Lastslate

Lastslate is a desktop screenplay editor with automatic formatting, story planning, and an AI collaborator that reads scripts but does not write dialogue. It suits screenwriters who want those tools together on Mac or Windows, with optional cloud collaboration. Its free plan covers core solo editing; paid plans matter most when you need more storage, history, AI capacity, or co-writing.

Overview

As you type, Lastslate recognizes screenplay elements such as sluglines, character cues, and dialogue, and saves automatically. The Beat Board connects story beats to script scenes, while built-in skills derive cast lists, location and prop breakdowns, loglines, and one-sheets from the script. The combination makes it useful for writers who want planning and production-oriented materials alongside a draft, rather than only a formatted page.

Lastslate supports Final Draft FDX, Fountain, plain text, and PDF, and can reconstruct editable scenes from PDF screenplays. That range helps when exchanging or recovering scripts in different formats. PDF reconstruction is a useful fallback, but an editable source remains preferable when one exists.

Key features

AI with a clear boundary

The collaborator reads scripts but does not write dialogue, and Lastslate has no AI rewriting tools. That suits writers seeking script-focused assistance without AI drafting their lines; it is the wrong choice if generating or rewriting dialogue is central to the workflow. When an AI action is invoked, the relevant script excerpt, prompt, and session conversation context go to the AI provider for that request. Local-first storage does not mean AI requests stay local.

Companion Mode and collaboration

Companion Mode watches a script file in another editor, rereads it after a save, and remains read-only. Asking it questions requires Pro or a user-provided model key, so it can extend an existing editing setup without replacing that editor, but it cannot make changes to the watched file.

Review links let recipients comment on specific script lines in a browser without an account, with threaded replies attached to a draft. Pro supports live co-writing by up to 10 writers in one script. These are meaningful collaboration tools, although they require a paid plan for live co-writing.

Storage and AI privacy

Scripts are stored locally by default; cloud backup is optional and encrypted in transit and at rest. The company says it does not use scripts, prompts, or completions to train AI models. Paid users can connect their own Claude, OpenAI, or Gemini account, or a model running on their computer, with the key kept in the computer's keychain. Those options give users more control over AI access, but do not change the fact that relevant context is sent to a provider when an AI action uses that provider.

Pricing

Lastslate is freemium, with a free plan and paid plans billed month to month or annually where specified. The entry paid price is $15/user/mo, and a 14-day trial is offered. Plan terms differ, so the trial length and price should be checked against the specific subscription: Individual (Pro), for example, states a 7-day free trial.

• Free: free. It includes the full editor, PDF and FDX export, the Beat Board, limited AI, 10 cloud projects, and 30-day version history. This is a strong starting point for solo writers, but the project and history ceilings constrain longer-running work. The plan details do not include live co-writing or review links.
• Pro: $15 a month, billed month-to-month. It adds unlimited cloud projects and version history, up to 10 writers in one script, and $15 of AI usage each billing cycle. This is the practical step up for ongoing projects and collaborative scripts.
• Pro+: $45 a month, billed month-to-month. It includes three times Pro's included AI, alongside unlimited cloud projects and version history and up to 10 writers in one script. It fits heavier AI use; writers who will not use the additional allowance have little reason to pay the higher rate.
• Student Pro: 10.00 USD / mo. or $100 USD / year with a school email, for students in the US and Canada. It provides the Pro plan at a lower price for eligible students, but the school-email and regional requirements limit who can use it.
• Individual (Pro): 15.00 USD / mo. or $150 USD / year, with a 7-day free trial. It includes extended AI collaborator limits, advanced models, AI scaffolding, review links, unlimited cloud projects and version history, real-time co-writing, and usage-based pricing available. The annual option is Individual (Pro), annual at $150 a year. This tier suits individuals who want the collaboration and AI features; its annual billing costs less than twelve monthly payments at the stated rate.

The free plan gives up unlimited project and history capacity, while Pro and Pro+ chiefly expand those limits and AI allowance and add co-writing. Student Pro is the lower-cost route for qualifying students. Custom pricing applies where a plan has no stated price.

Platforms

Lastslate runs on macOS 12 or later, on Apple Silicon and Intel, and on Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit). The Mac app is notarized by Apple; the Windows installer is code-signed and updates automatically. It is a desktop-focused choice rather than a web or mobile editor.

Who it's for

Lastslate is best for screenwriters who value automatic screenplay formatting, linked story planning, script-derived materials, and a reader-style AI collaborator in one desktop workflow. It also makes sense for writers who need browser-based line comments or live co-writing, provided they choose a plan with those features. Writers who need AI to generate dialogue, primarily work on phones, or want a web editor should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pro: FDX, Fountain, plain text, and PDF support, including editable-scene reconstruction from PDFs, eases migration and format exchange.
• Pro: The Beat Board links beats to scenes, and the script tools produce practical supporting materials from the draft.
• Pro: Local-first storage, optional encrypted cloud backup, and support for personal AI accounts offer useful control over storage and model access.
• Con: AI requests send relevant script context to the provider, so local-first defaults do not make AI use private from that provider.
• Con: The collaborator does not write dialogue or rewrite scenes, excluding writers who want generative drafting assistance.
• Con: Free cloud projects cap at 10 and version history at 30 days; unlimited capacity and live co-writing require paid plans.

Alternatives

Choose ScreenWeaver if broad platform availability and a free plan with unlimited projects and pages, plus PDF and Final Draft export, matter more than Lastslate's stated desktop workflow and linked planning tools. Choose Screenplay Assistant if its free Spark plan's one project and AI formatting on every scene better match your needs. FiveDraft is worth considering for Android, iOS, or web use, with unlimited local drafts and a free cloud save for one script; its free PDF export is watermarked.

ScriptDraft is another mobile option, on Android and iOS, with a free Fountain editor and PDF, Fountain, and FDX export. For an iOS or Mac workflow, Inkwell offers a free editor with unlimited scripts, offline use, and no account requirement. Plotwell is a web alternative whose free plan is limited to one project, one collaborator, 10 AI credits, and version history of the last five saves. Consider Scriptuber or Fabric as alternatives.

For broader discovery, browse AI Script Writing Software or Writing Apps.

Verdict

Choose Lastslate if you want a Mac or Windows screenplay editor that joins formatting, scene-linked planning, and script-reading AI, with paid options for comments and live co-writing. Its free plan is capable for solo work, but its AI does not draft dialogue and sends relevant context to a provider when used. Look elsewhere if generative writing, mobile access, or a web-based editor is the priority.