Slugline vs WriterDuet
We give Slugline a 3.2 GPA and WriterDuet a 3.4, out of 4.0. Slugline grades higher on value for money. WriterDuet grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Slugline
Plain-text screenwriting app for Mac, iPhone and iPad
WriterDuet
Screenwriting software built for real-time co-writing
How we grade them
| 3.2GPASluglineVery good | 3.4GPAWriterDuetVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$49.99 once on the Mac for unlimited writing and Final Draft export, and $19.99 once for the iPhone and iPad app. Both together come to less than a year of a typical $10 a month writing tool, and there's no subscription. | BPlus is $7.49 a month billed annually ($89.88), or $9.99 monthly, which is about typical. The steps up are small: 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 | BThe Mac app is a free download with no watermarks and no limitations until a screenplay passes page six. Write short films and you may never pay. Anything longer needs the upgrade, and so does Final Draft export. | BFree has no time limit and gives you proper formatting, backups to Google Drive and Dropbox, and import and export. But it's three projects of one document each, and the people you invite can only read. Live co-writing is paid. |
| Features | AIt does one job, writing screenplays, and does it fully. Formatting is worked out as you type, the outline drags to reorder the script, a timeline shows pacing by page count, and Live Compare marks what changed between drafts. It saves Fountain and opens and exports Final Draft. | ALive 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 for outlining, and on Pro tracked revisions, coloured revisions and locked pages. It imports and exports Final Draft, Fountain and PDF. |
| Ease of use | BThere's no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. There are no element menus and no Tab key to press: you type and it formats. The Mac app is a free download, so finding out if it suits you costs nothing. | BThere's no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Formatting is driven from the keyboard, 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 | CMac, iPhone and iPad, sharing scripts over iCloud or Dropbox, and it trades files with Final Draft. That's all Apple, though. There's no Windows, Linux, Android or web version. | AA browser, a desktop app 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. |
| Best for | plain-text screenwriting on Apple devices | 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: Slugline and WriterDuet. How we grade
Where they differ
- Slugline starts at $19.99 one-time for the iPhone and iPad app; $49.99 one-time on Mac. WriterDuet starts at $7.49 per month, billed annually ($89.88); $9.99 billed monthly (Plus).
- Only WriterDuet lists a web app.
- Only WriterDuet lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Slugline can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- WriterDuet also covers templates.
At a glance
| Slugline | WriterDuet | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $19.99 one-time for the iPhone and iPad app; $49.99 one-time on Mac | $7.49 per month, billed annually ($89.88); $9.99 billed monthly (Plus) |
| Free plan | 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. | 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 | Act Focused Media LLC | WriterDuet Inc. |
| Price read from | slugline.co | writerduet.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Slugline
- Screenwriters on Mac, iPhone and iPad who like writing in plain text
- Short-film writers: scripts of up to six pages are free on Mac
- Writers who want to pay once instead of subscribing
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
Worth knowing
Slugline
- Apple platforms only: there is no Windows, Linux, Android or web version.
- On Mac, writing past page six and exporting Final Draft files require the $49.99 Unlimited Writing upgrade.
- The iPhone and iPad app is sold separately for $19.99.
- Slugline 2 requires macOS 10.14 or later, and the iOS app requires iOS or iPadOS 14 or later.
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
Slugline
- Automatic formatting
- Screenplay formatting is worked out from the words as they are typed, so there are no element menus to pick from and no need to press Tab.
- Drag-and-drop Outline Navigator
- Anything shown in the outline can be dragged into a new order, and the matching parts of the screenplay move with it.
- Timeline
- Shows the outline elements spaced according to page count, giving an overview of a script's structure and pacing.
- Live Compare
- Tracks changes by comparing the current screenplay with another document. Asterisks mark modified text and can be clicked to inspect the differences.
- Fountain and Final Draft files
- Scripts are saved in Fountain, an open plain-text screenplay format. Slugline 2 also opens and exports Final Draft files, including dual dialogue and notes.
- Sync between Mac and iOS
- Slugline 2 for Mac and Slugline for iPhone and iPad share screenplays through iCloud or 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
Slugline
Slugline 2 for Mac$0
Free download from the Mac App Store, with no watermarks or limitations until a screenplay passes page six.
Slugline for iPhone & iPad$19.99
one-time purchase on the App Store
Separate app for iOS and iPadOS that shares files with the Mac version over iCloud or Dropbox and also works on its own.
Unlimited Writing Upgrade$49.99
one-time in-app purchase on Mac
Unlocks screenplays longer than six pages and Final Draft (FDX) export in Slugline 2 for Mac.
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
Slugline
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.
