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The Best Mobile Screenwriting Apps You Should Try

By April 20, 2023May 4th, 2023No Comments

The Best Screenwriting Apps You Should TryFace it – we’re always on the go, which is why it’s a good idea to invest in screenwriting apps. While you might not choose to write your entire screenplay on an app, many screenwriting apps are user-friendly and can provide relief when that next great line of dialogue or scene comes to mind and you’re miles away from your computer.

Here’s a list of some of the best apps for screenwriters that you can download today. 

Professional Screenwriting Software Apps

Final Draft Go for iPad & iPhone

iOS | $1.99/mo & $9.99/yr

As the #1 screenwriting software in the world, chances are you’re at least familiar with Final Draft. With the Final Draft Go app you can write and edit your screenplay on the go, send or share your files between multiple platforms, and sync with Dropbox and iCloud. Other great features include Character Highlighting, Outline View, Revision Tools, Night Mode and Grammarly Integration.

Note: you don’t need to own the desktop version of Final Draft to use this app, but if you do own the desktop version already, this app makes a great companion to it.

Fade In Pro

iOS | $4.99

Fade In Pro has a state-of-the-art application interface. It does everything professional screenwriters need and its app is a great companion for it. The app helps take care of everything that you need to efficiently navigate your script, including proper script formatting, like standard script styles and provides tools for quickly selecting character and location names.

You can also easily access your work on the go via import/export using iCloud/Dropbox/Google Drive/OneDrive and sync your writing seamlessly with your computer.

Scriptation

iOS | Free & Premium

Scriptation is an Emmy-winning app that helps with the editing process once that first (or second) draft is complete. With its many tools, you can easily make notes to your scripts, and thanks to its algorithm, it also analyzes script changes and transfers every note to its corresponding location in literally seconds. Writers can also use it to share notes and highlight scenes, among other benefits. 

ScriptBuilder

iOS | Free (with in-app purchases)

This is the perfect app for those writers who have a great idea for a script but not yet a draft. The app provides specific questions in order for you to get to the heart of your story – and get writing. Additionally, it helps you to structure your story arc with Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3 builders, which each contain act beat questions.

Similarly, The “Character Builder” and The “Scene Builder” feature provides useful questions to help provide clarity for your characters and scenes, but they cost extra to unlock.

Storyist

iOS | Free (with in-app purchases)

Storyist is greatly used among many novelists, but it has expert screenwriting capabilities. Making it a terrific app for those novelists who want to perhaps adapt their books for the big screen or dabble in professional screenwriting.

Not only can you write and edit your screenplay on the go, but it also includes a number of outlining options, storyboarding with index cards, collage view (for more visual storyboards), character and scene sheets, notebook, and sharing abilities.

WriterDuet

Android/iOS | Free & Premium

WriterDuet continues to be the new standard for screenwriting, especially when it comes to writing partners and collaborators. The simple interface allows for easy navigation whether you use its real-time collaboration option or not.

Other features include smart line types and one-touch icons, auto-save, revision drafts, and more. It’s a well-created gem, and a must-have for writing teams.

Performance Enhancers

Danger Notes

iOS | Free (with in-app purchases)

Kick that dreaded writer’s block to the curb with Danger Notes. The writing tool creates pressure for you to keep writing in order to save your progress from being deleted. This way you’re forced to get into that much-desired writing flow. 

Weekend Read

iOS | Free

The best way to get better at writing is to get reading. There’s a (free) app for that! Download screenplays (PDF, Final Draft, Fountain, and more) into this app and have a screenplay-friendly reading ability. Developed by screenwriter John August, the app optimizes scripts for mobile reading by giving the reader a choice of fonts, sizes, and Dark Mode. Additionally, there are multiple websites like The Script Lab where you can download scripts. If you’re constantly on the go, just put them into your Weekend Read app and read without having to print out hundreds of pages and no paper cuts! 

Contour

iOS | $12.99

This award-winning story development system streamlines the process of turning your movie ideas from a dream into a full outline by asking you simple questions to help shape your story’s overall structure. It’s basically like a digital beat sheet by showing you exactly what elements need to be in your script. 

Index Card

iOS | $4.99

Index cards can really help with story development, and for those visual people out there, now there’s an app for organizing your scene notes and storyboarding note cards on your phone. Index Card makes it easier to plan and organize your story with pictures, text, and a corkboard background to make it feel real. If you like having physical notecards, it can be cumbersome to carry them with you at all times so perhaps you could keep backups on your phone in case you lose them too. 

Be Focused App

iOS | Free

This app allows you to schedule your time with short breaks to keep yourself on track with your writing. You can schedule a thirty-minute block of writing followed by a five-minute break with the next thirty minutes for research and then a bigger ten-minute break. However you decide to schedule it, as long as you keep to it, it should help you improve your writing.

While there are many apps out there for writers and screenwriters alike, these seemed to be the most promising. If you’re looking for more online sources, check out this article for more information on websites.

Read More: The Best Online Screenwriting Tools: Software, Notes, and Apps for Screenwriters