Compare software

Final Draft vs Beat: catalog facts
Final Draft	Beat
Paid Paid software with a free trial of Final Draft Suite.	Free Free and open source under the GPL, distributed through the App Store.
Windows, macOS	macOS, iOS
Automatic industry-standard script formatting Story planning and production reporting tools	Plain-text Fountain files that stay readable anywhere Final Draft import and export with revisions
Paid licence with no free edition Desktop only on Windows and macOS	Apple platforms only Largely maintained by one developer
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.