Which version of Final Draft should I buy?

January 4, 2021 8:45 PM

I'm creating a script. Right now, I'm using Celtx. I want the script to be in the format that will be most acceptable to professionals and from what I read, that's Final Draft. But when I look to buy it on eBay or Amazon, there is a downloadable Version 11 for about $35, which I assume must be a subscription. And, there are old Version 7 and 8 packages. These cost $40, $150 and almost $300, respectively. I'm guessing the difference in price means something regarding functionality, but I can't tell what.

But I've also read Versions 7 and 8 can stop working after a couple weeks b/c they can't be registered. Which one should I buy that won't stop working? Can I even buy a version that isn't subscription based or doesn't require registration?

posted by CollectiveMind to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

Fade In. Better, cheaper, and you can export files to Final Draft.
posted by jessca84 at 9:11 PM on January 4, 2021 [1 favorite]

For an unencumbered version, buy from the company itself : https://store.finaldraft.com/final-draft-11.html

The price for a fully functional version there is $199.95.
posted by ivanthenotsoterrible at 3:47 AM on January 5, 2021

FWIW, Final Draft 11 upgrade from the previous version is $80, education is $100 (required EDU address), and full version is 199.

Your main alternatives are Celtx, which you've used, Trilby, and FadeIn $79 for pro version.
posted by kschang at 11:57 AM on January 5, 2021

Final Draft will make you miserable - use Fade In or Highland 2 instead. Industry norm is to submit scripts in PDF form generally, not a .fdr or .fdx file - so on some level as long as the formatting is correct it doesn't matter how you got there (unless you're co-writing or writing a production draft or some such.)
posted by egeanin at 3:24 PM on January 9, 2021