Final Draft vs yWriter
Final Draft
finaldraft.comyWriter
spacejock.comSide by side
| Figure | Final Draft | yWriter |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0.69/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 12 | 11 |
| Spec score · Writing Apps | 9.2 (#6) | 8.8 (#26) |
| Export formats | extensive | The official page lists RTF, LaTeX, EPUB, and MOBI export capabilities. |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Mobile apps | Yes | Yes |
| Offline mode | Yes | Yes |
| Publishing tools | Yes | Yes |
| Support | Final Draft provides a knowledge base, self-service activation, installers and manuals, and registered-customer support resources. | Support channels include a Google Group, Facebook page, email and an Android user forum. |
| Version history | Yes | Yes |
| What it does | Final Draft is screenwriting software that automatically formats scripts to Hollywood’s industry standards. | yWriter is a novel-writing word processor that structures projects as chapters and scenes. |
Plans
Final Draft
- Final Draft Suite Annual$99.99 a year
- Final Draft Suite Monthly$16.99 a month
- Final Draft 13$249.99 a month
- Final Draft Suite annual$8.33 a year
- Final Draft Suite$16.99 a month
- Upgrade to Final Draft 13$79.99, paid once
- Educational Edition$99.99, paid once
- Final Draft 13 Student$99.99, paid once
- Final Draft 13 Personal$199.99, paid once
- Final Draft 13 Educators & Non-profitsPriced on request
yWriter
- DesktopPrice not published
- AndroidPrice not published
- iOSPrice not published
- Mac betaFree
- Windows desktopFree
- yWriter7 for WindowsFree
- yWriter for MacOS betaFree
- Android app$5.49, paid once
- iPhone/iPad app$14.99, paid once
- yWriter for AndroidPrice not published
In their own words
Final Draft
Final Draft is screenwriting software that automatically formats scripts and supports planning, drafting and production workflows. Beat Board, Outline Editor and Structure Lines help writers brainstorm, outline and navigate drafts. SmartType completes common character names and locations, and writers can store multiple dialogue versions. The software includes templates, customizable workflows, autosave, sprint timers and writing statistics. Production tools cover revision, location tracking, casting, scheduling, budgeting, production tagging and reporting. Real-time collaboration works on scripts and the Beat Board; Final Draft Cloud adds asynchronous collaboration, Vault storage, project folders, ScriptNotes, sharing and optional desktop-to-cloud syncing. Final Draft is available for macOS, Windows, web and iOS, but the numbered desktop versions do not run on iPad or iPhone; Final Draft Go is separate. Desktop requirements are macOS 12 Monterey or later, or Windows 10 or later with an Intel or AMD processor; Chromebook is not supported. Suite plans include Final Draft 13 and Cloud: $99.99 a year or $16.99 a month, each with a 5-day trial.
yWriter
yWriter is novel-writing software that organizes a manuscript into chapters and scenes; it does not generate plot ideas or perform creative tasks. Scenes can be moved between chapters by drag and drop, and unused scenes can be left out of word counts and exports without being deleted. Each scene can record a viewpoint character, goal, conflict, and outcome, and can include multiple characters. The program tracks word counts per file and for the project, and keeps a daily log of words written. Automatic backups can run at user-set intervals, and the editor can save timed scene snapshots. yWriter is available for Windows, with Linux use tested through Wine, as well as Android and iOS apps. The Windows application stores data on the user's computer and needs no internet connection for ordinary use. The site says mobile versions are intended for editing PC projects on the go using Dropbox. The Windows version is free to use and supports Windows 7 SP1 or newer; the macOS beta is temporarily free but unstable. Mobile apps are described as available for a small charge, with no amount listed.