Final Draft Alternatives for Mac

There are many alternatives to Final Draft for Mac if you are looking for a replacement. The best Mac alternative is Scrivener. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Manuskript or Story Architect (STARC). If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Final Draft and many of them are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Mac alternatives to Final Draft are Fade In, Hemingway Editor, yWriter and Rayuela Editor.

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Alternatives list

  1. Scrivener icon
     264 likes

    Tailored for extensive writing, this tool offers flexible structure and organization, integrates project outlines, supports various formats, and allows reorganization through drag and drop, ensuring research materials are within reach for efficient work.

    136 Scrivener alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac
    • Wine
     
  2. Manuskript icon
     171 likes

    Open-source software offering a hierarchical outliner, distraction-free editor, character management, plot tools, Snowflake method support, section multi-organization, customizable writing workflows, cross-platform availability, and export to standard formats.

    129 Manuskript alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
     
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    5
    Manuskript vs Final Draft Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    José Relland
    1

    Manuskript is more for "quite complex" novels. Not really for screenplays.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    9

    Manuskript is not a scriptwriting program.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    M is for novels, FD is for Screenwriting

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 5 comments
    • Manuskript is Free and Open SourceFinal Draft is Paid and Proprietary
  3. Fade In icon
     6 likes

    Fade In Professional Screenwriting Software is a complete application for writing motion picture screenplays, including tools for outlining, organizing, and navigating, plus extensive screenplay formatting and robust tools for managing rewrites and revisions.

    20 Fade In alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
    |
    3
    Fade In vs Final Draft Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    2

    Does everything Final Draft does and more for a much lower price, plus they don't charge for updates.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Less expensive than Final Draft with all of the same features, fully compatible with the .fdx format, and full Linux support.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Supports every major format. Distraction free screenwriting.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Fade In is Paid and ProprietaryFinal Draft is also Paid and Proprietary
  4. 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.

    51 Story Architect (STARC) alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Chrome OS
    • AppImageHub
    • Flathub
    • Android
     
  5. yWriter icon
     69 likes

    yWriter is a writing tool that uses "scenes" as a unit of text and allows you to associate that text with all manner of story elements (characters, locations, items) as well as place it and rearrange it within the context of chapters.

    85 yWriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
     
    |
    2
    yWriter vs Final Draft Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    5

    yWriter is for novels. Final Draft is for screenplays.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    3

    Not screenplay or script writing software

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • yWriter is Freemium and ProprietaryFinal Draft is Paid and Proprietary
    • yWriter is LightweightFinal Draft is not according to our users
  6. Rayuela Editor is moderm, privacy-focused writing environment designed for long-form fiction (novels, screenplays, and theses). It bridges the gap between the structural power of Scrivener and the portability of modern web technology, wrapped in a native desktop application.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
     
  7. Scrite icon
     7 likes

    Scrite is an open-source screenwriting application based in Bengaluru, India. Unlike most screenwriting tools designed primarily for English, Scrite natively supports Indian language screenwriting; at launch it supported 11 Indian languages including Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada...

    14 Scrite alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  8. Celtx icon
     42 likes

    Based on the Firefox engine, supports standards, visual storyboarding, production scheduling, publication & international languages MUI support. Free tutorials, videos & wiki are available from the site. There is a very helpful community too.

    53 Celtx alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
    |
    1
    Celtx vs Final Draft Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Free version for writers to get started.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Celtx is Freemium and ProprietaryFinal Draft is Paid and Proprietary
  9. Kindling icon
     3 likes

    Free, open-source writing software that bridges the gap between outlining and drafting. Import your existing outline from Plottr, yWriter, or Obsidian and draft with your scene beats, character notes, and story structure visible alongside your prose.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Mac
     
  10. Inkwell is a modern screenwriting app that combines professional formatting with an integrated AI co-writer named Quill. Designed for writers, not robots, Inkwell helps you brainstorm ideas, improve dialogue, and refine your story while keeping your creative voice in full...

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
     
12 of 29 Final Draft alternatives