Story Architect
Writing app for screenplays, novels, comics and stage plays
What is Story Architect?
Story Architect, also known as STARC, is a writing app from Story Apps for screenplays, novels, comics, stage plays and audio dramas, built around one project bible of characters, locations and worlds. The free version has no limit on projects or documents, and paid Pro and Creator plans add mind maps, corkboards, timelines, sync and real-time collaboration. It follows an open-core model: the core is MIT-licensed, while premium modules are closed source.
Story Architect has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4.17 per month, billed annually. See every plan
Good for
- Screenwriters who want standard script formatting on a free plan
- Writers keeping every episode of a series in one project
- Authors who work across screenplays, comics, plays and novels
Worth knowing
- The pricing page shows prices on annual billing only; 1-, 3- and 6-month terms exist, but their prices are not listed there.
- Sync covers desktop apps for now: the pricing page lists mobile sync as in development.
- Corkboard, timeline, mind maps and extended statistics need Pro; collaboration and script breakdown need Creator.
- The software is pre-1.0: the desktop apps are at version 0.8.3 and the mobile apps at 0.2.0, with several features still planned.
Key features
- Editors for several story formats
- Separate editors for screenplays, comics, audio dramas, stage plays and novels apply industry-standard formatting, with Tab and Enter switching between paragraph types.
- Shared project bible
- Characters, locations and worlds are described once and shared by every story in a project, including all episodes of a series. Pro adds relationship editors, maps and extended profiles.
- Corkboard and timeline
- On Pro, screenplays and novels get a card board and a timeline. Cards can be colour-tagged and grouped by act, and changes show up in the script text and the reverse.
- Mind maps
- A mind map tool for brainstorming and planning is part of the Pro plan, alongside an image gallery and presentations.
- AI Assistant
- Paraphrases, shortens, expands, summarizes, translates and generates text using credits; one credit covers 1,000 words or 10 images. Extra credits start at $10 for 50.
- Sync and collaboration
- Creator adds 5 GB of cloud storage, sync and real-time co-writing. Co-authors can join on any plan, with editing limited to the modules their own plan includes.
Story Architect pricing
- Starts at
- $4.17 per month, billed annually
- Free plan
- Unlimited projects and documents, editors for screenplays, comics, audio dramas, stage plays and novels, import and export, and basic character, location and world profiles. No AI credits are included.
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial of Pro or Creator, available once per new account
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited projects and documents, every script and novel editor, import and export, basic statistics and basic character, location and world info. |
| Pro | $4.17per month, billed annually; or $150 lifetime | Adds mind maps, image gallery, presentations, corkboard, timeline, character relations, location and world maps, extended statistics and 5 AI credits a month. |
| Creator | $8.34per month, billed annually | Everything in Pro plus sync between desktop devices, real-time collaboration, 5 GB of cloud storage, script breakdown, showrunner tools and 10 AI credits a month. |
Read from starc.app on Oct 9, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Story Architect before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Lifetime licensePro lifetime license for $150
Pro can be bought with a single $150 payment instead of a subscription, and comes with 120 AI credits. Creator has no lifetime option.
Stated on starc.app - Education50% off any plan for students and professors
University students and professors get 50% off the base price of any subscription plan after proving their status by institutional email or an ID card.
Stated on starc.app
Story Architect alternatives
- Story Architect vs Final Draft
Free trial · from $99.99/yr
- Story Architect vs Fade In
Free trial · from $79.95 one-time
- Story Architect vs WriterDuet
Free plan · from $7.49/mo
- Story Architect vs Arc Studio
Free plan · from $69/yr
Common questions
Is Story Architect free?
Story Architect has a free plan. Unlimited projects and documents, editors for screenplays, comics, audio dramas, stage plays and novels, import and export, and basic character, location and world profiles. No AI credits are included. Paid plans start at $4.17 per month, billed annually.
How much does Story Architect cost?
Story Architect lists 3 plans. Free: $0. Pro: $4.17 per month, billed annually; or $150 lifetime. Creator: $8.34 per month, billed annually. Prices were read from starc.app on Oct 9, 2026.
What platforms does Story Architect work on?
Story Architect is available on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Does Story Architect offer any discounts?
Story Architect publicly lists the following: Pro lifetime license for $150; 50% off any plan for students and professors.
Is Story Architect open source?
Story Architect is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
Does Story Architect have a student discount?
50% off any plan for students and professors. University students and professors get 50% off the base price of any subscription plan after proving their status by institutional email or an ID card.
Does Story Architect have a free trial?
Yes. 30-day free trial of Pro or Creator, available once per new account.
Who makes Story Architect?
Story Architect is made by Story Apps. It dates from 2020.
What are the alternatives to Story Architect?
The closest alternatives to Story Architect in our directory are Final Draft, Fade In, WriterDuet, Arc Studio and Trelby. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Story Architect.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 9, 2026.