Luckily, you don’t have to let an empty wallet stand in the way of your Hollywood dream. There are a ton of software options out there that can help you automate the formatting process. We’ve done the hard work for you and sniffed out the best screenwriting software that you can grab for the low, low price of free.
1. Trelby
Trelby is a free, open-source screenwriting software platform that is super simple to use. It automatically forces the correct industry standard formatting, so you can jump in and start writing. Trelby also intelligently alternates between sluglines, action and dialogue.
In addition, Trelby supports importing text from a variety of popular formats including Celtx, Final Draft, Fade In and Adobe Story. Trelby can export in RTF, HTML, Final Draft and Fountain. Finally, it can also generate watermarked PDFs. Currently, Trelby is only available for Windows and Linux.
2. Celtx
Celtx is an acronym for “Crew, Equipment, Location, Talent and XML,” referring to all of the areas that Celtx can help bring your vision to life. In this regard, Celtx is different in that it doesn’t position itself solely as a screenwriting solution. Instead, Celtx is a cloud-based pre-production suite. It enables users to collaboratively work on story development, storyboarding, scheduling and more.
Celtx offers different packages which include different tools and features, but these all come at a price. If you’re just interested in using Celtx for screenwriting, you’re in luck. The “Basic Scriptwriting” package is completely free, all you need to do is sign up.
3. Page 2 Stage
Page 2 Stage is a screenwriting tool that started life as a commercial product. Currently, however, the software is completely free to use. Like the others on this list, Page 2 Stage supports common script formats for film, television and stage. In addition, it offers a unique feature which analyzes your script to generate a report on the flow of dialogue and scenes.
Since it has been abandoned by its developers, Page 2 Stage has no support whatsoever. If you do decide to give it a try, make sure you enter the username and password provided on their website. Otherwise all of the scripts created with Page 2 Stage will feature an ugly “Demo” watermark.
4. DubScript
If you’re after a mobile solution, DubScript might be what you’re looking for, provided you have an Android device. Featuring a clean, easy-to-use interface, DubScript auto-formats your writing as you type. You can import scripts from Final Draft, Trelby, HTML and plain text. Save your screenplay as plain text, Final Draft, HTML and PDF.
All of DubScript’s features are enabled in the free version of the app; however, it is ad-supported. In addition, the free version of the app puts a small watermark on generated PDFs and printed hard copies. To get rid of these annoyances, you’ll have to pony up a monthly fee. Sorry iPhone users, DubScript is not available for iOS.
Have we missed your favorite screenwriting tool? Which dedicated screenwriting app helps bring your ideas to life? Let us know in the comments!
