What is the difference between Highland 2 and Final Draft?

Highland 2 uses Fountain, a plain-text syntax where you type lightweight markup and the app renders standard formatting. Final Draft is a traditional WYSIWYG editor where formatting is applied visually as you write. Highland favors distraction-free drafting; Final Draft favors familiarity and industry file exchange.

Is Fountain syntax better for screenwriting?

Fountain is better if you want to focus on words without touching formatting controls, and you value plain-text files that never go obsolete. Traditional formatting is better if you prefer to see the final page as you type and need to exchange native files with a production. Many writers draft in Fountain and export to a standard format later.

Can I convert between Fountain and Final Draft format?

Yes. Fountain is designed to convert cleanly to and from standard screenplay formats, so you can draft in a Fountain app and export for anyone who needs a traditional file.

Highland 2 vs. Final Draft: Is Fountain Syntax Better Than Traditional Formatting?

Highland 2 vs. Final Draft compared: Fountain plain-text writing vs. traditional WYSIWYG formatting. Which screenwriting approach fits how you actually write?

Highland 2 and Final Draft represent two philosophies of screenwriting software. One says get the formatting out of your way so you can write; the other says show me the finished page as I type. Neither is wrong — they suit different writers. Here's how to tell which is you.

Two different bets

Final Draft is a WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) editor. Formatting is applied visually and automatically as you write: hit return after a scene heading and you're in action; type a character cue and dialogue indents itself. You always see the final screenplay format on screen.

Highland 2 is built on Fountain, a plain-text syntax. You type in a clean, mostly-unformatted window using lightweight conventions (a line in ALL CAPS becomes a scene heading, @NAME marks a character), and the app renders a properly formatted script on export. The writing surface is deliberately minimal.

The trade-offs

	Highland 2 (Fountain)	Final Draft (WYSIWYG)
Writing surface	Distraction-free plain text	Formatted page
Formatting effort	Automatic via syntax	Automatic via editor
File longevity	Plain text — never obsolete	Proprietary format
Industry file exchange	Export needed	Native familiarity
Learning curve	Learn a little syntax	Familiar to most

Fountain's advantages: you write faster because there's nothing to click, your files are plain text that will open in any editor decades from now, and the same text can render anywhere. The cost: you learn a bit of syntax, and you export to a standard format when a production wants a native file.

Final Draft's advantages: zero syntax to learn, you see the real page, and its format is the one most production offices expect. The cost: price, a proprietary file, and it's a writing tool that stops at the script.

The thing both share

Highland and Final Draft are both writing tools. Once your script moves into production — breakdowns, shot lists, scheduling — you leave the app and rebuild that information elsewhere.

Where Scriptease fits

Scriptease keeps the automatic-formatting convenience of a WYSIWYG editor but doesn't stop at the page:

Standard formatting applied as you type — no syntax to memorize.
One-time license, offline-first — files stored locally, no subscription.
Script + breakdown + schedule in one project — production planning built on the same document you wrote.

If you love plain text and minimalism, Highland is a joy. If you want familiarity and native file exchange, Final Draft earns its reputation. If you want writing and production planning in one owned, offline tool, that's where Scriptease comes in.

Compare all three in the full breakdown.