comparison and a PDF generator with watermarks. Celtx, Adobe Story and Fade In files import but can't be exported. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It needs an internet connection to install and activate. | DNo store rating on record, and getting the current version means a command line: 2.4 installs on Windows and macOS through Python's pip, and the installer on the download page is still the older 2.2. Linux gets ordinary packages, at least. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows 8 or later and macOS 10.15 or later only. Computers only, with no integrations listed. | CWindows, Mac and Linux, which is still only computers however you count it. It trades files with Final Draft, Fountain, Celtx, Fade In and Adobe Story, but those are file formats rather than live connections, and no web or mobile version is listed. |
| Best for | screenplay formatting on a desktop | free screenwriting on Windows, Mac or Linux |
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: Movie Magic Screenwriter and Trelby. How we grade
Where they differ
- Movie Magic Screenwriter can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Trelby is open source, according to its own site.
- Movie Magic Screenwriter also covers templates.
- Trelby also covers long-form writing.
At a glance
| Movie Magic Screenwriter | Trelby | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free |
| Starts at | $169 one-time (listed against a crossed-out $249.95) | Free |
| Free plan | None | The whole program is free software licensed under the GPL. There is no paid edition. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Screenplay.com (Write Brothers) | Trelby developers |
| Price read from | screenplay.com | trelby.org |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Movie Magic Screenwriter
- It is a desktop program for Windows 8 or later and macOS 10.15 or later; there is no web or mobile version on the page.
- An internet connection is needed during installation.
- The Windows download is version 6.0 while the Mac download is 6.8, per the product page.
- Screenplay.com states a 30-day money-back guarantee on purchases from its store.
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
Movie Magic Screenwriter
- Script templates
- The product page lists over 100 templates and tools, including 20 or more blank formats for screenplays, TV shows, stage plays, radio plays and comic books.
- Instructional templates
- Eight templates cover forms such as stage play, screenplay, sitcom structure and classic film structure.
- TV templates
- The page says it includes over 86 television templates.
- Sample files
- Sample files include a comic story arc, a radio play, a screenplay and a stage play.
- Activations
- A license manager lets you activate and deactivate computers; full versions allow three at once, academic versions two.
- Free technical support
- The page promises free technical support for as long as you use the program.
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
Movie Magic Screenwriter
Movie Magic Screenwriter$169
one-time purchase
The Windows and Mac download. The store shows $249.95 crossed out with no end date given, and says full versions allow three activations.
Academic Version$99.95
one-time purchase
For full-time students and teachers, who must give proof of academic standing. The store lists $129.95 crossed out; two activations.
Upgrade$89.95
one-time purchase
Upgrade download for Mac and Windows, listed against a crossed-out $99.95.
6.8 Upgrade (Mac)$69.95
one-time purchase
Mac-only upgrade download for version 6.8.
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
Movie Magic Screenwriter
- Education
Academic version for students and teachers
The academic edition is $99.95 against $169 for the standard download, with proof of full-time academic status required.
Trelby
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Movie Magic Screenwriter or Trelby?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Movie Magic Screenwriter starts at $169 one-time (listed against a crossed-out $249.95), and Trelby is free.
Which has a free plan, Movie Magic Screenwriter or Trelby?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Trelby has a free plan. Movie Magic Screenwriter does not.
Which platforms do Movie Magic Screenwriter and Trelby run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Trelby lists a Linux app. Both list macOS and Windows apps. 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.