Why "free" is harder to find than it looks
Most screenwriting roundups list "free" tools that are actually time-limited trials, page-count-limited freemium, or watermark-output demos. We're going to be specific about which is which.
Genuinely free = you can write a 110-page feature, export an unwatermarked PDF, hand it to a producer, and never spend a cent. Below, in rough order of how much each one will help an individual screenwriter, are the options that meet that bar.
1. Penova — free for individuals, forever
Platforms: Mac (macOS 14+), iPhone (iOS 17+), Windows (in development). Cost: $0, no trial timer, no watermark, no account. License: Closed-source freeware. Future paid tier for cloud sync and real-time collaboration; the single-writer experience stays free.
Penova is the only entry on this list that ships the full Final Draft writing surface — WGA-format PDF (Courier 12, scene gutters, WGA indents), Final Draft (.fdx) round-trip, Fountain round-trip, PDF re-import, beat-tagged Index Cards, sortable Outline view, scene / location / cast production reports, page locking, revision snapshots in the WGA color sequence, auto-update via Sparkle, and voice quick-capture on iPhone with on-device speech recognition in four locales.
The editor is native SwiftUI on a real Mac codebase — not a web view, not Electron, not a wrapped browser tab. The script lives on disk in your Application Support folder; nothing reaches our servers because we don't have any. The Mac DMG is signed with an Apple Developer ID, notarized by Apple, and auto-updates over EdDSA-signed Sparkle feeds.
Best for
- Mac writers who want Final-Draft-grade output without the $249.99 fee
- Film students and writers' assistants who can't justify a $79–$250 spend on a tool they're still learning
- iPhone users who want to dictate scenes on the train and structure them later
- Writers who'll eventually hand a script to a producer (the scene / location / cast tables actually help)
- Anyone who values their files on disk over a cloud account they don't control
Honest limits
- Native Windows + Linux not yet — Windows is in development; tell us at rudra.ptp.singh@gmail.com if you'd use it
- Real-time co-editing is on the paid-tier roadmap (single-writer use stays free)
- On-page Tagger / breakdown for line producers is on the roadmap; tabular reports cover the same data today
Penova is free, native, and notarized by Apple. 3.7 MB.
Download for Mac →2. Trelby — open source, Windows / Linux
Platforms: Windows, Linux (macOS only via unofficial ports). Cost: $0, GPL. The veteran open-source screenwriting tool — Python-based, functional, and reliable. Correct PDF output, FDX import/export, all the standard element types. Active development has slowed but builds run cleanly on current OSes.
Pick if: you're on Linux (basically the only choice), or you're a Windows user who values open-source archival over polish. Pass if: you want a modern UI, mobile companion, or Mac-native experience.
3. Beat — Fountain-first, Mac, open source
Platforms: macOS. Cost: $0, MIT. Built around the Fountain plain-text format. Editor auto-formats as you type, PDF and FDX export are correct, the interface is clean and native. Maintained by a working screenwriter who uses it daily.
Pick if: you want plain-text Markdown-style editing and zero file lock-in. Pass if: you want production reports, beat-tagged Index Cards, an iPhone companion, or scene-level metadata beyond what Fountain itself stores — those are Penova's territory.
4. KIT Scenarist — cross-platform, story-bible focus
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android tablet. Cost: free tier with most features; paid Pro tier for cloud sync and team collaboration. Closer to a "writers' room suite" than a screenplay editor — includes a Story Editor for plot structure, a research module, and character sheets linked to scenes.
Pick if: you're worldbuilding alongside the script and want characters / locations / research stitched together. Pass if: you want to start writing in two clicks — Scenarist's story-bible model adds friction the typing-first writer doesn't need.
5. Slugline 2 — free under 6 pages, paid after
Platforms: macOS, iOS / iPadOS. Cost: free Mac app to page 6, then $19.99 to unlock unlimited writing. Polished editor, opinionated design.
Pick if: you only write shorts under 6 pages, or you want to try the editing model before paying. Pass if: you're writing a feature — page 6 is a wall, not a soft cap. We're including Slugline here for honesty; it's not a "free forever" tool.
Quick-pick by use case
| You are… | Pick this | Because |
|---|---|---|
| A Mac writer wanting Final-Draft-grade output | Penova | Same writing features, free, native, no cloud |
| A Windows writer | Trelby | Mature, free, no time limits |
| A Linux writer | Trelby or KIT Scenarist | Trelby for simplicity, KIT for richer story tools |
| A Fountain purist on Mac | Beat | Best Fountain-first editor, open source |
| A multi-platform writers' team | KIT Scenarist Pro / WriterDuet | Real collaboration; both have a free tier to try |
| A short-film writer staying under 6 pages | Slugline 2 free tier | Polished editing experience for one-acts |
What's not free, no matter what the marketing says
- Final Draft — $249.99. Sometimes $99.99 on sale. Always paid. The "free trial" expires after a few weeks.
- Highland Pro — $99 one-time. The previous Highland 2 free tier no longer exists; the website redirects to Pro.
- Fade In — $79.95 one-time. The free demo watermarks every PDF.
- WriterDuet — Pro is ~$132/year. Free tier caps at 3 scripts (browser only, no offline).
- Studio Binder — Free up to 1 project; paid for more. It's primarily a production tool, not a screenplay editor.
None of these are bad products. Several are excellent. They're just not free, and we wanted to be clear about which list each tool belongs on.
Try Penova, genuinely free.
If it doesn't work for you, you've spent zero dollars finding out — and your script is still portable to any tool above.
Download Penova 1.0.0 for Mac