Screenwriting Software
Links to Free Trial Downloads

Screenwriting Software, Screenplay Software, Scriptwriting Software, Script Writing Software... argh!

Welcome!

A while back I spent literally a month trying to figure out which screenwriting software to buy.  I came across nine standalone screenwriting programs, and I tested the trial versions for each and every one.  Lucky for you I took notes!  Six of those programs are listed below, along with direct links to the trial versions.  (Only six because two of the programs have since merged into one, and two of the others are so amazingly bad I didn't list them.)

Essentially what I discovered is that all of these programs will give you a hard copy of your screenplay in correct format.  The differences are in 1) the way they handle the actual process of typing in your screenplay, and 2) the variety of reports and tools they provide to help you structure your story.  Since these two things are largely a matter of personal preference, the best advice is...

...try before you buy!

At the very least you should spend a few hours with the each of the first three programs on the list.  Any of them would make an excellent choice.  You're going to spend a lot of time with this piece of software, so it's worth the effort to make sure you get something you're comfortable with.  Whatever you do, don't buy any of this software blind!  You might end up hating the thing.

The other thing I discovered along the way is that screenwriting software truly is a great time saver, especially when it comes to rewrites.  These programs let you rearrange your scenes and story-beats as easily as you rearrange the knick-knacks on your shelf.  General-purpose word processors and "screenwriting templates" do not even come close.

And so, without further ado, here are...

ScrWrite's Big Three

Final Draft  * Market Leader *
List: $299
Street: $220-$270

Biggest ads, biggest market share.  Could half the population of Los Angeles be wrong?

Plus:  Polished, Word-like interface; relentless upgrades.
Minus:  Relentless bug fixes.

Home Page: www.bcsoftware.com
Windows Trial: www.bcsoftware.com/assets/files/fddemo.exe
Mac Trial: www.bcsoftware.com/assets/files/fddemo.hqx

 

Sophocles Screenwriting Software * Best Buy *
List: $120
Street: n/a

The new kid in town, and perhaps the best overall solution for most screenwriters. This is the program I went with.

Plus:  Extremely smooth interface; the words flow as if you're giving dictation.
Minus:  No CD or paper manual.  (It's distributed electronically.)

Home Page: www.sophocles.net
Windows Trial: www.sophocles.net/soph.exe

 

Screenwriter 2000 * Most Features *
List: $269
Street: $220-$240

Formerly known as ScriptThing, this eccentric program has attracted legions of devoted fans.

Plus:  Extensive support for non-standard formats, interactive scripts, etc.
Minus:  Quirky, non-standard interface gets in the way.

Home Page: www.movie-magic.com
Windows Trial: ftp://208.240.91.211/windows/demos/mms2000demo.exe
Mac PPC Trial: ftp://208.240.91.211/mac/demos/mms2000PPCDemo.sea.hqx
Mac 68K Trial: ftp://208.240.91.211/mac/demos/mms200068KDemo.sea.hqx

...and the Others

Scriptware
List: $299
Street: $200-$270

Plus: A pioneer in scriptwriting software.
Minus:  Its age is showing.
Home Page: www.scriptware.com
Only demo is for DOS: scriptware.com/scriptcr.zip

Hollywood Screenplay
List: $110
Street: n/a

Plus:  Inexpensive!
Minus:  Cheap!
Home Page: www.ballisticware.com
Windows Trial: www.ballisticware.com/download/hs_setup.exe

Page-2-Stage
List: $79.95
Street: n/a

Plus:  Multilingual, least expensive.
Minus:  Amateurish.
Home Page: www.page2stage.com
Windows Trial: download.windward.net/windward/page_2_stage_setup.exe

Points of Consideration

• Format
  Beware!  While all these programs are capable of generating a correctly formatted screenplay, some will give you an incorrectly formatted screenplay by default.   I won't name names, but one of the lesser lights actually puts the FADE IN on the right side of the page.  (You'd think they'd research these things -- something like that would give a reader excuse enough to move on to the next script.)  Also, some of the programs foul up by automatically putting a (continuing) below a cue when a character speaks twice consecutively -- a convention that's gone out of favor.  And some give you fewer than 6 lines per inch vertically.  There's a lot of little quirks like this, and they can all be fixed from inside the program, but the point is that owning screenwriting software doesn't exempt you from learning format.  (If you're unsure of format, it's best to go straight to the source and get some real screenplays.  Don't go to the bookstore -- those are mostly transcripts.  Check out www.scriptshack.com instead.)
• File Compatibility
  All these programs export to and import from plain-text and RTF file formats, so file compatibility isn't really an issue.  Once you've got your script in plain-text or RTF, from there you can "get it into" just about any other word processor.   If you work worth a partner, though, things will go much more smoothly if you both use the same program.
• Mac vs. PC
  Same as above.  Once you've got your script in plain-text format, you can e-mail it between Mac and PC practically without a hitch (you do lose the underlining, though).
• What About Macros and Templates?
  There are dozens of gadgets available that claim to convert a regular word processor, such as Word or WordPerfect, into a screenwriting word processor.  They don't do a very good job of it, though, especially when it comes to rewriting.  And some of them actually cost more than the less expensive standalone programs.  My advice is to go with the real McCoy.  All the programs listed above will give you better results than a macro.
• Resellers
  Most of these programs can be purchased at a discount from one of a number of resellers (the "street" prices in the listings).  But you don't want to base your search from the reseller sites because they don't carry all the programs (none of them carry the one I ended up buying), and they don't link to the trial versions -- you'll waste a lot of time clicking over to each of the programs' home pages and snooping around for the trial versions.  So do your downloading from here, and if the software you decide on has a "street" price, start checking out the resellers:

• The Writers Store
• Scriptdude Co
• Screenstyle
• Starcomp

Also, it's worth noting that many of the programs offer a substantial discount for students.  You won't get the discount from the resellers; you'll have to go to the program's home page to investigate.

Features to Examine

These are the important features that seem to vary most from program to program.

• Tab & Enter
  All screenwriting software offers some sort of automated scheme for moving you back and forth between dialogue and action, usually involving the Tab and Enter keys.  All the bells and whistles are cool, but this is the feature you'll be spending 90% of your time actually using, so it's the single most important thing to look at.   Definitely type in several pages to get the feel of it, then go back and see how easy it is to change things around.
• Navigation
  Writing is rewriting!  Which means the progam you choose should give you an easy way to jump to the places that need to be rewritten.
• Reports & Breakdowns
  These are intended as production aids, but they're also great to just print-out and lie down with to get a feel for the big picture.
• Scene Numbers / Production Formats
  As I'm sure you're aware, scene numbers don't get added until a script moves into pre-production, yet many of these programs give you scene numbers by default.  So make sure there's an easy way to shut them off.  Also, you'll need to figure out how to get rid of the CONTINUED scene indicators if they appear by default.

While I'm at this, I might as well throw in some links.  These are the screenwriting "megasites," and they're good for endless hours of pointing and clicking while the outside world passes you by.

[Writers Guild of America] [Screenwriters Utopia] [Screenwriters/Playwrights Page] [About.com: Screenwriting] [Drew's Script-O-Rama] [Hollywood Screenwriters Network]   [Writers Write - Screenwriting]