Afterwriting review (2026): is it any good?
Free tool that turns Fountain screenplays into PDFs
Afterwriting report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for turning Fountain scripts into PDFs
Afterwriting turns Fountain screenplays into formatted PDFs, in the browser, offline or on the command line, at no cost. The editor is basic, you need to know Fountain, and the copyright notice reads 2015 to 2020 with one maintainer.
Who Afterwriting is for
- 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
Who Afterwriting is not for
- 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
Why Afterwriting gets a 3.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for money$0 under the MIT licence, for the online, offline and command-line versions.
- AFree plan and trialEverything is free, with no paid plans listed.
- CFeaturesFountain 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.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. You need to know Fountain, and the command line is another route in.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, an offline version and a command line, with Google Drive, Dropbox and Final Draft.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Afterwriting's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/afterwriting#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/afterwriting.svg" alt="Afterwriting: 3.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Afterwriting stands among writing tools
Afterwriting's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 119 of the 136 other writing tools we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 108 of 136) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Afterwriting has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 137 writing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Afterwriting’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 89 of 136, level with 47
- AFree plan and trialAbove 108 of 136, level with 28
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 136, level with 91
- CEase of useAbove 7 of 136, level with 81
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 71 of 136, level with 56
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 107 writing tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Afterwriting, or make your own?
Keep it
Afterwriting is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 119 of the 136 other writing tools we grade.
What you could make
- Documents: an app builder makes this well.
What this rests on. Afterwriting’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Afterwriting?
Afterwriting is a free, open-source tool for screenplays written in the Fountain format. It converts Fountain files to formatted PDFs and reports statistics such as page count, action and dialogue time and locations. It has a basic editor, imports Final Draft files and can sync with Google Drive and Dropbox in the online version.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Afterwriting pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Afterwriting is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- 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 trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Afterwriting | $0 | Online and offline versions plus a command line tool, with no paid plans listed. |
Read from github.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Afterwriting before you buy.
Works with
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- Final Draft
Afterwriting alternatives
- Afterwriting vs Highland Pro
Free trial · from $4.99/mo
- Afterwriting vs WriterDuet
Free plan · from $7.49/mo
- Afterwriting vs Fade In
Free trial · from $79.95 one-time
- Afterwriting vs Beat
Free plan · from $11.99 one-time
Common questions
Does Afterwriting have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Afterwriting is listed for Web.
Does Afterwriting have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Afterwriting is listed for Web.
Is Afterwriting open source?
Yes. Afterwriting is open source, according to its own site.
Does Afterwriting work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.