The Story Architect Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Story Architect in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Story Architect
The Insider’s Guide
Writing app for screenplays, novels, comics and stage plays
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among writing tools, read from Story Architect’s own pages.
Made by Story Apps · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Story Architect’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Story Architect’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 43 of the 69 other writing tools we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Story Architect, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for scripts, comics and novels in one app
Story Architect is one app for screenplays, novels, comics and stage plays, with a shared bible of characters and places behind a project, and the free plan has no limit on projects.
- 2
Paid plans start at $4.17 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $4.17 per month, billed annually.
- 3
There is 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.
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 43 of 69
That is against the other writing tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Story Architect you could make: long-form writing and mind mapping. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Story Architect at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $4.17 per month, billed annually
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial of Pro or Creator, available once per new account
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Story Apps, since 2020
- Category
- Writing Tools
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for scripts, comics and novels in one app
Story Architect is one app for screenplays, novels, comics and stage plays, with a shared bible of characters and places behind a project, and the free plan has no limit on projects. It's pre-1.0 software, with desktop apps at 0.8.3 and mobile at 0.2.0. Sync doesn't reach the phone apps yet, the corkboard and timeline need Pro at $4.17 a month billed yearly, collaboration needs Creator, and only annual prices are shown.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free has unlimited projects and every editor, screenplays to novels, at no cost. Pro adds the planning tools at $4.17 a month billed annually, inside this category's cheapest quarter, or $150 once for life, and Creator is $8.34. Only annual prices are published. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Unlimited projects and documents, every editor from screenplays to novels, import and export, and basic character, location and world profiles, all free. One person could live there for years. No AI credits, no corkboard, no timeline and no sync, mind. |
| Features | C | It does the basics across an unusual spread of formats, screenplays, comics, audio dramas, stage plays and novels, with one bible behind them all. But the listing names its own gaps: the desktop apps are at 0.8.3 and the mobile ones at 0.2.0 with features still planned. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and there's a fair bit to find your way round: five different editors, a project bible to fill in, and modules split across Free, Pro and Creator, so what you can click depends on what you pay. Pre-1.0 software, too. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, so computer and both phones are covered. No web version, no integrations and no API, though, and sync reaches the desktop apps only for now, with mobile sync listed as in development. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Story Architect is for
- Fits if you write in several formats, such as screenplays, comics, plays and novels
- Works for a series where every episode's characters and locations live in one project
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you need your phone and laptop in sync today, as mobile sync is still in development
- Not for you if you want finished software, because the desktop apps are at version 0.8.3 and mobile at 0.2.0
- Tight if you lean on the AI, since free has none and Pro includes 5 credits a month, one credit covering 1,000 words
- Watch out: corkboard, timeline and mind maps need Pro, and collaboration and script breakdown need Creator at $8.34
- Watch out: only annual prices are published, though 1-, 3- and 6-month terms exist, and there's no web version
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$4.17
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Story Architect has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4.17 per month, billed annually.
Free has unlimited projects and every editor, screenplays to novels, at no cost.
Free
$0
Unlimited projects and documents, every script and novel editor, import and export, basic statistics and basic character, location and world info.
Pro
$4.17
per 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
$8.34
per 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.
The 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.
Trying it first
30-day free trial of Pro or Creator, available once per new account
Read from starc.app on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Lifetime license
Pro 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.appEducation
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.
Stated on starc.app
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Writing app for screenplays, novels, comics and stage plays. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, real-time collaboration, long-form writing, mind mapping.
Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, so computer and both phones are covered.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Story Architect is made by Story Apps, and has been around since 2020.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
43/69
Other writing tools it is graded above
Story Architect's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 43 of the 69 other writing tools we grade, and level with 13.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 44 of 69) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $4.17 a month, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 6 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 7 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 70 writing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Story Architect’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 44 of 69
- BFree plan and trialAbove 48 of 69
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 69
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 69
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 32 of 69
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 53 writing tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Story Architect is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Story Architect you could make: long-form writing and mind mapping. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $50.04 a year.
What you could make
- Long-form writing and mind mapping: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Story Architect’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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Final Draft, Fade In, WriterDuet, Arc Studio and Trelby
The 5 tools Story Architect is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Final Draft
Free trial · from $99.99/yr
Screenwriting software with automatic script formatting.
- Story Architect has a free plan. Final Draft does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Story Architect lists Linux and Android apps.
- Only Final Draft lists a web app.
- 2.8GPA
Fade In
Free trial · from $79.95 one-time
One-time-purchase screenwriting software for Windows, Mac and Linux.
- Story Architect has a free plan. Fade In does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Story Architect lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Fade In lists a web app.
- 2.8GPA
WriterDuet
Free plan · from $7.49/mo
Screenwriting software built for real-time co-writing.
- Only WriterDuet lists a web app.
- Story Architect also covers mind mapping.
- WriterDuet also covers templates.
- 2.6GPA
Arc Studio
Free plan · from $69/yr
Screenwriting app with outlining and real-time co-writing.
- Only Story Architect lists Linux and Android apps.
- Only Arc Studio lists a web app.
- Story Architect also covers mind mapping.
- 2.6GPA
Trelby
Free
Free, open-source screenwriting program for desktop.
- Only Story Architect lists iOS and Android apps.
- Trelby is open source, according to its own site.
- Story Architect also covers mind mapping.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
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.
How much does Story Architect cost?
Story Architect lists 3 plans. Free: $0.
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.
How does Story Architect compare with other writing tools?
Story Architect's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 43 of the 69 other writing tools we grade, and level with 13.
Is Story Architect good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Story Architect A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $4.17 a month, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 6 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Story Architect?
The plain part of Story Architect you could make: long-form writing and mind mapping.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Story Architect’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Story Architect's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-07-24.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Story Apps. Prices change, so check starc.app before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Story Architect, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/story-architect
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Story Architect: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/story-architect
Know someone choosing between writing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/story-architect/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded writing tools after Story Architect, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Writing Tools Insider's GuideEvery one of the 70 writing tools we grade, compared
- Microsoft Word Insider's GuideWord processor sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser3.4 GPA
- Beat Insider's GuideFree, open-source Fountain screenwriting app for Mac and iOS3.2 GPA
- JotterPad Insider's GuideMarkdown and Fountain editor for books, papers and screenplays3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Story Architect’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Story Architect is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Story Apps. Prices and plans change: check starc.app before you buy.