Minimalist Screenwriter is a free screenwriting app that runs entirely from one HTML file in your browser. Industry-standard formatting, automatic scene numbering and clean PDF export — with no account, no cloud and no subscription, ever.
Every feature is built around one idea: professional formatting shouldn’t require a subscription, an account, or an internet connection.
Tab and Enter move between Scene Heading, Action, Character, Dialogue and more — exactly the way professional screenwriting software behaves.
Every scene heading is collected in a clean, collapsible sidebar, numbered automatically and clickable so you always know where you are in the story.
One click turns your draft into a correctly margined, industry-standard screenplay PDF — ready to print, share or submit.
Ships with the screenwriting standard, Courier Prime, and falls back gracefully — or point it at any font already installed on your computer.
Save writes a single file straight to your hard drive. No account, no database, nothing ever leaves your computer.
Hide the sidebar, the toolbar, everything — and write with nothing on screen but the page.
“Most screenwriting software is trying to sell you a subscription. Minimalist Screenwriter is trying to get out of your way.”The whole philosophy, in one sentence.
No installer, no account creation, no setup wizard.
One HTML file, a few hundred kilobytes. Save it anywhere — your desktop, a project folder, a USB drive.
Double-click it, or drag it into any browser window. There is nothing to install and nothing to configure.
The page is already formatted. Press Tab to change element type, Enter to move to the next line, and go.
Learn correct screenplay format by writing in it, without paying for software before you’ve finished a single page.
Draft shorts, features and passion projects offline, on any machine, with zero recurring cost.
Keep a fast, distraction-free tool on hand for outlining and first drafts before moving into your main software.
| Minimalist Screenwriter | Typical paid software | General word processor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, always | $100–$300, or monthly | Often free |
| Works fully offline | Yes | Usually | Depends on the app |
| Auto screenplay formatting | Yes, built in | Yes | Manual, error-prone |
| Your data stays on your PC | Always | Often synced to a cloud account | Often synced to a cloud account |
| Account or sign-up required | Never | Usually | Usually |
| Learning curve | Minutes | Steeper, more menus | Familiar, but not built for scripts |
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Yes, completely. There’s no trial, no paywalled export, and no feature reserved for a paid tier. Donations are optional and only go toward keeping the project maintained.
No. There is no sign-up anywhere in the app. You download a file, open it, and start writing.
Yes. Once you’ve downloaded the file, the app runs entirely in your browser with no server calls, no cloud database and no tracking.
Wherever you choose. The Save button downloads a file directly to your computer — the same way any file download works. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.
Any computer with a modern web browser: Windows, macOS, Linux and Chromebooks all work, since the app is just an HTML file.
Yes. The formatting elements cover any standard screenplay, regardless of length or format.