# Beat

> Free, open-source Fountain screenwriting app for Mac and iOS

Beat is a screenwriting app for macOS and iOS by filmmaker Lauri-Matti Parppei. It stores scripts in the plain-text Fountain format, formats them automatically as you type and adds outlining views such as index cards and a timeline. The code is open source under the GPL v3. The Mac app is free on the App Store, while the iOS companion app, which has a smaller feature set, is sold for a one-time fee.

- **Category:** Writing Tools
- **Made by:** Lauri-Matti Parppei
- **Website:** https://github.com/lmparppei/Beat
- **Runs on:** macOS, iOS
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 9, 2026

## Pricing

Beat has a free plan. Paid plans start at $11.99 one-time for the iOS app.

- **Pricing model:** Free plan
- **Free plan:** Beat for macOS is free on the Mac App Store, and its listing says the core app will always be free of charge.
- **Free trial:** None listed.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beat for macOS | $0 | The full desktop app, free on the Mac App Store. Requires macOS 10.13 or later. |
| Beat for iOS | $11.99 one-time purchase on the App Store | Companion app for iPhone and iPad with a more limited feature set and no plugin support. Requires iOS 18.0 or later. |

Read from https://apps.apple.com/us/app/beat-for-ios/id6458740044 on Oct 9, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Beat before buying.

## App Store prices by country

"The app", as each country's App Store showed it on Oct 9, 2026. These are the app's prices, not the website's.

| Country | Price | In US dollars |
| --- | --- | --- |
| United States | $9.99 | |
| United Kingdom | £4.99 | about $13.19 (10% more) |
| Germany | 5,99 € | about $14.53 (21% more) |
| Canada | $12.99 | about $10.51 (12% less) |
| Australia | $7.99 | about $13.88 (16% more) |
| India | ₹ 499 | about $8.26 (31% less) |
| Brazil | R$ 59,90 | about $7.95 (34% less) |
| Mexico | $199.00 | about $13.82 (15% more) |
| Turkey | ₺249,99 | about $12.19 (about the same) |
| Indonesia | Rp 99ribu | about $7.20 (40% less) |
| Philippines | ₱ 299.00 | about $6.33 (47% less) |
| South Africa | R99.99 | about $9.01 (25% less) |

## Key features

- **Automatic screenplay formatting:** Formats the script as it is typed, with autocompletion for character names and scene headings, automatic scene numbering and an option to hide Fountain markup.
- **Story structure views:** Several outline views with filtering, sections and synopses, including a collapsing list, index cards and a timeline. Scenes can be colour-coded.
- **Fountain and Final Draft files:** Scripts are plain-text Fountain files that other apps can open. Beat also imports and exports Final Draft files, including revisions and outline items, and exports PDF.
- **Revisions and version control:** Tracks revisions across generations, keeps version control inside the file's metadata and stores copies in a backup vault.
- **Statistics:** A statistics view reports line counts per character, inclusivity by gender and scene locations.
- **Plugin API:** A JavaScript plugin API lets users write their own extensions for the Mac app. Plugin support is not part of the iOS version.

## Good for

- Mac users who want a free screenwriting app
- Screenwriters who work in the plain-text Fountain format
- Writers who outline with index cards and a timeline

## Worth knowing

- Apple devices only: there is no Windows, Linux, Android or web version.
- The iOS app is a paid companion ($11.99) that supports a limited set of the Mac app's features.
- The iOS app requires iOS 18.0 or later.
- The Mac App Store listing says a paid "pro" version may come later, with the core app staying free.

## Works with

Final Draft, Fountain

**Tags:** Open source, Long-form writing, Local-first

## Alternatives

- [Slugline](https://toolgpa.com/tools/slugline): Plain-text screenwriting app for Mac, iPhone and iPad. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/beat-vs-slugline)
- [Highland Pro](https://toolgpa.com/tools/highland-pro): Plain-text screenwriting app for Mac, iPad and iPhone. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/beat-vs-highland-pro)
- [Fade In](https://toolgpa.com/tools/fade-in): One-time-purchase screenwriting software for Windows, Mac and Linux. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/beat-vs-fade-in)
- [Trelby](https://toolgpa.com/tools/trelby): Free, open-source screenwriting program for desktop. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/beat-vs-trelby)
- [Final Draft](https://toolgpa.com/tools/final-draft): Screenwriting software with automatic script formatting. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/beat-vs-final-draft)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 9, 2026:

- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/beat-for-ios/id6458740044
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/beat/id1549538329
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lmparppei/Beat/main/README.md

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/beat
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).