Top 5 Best Screenwriting Software for Free

No matter what idea you think of. Be it one of those cutesy rom- coms or even an aspiring indie classic in the making. If you've got an idea for a movie, you'd better write it down so you don't forget it or mess it up. We all know how important a good screenplay is to films. Even if you are a broke film theory student or even just an ordinary person, you cannot deny the importance of a well-written movie. Sadly, when writing a screenplay or even a script, there are some very complicated details you need to follow. Following a predetermined format can be often very hard to remember and to apply to your writing. Without a proper software helping you to guide your transitions, dialogues and other aspects, this can be quite tedious and take up a lot of time. Thankfully for you, there are now dedicated software's developed that will take care of all the formatting for you. So you can focus on the real hero of your film: the story. These can help you stay on track and not stray too far from what will really attract your audience.

List of Best Screenwriting Software for Free

There are several programs already developed, like FinalDraft that may be deemed worthy of industrial use. But, there is a huge number of programs and software's available that will help you write your screenplay.

Luckily for you, we 're not going to let an empty wallet stand in the way of you becoming the next John Hughes. There is going to be no lost dreams today, not on our watch! There is a huge number of programs available to help you write your very own screenplay. These programs are specifically developed to assist your screenwriting needs. So you don't have to sweat about any of the complicated details like formatting and categories. These will also help automatically format your writing without any unnecessary hassle. The more you focus on your story and writing, the better your film will be. These options, that are listed below are available, for $0.00. That is literally, about as free as it can get.

1. Trelby - Software Link

This is incredibly easy to operate and is super user friendly. This platform lets you focus straight on your writing and not worry about the formatting of your content one bit. It does this by automatically enforcing the correct formatting sequence set by industrial standards. This means you can concentrate on your story and setting while Trelby takes care of all the formats and sequences. This platform is also 100% free and open-sourced. And, it also very excellently alternates between dialogues, sluglines and action scenes.

What is more is that it supports importing content from other software like FinalDraft, AdobeStory and FadeIn. So you don't have to worry about writing that very long sequence all over again! Simply import the content and it will appear on Trelby word-to-word. It also generates all its project with watermarked PDFs and can export in HTML, FinalDraft, RTF and more. At the time of writing, Trelby is available only on Linux and Windows.

2. Celtx - Software Link

One of the most helpful software's out there. The name itself is an acronym and stands for:

Crew

Equipment

Location

Talent

XML

This of course, refers to all the elements and aspects that Celtx can help add to your creative vision. Think of being the director, cinematographer and lighting guy all at once! Multitasking also helps Celtx stand out from the other names on this list as it helps not only you with just screenwriting. It is instead, a cloud-based pre-production suite. It allows multiples users to work in collaboration with each other to on different aspects of a film. This can be the story, the writing, even the scheduling and storyboarding.

This software does offer various packages. All of them including different features and tools to better manage your production of any film. Sadly, all of these come at a price but, if all you're interested in is the screenwriting then you're in luck. The package for 'basic scripting' is completely free and is easy to use and all you need to do to access this cool package is to simply sign up.

3. Page 2 Stage - Software Link

This screenwriting tool that once started out for commercial use is now completely 100% free to use. Like the other names on this list, Page 2 Stage sustains the more common script formats for stage, film and TV. Plus, it includes a feature that analyzes your script for you. It does this to make a report on the flow of your scenes and dialogues. Truly a unique feature!

Because it was once the OG of all screenwriting software's, newer and better developments have been made since then. This makes this Page 2 Stage a tad bit outdated and because of that, it now has been abandoned by its developers. A real sad story until you realize that this means this vintage website is totally and completely 100% free to use. Just be sure to use the username and password given on the homepage of their website. Having no support means that no new developments have come out in some time. So, be sure to use all the accessing criteria (i.e. passwords, account names). Because if you don't the website gives all the scripts created a dusty old 'DEMO' watermark that doesn't look good anywhere.

4. DubScript - Software Link

If you're from one of the newer generations of screenwriters and want a more mobile alternative, look no further. DubScript can be the answer to all your film writing problems. The catch is, you may need to have an android device to access this. DubScript offers a better, faster and more user-integrated stance to automated screenwriting. It provides a cleaner, user-friendly interface that is sure not to complicate matters more than they already are. It also automatically formats all the content into their respective categories, as you type! How cool and fast is that? Like the other options on this list, it does as well import content from other software's. All these makes this one of the more convenient options. Especially if you're short on time, do not worry too much about formatting your script yourself. Once you're done, you can save your work in either plain text format, FinalDraft format or even PDF and HTML.

You can access almost all the features offered by this app in the free version, but, let us warn you, this app is ad-supported. Plus, the free-version of this app prints a small watermark on any and all projects completed on this app, whether in printed hard copies or on PDFs. To get a cleaner, ad-free space with no ugly watermarks, you may need to pay upfront for their services. This ensures you that ads will not be there to distract you from writing you next blockbuster. Nor any ugly watermarks will adorn your precious finalized work. An apology to iPhone users because sadly, DubScript is at the time of writing, not available for iOS.

5. Amazon Storywriter - Software Link

This one is more on the could-based programs. It is a screenwriting app which, like so many others on the list, auto-formats all your content neatly into the categories where they belong. The scenes go to the scene format, the dialogues in the dialogue format. It expertly categorizes everything without disrupting the flow of what you are writing.

The most convenient thing about this is that it is cloud-based. This means that you or any one of your co -workers can access all of its contents from whichever device they are using. You can access material from different accounts, share them with your teammates and work in collaboration with each other.

This app is so efficient in its features that with the help of a simple chrome app, you can even access and work with it while you are not connected to the internet. Just remember to sync all the work you've done when you get back online so you don't lose any precious data. Perfect for on-the-go screenwriters who are constantly on the move. When you decide that your script is now ready, you can use this app to send your script straight to Amazon Studios. Talk about playing with the big boys.

Conclusion of Top Best Screenwriting Software for Free

In conclusion, let's just say that there is no idea too big or too small. If you are an ordinary person with an idea in mind that you know is worth it, do it. Screenwriting , in the end, serves to bring all the elements

All the big names in screenwriting started out as just people. With the right tools, and a little belief in themselves, they became the icons they are today. The above list is compiled with all the tools that were developed with helping you in mind. They can help you make it big by helping you follow the same format all the gods of screenwriting have followed. And, the best part is, you don't even have to spend a dime.

Good luck and happy writing!