Final Draft
Final Draft is screenwriting software that automatically formats scripts and supports writing, story planning, collaboration, and production workflows.
What Final Draft is
Final Draft is screenwriting software that automatically formats scripts and supports writing, story planning, collaboration, and production workflows. Beat Board, Outline Editor, and Structure Lines help organize ideas and navigate drafts. SmartType completes common character names and locations, and writers can store multiple dialogue versions. The software also includes templates, customizable workflows, autosave, sprint timers, and writing statistics. Production tools cover revisions, location tracking, casting, scheduling, budgeting, tagging, and reporting. Collaboration is available in real time for scripts and the Beat Board; Final Draft Cloud adds asynchronous collaboration, project folders, Vault storage, ScriptNotes, sharing, and optional desktop-to-cloud syncing. Final Draft supports macOS, Windows, web, and iOS. The desktop version requires macOS 12 Monterey or later, or Windows 10 or later with an Intel or AMD processor; it is not available for Chromebook. Numbered desktop versions do not run on iPad or iPhone. Suite subscriptions include Final Draft 13 and Cloud, with a 5-day trial; the annual plan is $99.99 a year and the monthly plan is $16.99 a month.
Good
- Automatically formats screenplays
- Offers story planning and outlining tools
- Supports real-time and asynchronous collaboration
- Includes production scheduling and budgeting tools
- Available on macOS, Windows, web, and iOS
Watch out
- No free plan is listed
- Chromebook is not supported
- Desktop versions do not run on iPad or iPhone
- Desktop requirements include specified operating systems and processors
Who it suits
Final Draft suits aspiring and professional screenwriters, as well as producers, directors, and industry executives. Its planning and production tools may also suit teams moving a script toward production.
Verdict
Final Draft combines screenplay formatting and story planning with collaboration and production tools. Check platform requirements and subscription or purchase terms before choosing an edition.
Plans and prices
From Final Draft's own pricing page, checked 19 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Final Draft Suite Monthly | $16.99 a month | Includes Final Draft 13 · Includes Final Draft Cloud · Includes a free 5-day trial · billed monthly |
| Final Draft 13 | $249.99 a month | Purchase includes two activations per purchase and a 30-day money-back guarantee. · Desktop application for macOS and Windows · One-time purchase · Does not include Final Draft Cloud · Shown as INR 7999 per once on our read (localised); USD price not displayed to our checker |
| Final Draft Suite annual | $8.33 a year | Final Draft Cloud + Final Draft 13 · billed yearly |
| Final Draft Suite | $16.99 a month | Final Draft Cloud + Final Draft 13 · encrypted cloud storage · asynchronous collaboration · monthly or annual subscription |
| Upgrade to Final Draft 13 | $79.99, paid once | for owners of any previous Final Draft desktop version · ~~US$129.99~~ · Now 38% off! |
| Educational Edition | $99.99, paid once | students · college instructors · K-12 teachers · ~~US$129.99~~ · Now 23% off! |
| Final Draft 13 Student | $99.99, paid once | student verification required · does not include Final Draft Cloud · ~~$129.99~~ · Now 23% off! |
| Final Draft 13 Personal | $199.99, paid once | desktop application · does not include Final Draft Cloud · ~~US$249.99~~ · Now 20% off! |
| Final Draft 13 Studios & Production | Priced on request | multi-user licensing · writers rooms and production teams · technical support and upgrades included · does not include Final Draft Cloud |
| Final Draft 13 Educators & Non-profits | Priced on request | educational verification required · technical support and educational resources · does not include Final Draft Cloud |
| Final Draft 13 Upgrade | — | Available to current customers only. · Shown as INR 4999 per once on our read (localised); USD price not displayed to our checker |
The facts
Each one read from Final Draft's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Automatic Formatting
- The software automatically formats screenplays.checked 27 Sep 2026
- Autosave Support
- Automatic formatting, autosave, and advanced editing are included.checked 27 Sep 2026
- Chromebook Support
- Final Draft is not available on Chromebook.checked 27 Sep 2026
- Cloud workspace
- Final Draft Cloud provides Writer, Vault storage, project folders, ScriptNotes, sharing, and optional desktop-to-cloud syncing through Vault Sync.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Collaboration
- Final Draft supports real-time collaboration on the script and Beat Board, while Final Draft Cloud provides asynchronous collaboration.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Export formats
- extensivechecked 19 Sep 2026
- Included Activations
- Each purchase includes two activations.checked 27 Sep 2026
- Industry adoption
- Final Draft says it is used by 95% of film and television productions.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Installation limit
- Final Draft 13 can be installed on as many Windows and Mac computers as the owner likes, but can run on two at the same time.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Mobile limitation
- The numbered desktop versions do not work on iPad or iPhone; Final Draft Go is offered separately for those devices.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Offline mode
- Yeschecked 19 Sep 2026
- PDF handling
- Final Draft 13 can import most text-based PDFs but cannot import PDFs scanned from paper or made from photographs of script pages.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Primary users
- Final Draft says it is used by professional and aspiring screenwriters, producers, directors, and industry executives.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Production Features
- Production tools include revision, location tracking, casting, scheduling, budgeting, and reporting.checked 27 Sep 2026
- Production workflow
- Production tools support scheduling and budgeting, tagging production needs, advanced reports, and revision mode.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Productivity Tools
- The software includes sprint timers and writing statistics.checked 27 Sep 2026
- Publishing tools
- Yeschecked 19 Sep 2026
The company
- Company history
- Final Draft was co-founded in 1990 by Marc Madnick and Ben Cahan and was acquired by Cast & Crew in 2016.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Founded
- 1990checked 28 Sep 2026
- Headquarters
- Burbank, Californiachecked 28 Sep 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Nochecked 19 Sep 2026
- Free Tier
- No free tier is stated in the supplied page text.checked 27 Sep 2026
Where it runs
- macOS Requirement
- Mac users need macOS 12 Monterey or higher.checked 27 Sep 2026
- Mobile apps
- Yeschecked 19 Sep 2026
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