First Page
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First Page vs Final Draft

Write, hear and plan your screenplay together, on the Mac and the web.

Checked October 2026. Sources at the end of the page.

The short answer.

Final Draft is the industry's exchange standard, sold at $199.99 a version for Mac and Windows, with a $99.99 upgrade to each new major version. First Page is a native Mac app. First Page One costs $79 once with every 1.x update included, and it opens and saves Final Draft's FDX files, so you can keep trading drafts with anyone who uses Final Draft.

Choose Final Draft if a studio, a room or a production office needs Final Draft itself, or if you write on Windows. Choose First Page if you write on a Mac and want to hear the draft read with a voice for every character before anyone else reads it.

What is different.

TopicFirst PageFinal Draft
Paying for new versionsEvery 1.x update free. Lifetime ($199) covers every major.$99.99 for each new major version.
LicensesNo expiry date, on up to five Macs.Two computers. Final Draft 10 can no longer be activated.
Hearing the scriptYour Mac's voices, free. Studio voices with Suite or credits.Your computer's voices, free.
ProductionNo locked pages or omits.Revisions, locked pages, omits and scene numbering.
Where scripts are keptYour Mac, with encrypted AutoSave on Suite or Lifetime.Your computer, or Final Draft Cloud.
PlatformsMac, plus a web app.Mac and Windows, plus iOS and the web.
First Page compared with Final Draft, as of October 2026
As of October 2026First PageFinal DraftCast & Crew
How you payBuy once, or subscribeFirst Page One, or Lifetime at $199, once. Or SuiteBuy once, or subscribePerpetual license, or the Suite subscription
Entry price$79 onceOr Suite at $9.99 a month or $89 a year. Reading is free$199.99 onceOr $99.99 a year for Suite, desktop plus Final Draft Cloud
Paid upgradesOnly for a new major versionEvery 1.x update is free. Lifetime includes future majorsYes, $99.99A paid major version every two and a half to three years
License expiry and activationsFirst Page One has no expiry dateUp to five Macs on one accountTwo computers per licenseFinal Draft 10 activation ended on June 30, 2025
Offline writing and accountsOffline once activatedWriting needs an account. Reading needs noneAfter a first sign-inInternet is needed for the first sign-in
PDF importYes, on your MacScanned pages too, read without uploadingYesSince Final Draft 12
FDX import and exportYes, both waysFountain too, and Word importYesFDX is Final Draft's own format
Read-aloudYour Mac's voices, freeA voice per character, plus a narrator. Studio voices with Suite or creditsYour computer's voicesSpeech Control, a voice per character
Where scripts are keptOn your MacOptional encrypted AutoSave to the cloud with Suite and LifetimeOn your computer, or Final Draft CloudCloud files are deleted 30 days after a Cloud subscription lapses
Training on your scriptsNeverIn writing, in our privacy policyNot used for trainingIts statement was written before Final Draft Cloud existed
PlatformsMac, plus a web appNative on macOS 14 or later. The web app is free for up to 3 scriptsMac and WindowsNative on both, plus Final Draft Go on iOS and Cloud on the web

Who should pick which.

Choose First Page if

  • You write on a Mac and want an app made only for it.
  • You want to hear the draft read with a different voice for each character.
  • You want to open a PDF, even a scanned one, and keep writing.
  • You want to try your own script first, free and without an account.

Choose Final Draft if

  • A studio, a room or a production office asks for Final Draft.
  • You need locked pages, omits and scene numbering today.
  • You write on Windows, or want an app on your iPhone.

Bring your scripts over.

Opened on your Mac, so nothing is uploaded.

  1. Use the FDX you already have

    Final Draft saves .fdx files, its own format, so there is nothing to export first.

  2. Open it in First Page

    Choose Open in the File menu and pick the file. Reader opens it free, with no account, so you can check how it came across before you buy.

  3. Send FDX back when asked

    Export as Final Draft whenever a producer or co-writer needs the file. PDF and Fountain export are there too.

.fdx.fountain.pdf.docx

Sources

Facts about Final Draft come from Cast & Crew’s own pages, checked October 8, 2026. Prices are US list prices and change, so follow the links for today’s.

Open your own script, free.

Download free and read any script today.

Download for MacSee pricing

macOS 14 or newer, on Apple silicon and Intel.