Beat vs Revision Screenwriter

Beat is a screenwriting app for structuring stories and writing in a distraction-free interface. It saves scripts as plain-text Fountain files, which the maker describes as portable and compatible with other editors. Beat imports Final Draft, Highland, Fade In, and Celtx files, then exports to Final Draft and PDF. Outline view and scene cards let writers add sections and synopses and rearrange scenes by dragging. The app recognizes screenplay elements, offers autocomplete, tracks revisions, and highlights changes in exported PDFs. The macOS version supports JavaScript plugins, including official options from a Plugin Library. Beat stores documents on the device, works offline, and says it collects no data. Files can be synchronized between iOS and macOS through iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive, although the maker cautions against opening one file on both devices. Beat is free on macOS; the iOS companion costs €12.99 a month with lifetime ownership after purchase.

Revision Screenwriter is screenwriting software for drafting scripts and managing changes across their elements. It keeps drafts, revisions, and passes in a version history, and lets writers compare versions side by side, even when scenes have moved. Live Collaboration lets people work on the same script over the internet or a local network; a desktop app is required to host a session. Writers can tag script elements and scene details and generate a populated Movie Magic Scheduling .msd file, a feature the maker describes as experimental. The desktop app can read scripts aloud with custom voices and create MP3 or WAV recordings, with an additional voice-engine download required. Exports include PDF, .Fountain, .Fadein, and .FDX. Autosave, optional parallel backup files in screenplay formats, and recovery checkpoints help preserve work. Collaboration uses direct network connections and sends the entire script and every keystroke between collaborators. Revision Screenwriter is free, with no plan limits listed, and is available on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows.