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Trelby

A free, open-source screenwriting program that handles script formatting on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Open sourceScreenwriting software
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About Trelby

Trelby is a desktop screenwriting program that takes care of industry-standard screenplay formatting and pagination so writers can focus on the story. It offers auto-completion of character names and scene headings, spell checking, a draft view, a WYSIWYG page view and a distraction-free full-screen mode. It also includes reports on scenes, locations, characters and dialogue, a script compare tool for spotting changes between drafts, and a database of over 200,000 character names. It imports Final Draft (.fdx), Fountain, Celtx, Adobe Story and Fade In files and exports to PDF, Final Draft, Fountain, HTML and RTF, with a configurable PDF generator that can add watermarks. Trelby began as a commercial program called Blyte, was open-sourced in 2006 and is now maintained by volunteers. It is free under the GPL and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. It has no real-time collaboration or cloud sync, and the interface looks dated.

Best for: Screenwriters who want a free, offline script editor with Final Draft import and export.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Completely free and open source
  • Imports and exports Final Draft and Fountain files
  • Script reports and a compare tool for revisions
  • Watermarked PDF export for sharing drafts

Why people leave

  • No real-time collaboration or cloud sync
  • Dated interface compared with commercial tools
  • Maintained by a small volunteer team with irregular releases

Top Trelby alternatives

See all 3
  1. 1Story Architect (STARC) logo
    Story Architect (STARC)

    Free open-source writing suite that adds story structure and cards to screenplay editing.

    62.6
  2. 2Scrivener logo
    Scrivener

    Long-form writing app with screenplay mode, for writers who also plan and research heavily.

    48.9
  3. 3Final Draft logo
    Final Draft

    The industry-standard screenwriting app, with production reports and the .fdx format studios expect.

    40.0

Why people left Trelby

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Trelby: common questions

Is Trelby free?

Yes. Trelby is free, open-source software.

Is Trelby open source?

No, Trelby is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Story Architect (STARC).

What platforms does Trelby run on?

Trelby is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to Trelby?

The highest-ranked Trelby alternatives right now are Story Architect (STARC), Scrivener and Final Draft. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 3 Trelby alternatives