Tool profile
Arc Studio: cost, fit and limits
Arc Studio is a screenwriting application made by Arc Studio Labs, Inc. that lets writers draft formatted screenplays in a browser, on the desktop and on iPhone or iPad, with credit-based AI add-ons for table reads, character images and research.
What to know first
Arc Studio splits into three yearly tiers: a Free plan limited to 2 scripts, Essentials at $69 per year and Pro at $99 per year. The AI features are not part of those subscriptions. Table Read, Character Images and Research Assistant are bought with credits, and the pages we read gave neither the credit prices nor the models behind them. A writer can therefore use the editor fully and treat AI as an optional extra.
Arc Studio at a glance
| Maker | Arc Studio Labs, Inc., United States |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | $0 Free plan (2 scripts); Essentials $69 per year |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Screenwriting Software in 2026, rank 1 of 13 |
| Website | arcstudiopro.com |
Who Arc Studio is best for
Newcomers testing the craft
The Free plan costs nothing, keeps cloud sync and automatic backups, and still exports Fountain and Final Draft files, so a first script can leave the app at no cost.
Writers who revise heavily
Draft history retains deleted text, and Pro adds revision management and feedback links, which helps when notes arrive in several rounds from readers.
Duos and small writers' rooms
Pro adds collaborator invites and season outlines for two collaborators, so a pair can co-develop a series without moving to a separate planning tool.
Arc Studio plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2 scripts, core writing tools, cloud sync, automatic backups, comments, Fountain and Final Draft export, and PDF export with a watermark. No desktop or mobile apps. |
| Essentials | $69 per year | Unlimited scripts, desktop and iPhone or iPad apps, and PDF export without a watermark. Collaborator invites, custom formats, outlining and history are not included. |
| Pro | $99 per year | Everything in Essentials plus collaborator invites, custom formats, outlining tools, season outlines, history, revision management, feedback links and The Stash. |
| Credit add-ons | Not published | Table Read, Character Images and Research Assistant are bought with credits separately from the subscription; the pricing page read gave no amounts. |
Checked November 2026.
What Arc Studio does
- Cross-device writing
- Scripts sync across the browser, desktop and iPhone or iPad apps, though the Free plan has no desktop or mobile apps. Essentials is the first tier where the apps are included for every script.
- Draft history
- The site says deleted text is kept so a writer can recover it. Pro extends this into history and revision management, which matters once a script has gone through several colored drafts.
- Focus mode and notes
- A focus mode and a built-in notes app sit inside the editor, so a writer can keep character notes and beat ideas next to the pages without opening a second program.
- Credit-based AI add-ons
- Table Read, Character Images and Research Assistant run on credits. The homepage does not describe the models used, so the quality of each add-on has to be judged in a trial.
- Export formats
- Fountain and Final Draft export are included on the Free plan. PDF export carries a watermark until Essentials, a limit worth knowing before a writer sends pages to a reader.
How Arc Studio handles your data
The privacy policy states that AI service providers may not use Customer Content to train their general-purpose or foundational models. It does not say whether Arc Studio itself trains on user data. Account deletion removes data from production systems within 10 days, with residual copies possibly remaining in encrypted backups until they expire. The policy names Amazon Web Services for hosting but gives no region, and no certifications such as SOC 2 were found on the pages opened.
Where Arc Studio falls short in practice
- Script cap on the free tier. Two scripts is enough to evaluate the editor but not to run a slate of projects, and the Free plan also lacks the desktop and mobile apps that make offline writing practical.
- Features gated to Pro. Collaborator invites, outlining tools, history and revision management only appear at the $99 tier, so a writer who needs a co-writer must pay the higher yearly rate.
- Opaque AI add-ons. Credit amounts, add-on prices and underlying models were not published on the pages read, so a buyer cannot forecast the total cost of using the AI tools.
Works with
Alternatives to Arc Studio
Arc Studio: common questions
Is Arc Studio free to use for screenwriting?
Yes, with limits. The Free plan allows 2 scripts and includes core writing tools, cloud sync, automatic backups, comments and Fountain and Final Draft export, but PDF export is watermarked and there are no desktop or mobile apps. Unlimited scripts start with Essentials at $69 per year.
What does Arc Studio Pro add over Essentials?
Pro at $99 per year adds collaborator invites, custom formats, outlining tools, season outlines for two collaborators, history, revision management, feedback links and The Stash. Essentials has unlimited scripts, apps and watermark-free PDFs but none of those collaboration and structure features.
How are Arc Studio's AI features paid for?
Table Read, Character Images and Research Assistant are credit-based add-ons bought separately from the subscription. The pricing and homepage text we read did not give credit prices or describe the models, so the cost of regular use is unconfirmed and should be checked in the account before buying.
Does Arc Studio use my script to train AI models?
The privacy policy says its AI service providers may not use Customer Content to train general-purpose or foundational models. It does not state whether Arc Studio trains on your data itself. Deleted accounts are removed from production systems within 10 days, while encrypted backups may keep copies longer.
Can I take an Arc Studio script into Final Draft?
Yes. Final Draft and Fountain export are listed on the Free plan, and Final Draft import and export are named on the site. PDF export carries a watermark until you reach Essentials, so use a file export rather than a PDF when moving a draft to another editor.