Open Source Final Draft AlternativesTop Novel Authoring & Story Writing Tools like Final Draft

The best open source alternative to Final Draft is Manuskript. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 25 alternatives to Final Draft and six of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to Final Draft are Story Architect (STARC), Trelby, Scrite and Wavemaker Novel Writing.

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Final Draft alternatives are mainly Novel Authoring Tools but may also be Note-taking Tools or Story Writing Tools. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Final Draft.

Final Draft

Novel Authoring Tool
Paid • Proprietary

Use your creative energy to focus on the content; let Final Draft take care of the style. Final Draft is the number-one selling word processor specifically designed for writing movie scripts, television episodics and stage...

More about Final Draft

Final Draft alternatives page was last updated Feb 13, 2023

Manuskript
Manuskript is an open-source tool for writers, with outliner, character management, plot development, distraction-free editor, etc.
107 Manuskript alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
- Note-taking Tool
- Novel Authoring Tool
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Snapcraft
- Flathub
- Flatpak
+5
Top Manuskript Features
1. Outliner
2. Tree structure
3. Tracking of plots
4. Distraction-free Writing
5. Tracking of characters
6. Ad-free
7. Works Offline
8. No registration required
9. Dark Mode
10. No Tracking
11. Support for MarkDown
12. File Versioning
Show all NaN Manuskript features ▾
Manuskript VS Final Draft
Is Manuskript a good alternative to Final Draft?
Comments about Manuskript as an Alternative to Final Draft

Guest
Manuskript is not a scriptwriting program.
Negative comment •Sep 10, 2017
9
Guest
Manuskript is for novels. Final Draft is for screenplays.
Negative comment •Aug 19, 2016
12
José Relland
Manuskript is more for "quite complex" novels. Not really for screenplays.
Positive comment •Dec 18, 2021
1
Guest
Manuskript is for writing novels.
Negative comment •Feb 28, 2018
6
- This alternative is disputed. Manuskript is a legitimate Final Draft alternative, but it might have issues that some users think are important.
- Manuskript is the most popular Linux alternative to Final Draft.
- Manuskript is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Final Draft.
- Manuskript is Free and Open SourceFinal Draft is Paid and Proprietary

Story Architect (STARC)
A smooth yet powerful writing experience for devoted authors. With only wanted features and native workflow it runs faster than all your previous apps combined.
37 Story Architect (STARC) alternatives
License model
- Freemium • Open Source
Application types
- Novel Authoring Tool
- Note-taking Tool
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Chrome OS
- AppImageHub
- Flathub
+7
Top Story Architect (STARC) Features
1. Outliner
2. Screenwriting
3. Lightweight
4. Dark Mode
5. Spell Checking
6. Real time collaboration
7. Portable
8. Autocompletion
9. Support for Themes
10. Hierarchical Structure
11. Distraction-free
12. No Coding Required
Show all NaN Story Architect (STARC) features ▾
Story Architect (STARC) VS Final Draft
Is this a good alternative to Final Draft?

Trelby
Trelby is simple, fast and elegantly laid out to make screenwriting simple. It is infinitely configurable.
24 Trelby alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
- Story Writing Tool
Platforms
- Windows
- Linux
Trelby Features
WYSIWYG Support
Customizable
Show all NaN Trelby features ▾
+4
Discontinued
The project is no longer developed. Last version, 2.2, released in September 2012, can be still downloaded from the official website.
Trelby VS Final Draft
Is Trelby a good alternative to Final Draft?
Comments about Trelby as an Alternative to Final Draft

Guest
It's faster and easier than Fianl Draft and has converting options to many formats.
Positive comment •Apr 29, 2016
0
- Almost everyone thinks Trelby is a great Final Draft alternative.
- Trelby is Free and Open SourceFinal Draft is Paid and Proprietary

Scrite
Scrite is an open-source app to make screenplay writing fun, engaging and productive. You will always be able to write for free using the Scrite app.
7 Scrite alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
Scrite Features
Screenwriting
Show all NaN Scrite features ▾
Scrite VS Final Draft
Is Scrite a good alternative to Final Draft?

Wavemaker Novel Writing
Looking for a suite of tools for writing your book? This is not just a text editor it does so much more. Organise your story using timelines, planning boards and the snowflake tool, all integrated to make writing intuitive and fun.
67 Wavemaker Novel Writing alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
- Novel Authoring Tool
- Note-taking Tool
Platforms
- Online
+8
Top Wavemaker Novel Writing Features
1. User story mapping
2. Works Offline
3. Planning
4. Timeline
5. Distraction-free
6. Ad-free
7. Dark Mode
8. Lightweight
9. Spell Checking
10. Hierarchical Structure
11. Writing assistance
12. Multiplatform
Show all NaN Wavemaker Novel Writing features ▾
Wavemaker Novel Writing VS Final Draft
Is this a good alternative to Final Draft?

Page 2 Stage
Page 2 Stage is screenwriting software designed expressly for people writing screenplays, scripts, and plays. It provides numerous features needed by screenwriters not found in standard word processors.
10 Page 2 Stage alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
- Word Processor
Platforms
- Windows
Page 2 Stage Features
Screenwriting
Show all NaN Page 2 Stage features ▾
Discontinued
Discontinued
Page 2 Stage VS Final Draft
Is Page 2 Stage a good alternative to Final Draft?