Final Draft

Screenwriting software with automatic script formatting

Free trial · from $99.99/yrWritingChecked Oct 5, 20264.0 on the App Store

What is Final Draft?

Final Draft is screenwriting software that paginates and formats scripts to film and television industry standards as you type. The desktop app, Final Draft 13, adds planning tools such as the Beat Board and Outline Editor along with tracked revisions and production reports. It can be bought once or through the Final Draft Suite subscription, which adds Final Draft Cloud for writing, storing and sharing scripts online.

Final Draft is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $99.99 per year or $16.99 per month (Suite); $249.99 one-time for Final Draft 13. See every plan

Good for

Screenwriters who need scripts in industry-standard format
Productions that rely on tracked revisions and production reports
Writers who would rather buy a desktop license once than subscribe

Worth knowing

The one-time Final Draft 13 license does not include Final Draft Cloud, which comes only with the Suite subscription.
Final Draft 13 needs macOS 12 or later or Windows 11 or later, and is not available on Chromebook.
The iPhone and iPad app, Final Draft Go, is a separate subscription at $3.99 a month or $19.99 a year.
A license can be signed in on two computers at once; a third sign-in requires signing out of another.

Key features

Automatic script formatting: Paginates and formats a script to entertainment-industry standards for film, TV, theater and other media, so layout does not have to be set by hand.
Story planning tools: The Beat Board, Outline Editor and Structure Lines are used to brainstorm and outline a story inside the script file, alone or with writing partners in real time.
Revisions and production reports: Tracked revisions, built-in commenting and automatic version saving support rewrites, and production reports can be run from the script.
Final Draft Cloud: Part of the Suite: an online editor called Final Draft Writer, a Vault for storing and sharing files, ScriptNotes comments and asynchronous collaboration.
Reader Mode: People invited to a script in Final Draft Cloud can view and comment on it free of charge, with no credit card, but cannot edit it.
Writing goals and focus modes: Final Draft 13 includes Writing Goals and Productivity Stats along with Midnight and Typewriter modes.

Final Draft pricing

Starts at: $99.99 per year or $16.99 per month (Suite); $249.99 one-time for Final Draft 13
Free plan: None
Free trial: Free 5-day trial of Final Draft Suite on one computer. It turns into a paid subscription automatically after 5 days.

Plan	Price	What you get
Final Draft Go	$3.99per month, or $19.99 per year, in the App Store	A separate subscription app for writing, editing and reading Final Draft scripts on iPhone and iPad.
Final Draft Suite	$99.99per year, or $16.99 per month	Final Draft 13 for desktop plus Final Draft Cloud, the online workspace with cloud storage, sharing and collaboration.
Final Draft 13 Educational	$129.99one-time purchase	All the features of Final Draft 13 for students and teachers. Verification is required to buy.
Final Draft 13 Upgrade	$129.99one-time purchase	For owners of any previous desktop version, who must give a registered customer number or email.
Final Draft 13	$249.99one-time purchase	The desktop app for Mac and Windows, with activation on two computers. Does not include Final Draft Cloud.
Volume licensing	Custom	Multi-user licenses for studios, production companies, schools and nonprofits, arranged with the sales team.

Final Draft’s own pricing page could not be read, so these figures come from web.archive.org, checked Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Final Draft before you buy.

Pricing in detail

Ways to pay less

Other savingsSale price of $199.99 on Final Draft 13
The US store listed Final Draft 13 at $199.99 against its regular $249.99 when the page was captured on 2026-09-29.
Stated on web.archive.org
Annual discountAnnual Suite plan costs about half of monthly
Final Draft Suite is $99.99 a year, against $203.88 for twelve payments on the $16.99 monthly plan.
Stated on web.archive.org
EducationEducational edition for students and teachers
Final Draft 13 Educational has a regular price of $129.99, against $249.99 for the standard license, and was on sale at $99.99 on 2026-08-30. Verification is required.
Stated on web.archive.org
Other savingsMilitary and first responder price of $129.99
Members of the military, veterans and first responders can buy Final Draft 13 for $129.99 instead of the regular $249.99.
Stated on web.archive.org
Other savingsUpgrade pricing for existing owners
Owners of any earlier desktop version can move to Final Draft 13 for a regular price of $129.99; the upgrade was on sale at $99.99 on 2026-09-22.
Stated on web.archive.org

How people rate the Final Draft app

4.0

out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app

5 stars66%
4 stars6%
3 stars4%
2 stars5%
1 star18%

1,691 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 5, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing

Final Draft reviews, and where to read more

Works with

Dropbox
iCloud
Grammarly

Final Draft alternatives

Final Draft vs WriterDuet
Free plan · from $7.49/mo
Final Draft vs Fade In
Free trial · from $79.95 one-time
Final Draft vs Celtx
Free plan · from $11.24/mo
Final Draft vs Arc Studio
Free plan · from $69/yr
Final Draft vs Highland Pro
Free trial · from $4.99/mo

All Final Draft alternatives compared All writing tools

Common questions

Is Final Draft free?

No, Final Draft is a paid product, but you can try it first. Free 5-day trial of Final Draft Suite on one computer. It turns into a paid subscription automatically after 5 days.

How much does Final Draft cost?

Final Draft lists 6 plans. Final Draft Go: $3.99 per month, or $19.99 per year, in the App Store. Final Draft Suite: $99.99 per year, or $16.99 per month. Final Draft 13 Educational: $129.99 one-time purchase. Final Draft 13 Upgrade: $129.99 one-time purchase. Final Draft 13: $249.99 one-time purchase. Volume licensing: custom pricing. Prices were read from web.archive.org on Oct 5, 2026.

What platforms does Final Draft work on?

Final Draft is available on macOS, Windows, Web and iOS.

Does Final Draft offer any discounts?

Final Draft publicly lists the following: Sale price of $199.99 on Final Draft 13; Annual Suite plan costs about half of monthly; Educational edition for students and teachers; Military and first responder price of $129.99; Upgrade pricing for existing owners.

How is Final Draft rated?

Final Draft's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1,691 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.

Does Final Draft have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Final Draft is listed for macOS, Windows, Web and iOS.

Does Final Draft have a Linux app?

No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Final Draft is listed for macOS, Windows, Web and iOS.

Is Final Draft open source?

Final Draft is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.

What does Final Draft integrate with?

Final Draft's listing names Dropbox, iCloud and Grammarly. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Does Final Draft have a student discount?

Educational edition for students and teachers. Final Draft 13 Educational has a regular price of $129.99, against $249.99 for the standard license, and was on sale at $99.99 on 2026-08-30. Verification is required.

Who makes Final Draft?

Final Draft is made by Final Draft, a Cast & Crew Company. It dates from 1990.

What are the alternatives to Final Draft?

The closest alternatives to Final Draft in our directory are WriterDuet, Fade In, Celtx, Arc Studio and Highland Pro. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Final Draft.

Sources for this page

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.