Tool profile
Trelby: cost, fit and limits
Trelby is a free screenwriting program released under the GPL by a group of developers rather than a company, that enforces screenplay format and pagination on the desktop and exports to PDF and Final Draft XML.
What to know first
Trelby has one plan, which is free, and the site says so plainly: it is free software under the GPL with no paid tier named. It enforces format, paginates, spell-checks and auto-completes, and it ships a name database of over 200,000 names from various countries. The site names no company, no AI feature, no support contract and no data policy.
Trelby at a glance
| Maker | Trelby developers (no company named), Not stated by the vendor |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | Free |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Screenwriting Software in 2026, rank 11 of 13 |
| Website | trelby.org |
Who Trelby is best for
Students and hobbyists
The program costs nothing and enforces screenplay format, so a beginner learns correct layout without paying for a license or a subscription.
Writers who want reports
Scene, location, character and dialogue reports are listed on the site, which helps with continuity checks on a longer script before a rewrite.
Users who value open licensing
The GPL license means the code is open, which appeals to writers who prefer software they can inspect or keep running independently.
Trelby plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Trelby (GPL) | Free | Desktop program under the GPL with the features listed on the site; no paid tier is published. |
| Paid tier | Not published | The site names no paid tier, so none is available from the pages read and the program stays free. |
| Support contract | Not published | No paid support or maintenance plan is named, and the site credits only the developers. |
Checked November 2026.
What Trelby does
- Format and pagination enforcement
- The program applies screenplay format and pagination automatically, with auto-completion and spell checking, so a writer can concentrate on content rather than margins and layout.
- Name database
- A database of over 200,000 character names from various countries helps writers pick names that fit a setting, without leaving the program or searching the web.
- Reports
- Scene, location, character and dialogue reports summarize how a script is built, which is useful before a table read, a production breakdown or a rewrite pass.
- Compare function
- A compare function shows changes between versions of a script, covering a common need when drafts circulate between several readers and the latest edits are unclear.
- PDF generator
- PDFs can embed custom fonts and carry optional watermarks, which matters when a script is shared as a read-only draft with people outside the writing team.
How Trelby handles your data
The site describes a desktop program and no online service, so it makes no statement about training on customer data, retention, hosting region or certifications. Because Trelby is installed locally and no AI features are mentioned, scripts stay in files the writer controls, but the vendor pages do not confirm this in so many words. No company is named, so there is no privacy policy and no party to ask about deletion or data processing.
Where Trelby falls short in practice
- No company behind it. The site credits only the developers, which means no named vendor handles support, scheduled bug fixes or contracts, a gap for teams with procurement rules.
- No named AI or cloud features. The site describes no AI feature, collaboration service or cloud sync, so teamwork depends on exchanging files manually and keeping track of versions yourself. The built-in compare function shows what changed between files.
- Format reach is narrow. Final Draft XML, Fountain and PDF are the formats named, with no mention of Open Screenplay Format, Word or Highland files, so some hand-offs need a conversion.
Works with
Alternatives to Trelby
Trelby: common questions
Is Trelby really free?
Yes. The site says it is free and names no paid tier. It is software released under the GPL, so there is no subscription, license key or upgrade price, and no company is named on the site that could change terms.
What formats does Trelby support?
The site names Final Draft XML for import and export, plus Fountain and PDF export. The PDF generator can embed custom fonts and add optional watermarks. No other formats are listed on the pages we read, so test other hand-offs.
Does Trelby have AI features?
None are described on the site. Trelby offers auto-completion, spell checking, reports, a name database and a compare function, but nothing that generates text. Writers wanting AI help would use another tool beside it and paste the results into Trelby.
Who makes Trelby?
The site names no company and credits only the Trelby developers. That means no vendor contact, privacy policy or support contract was found on the pages read, which matters for teams or schools that need formal assurances from a supplier.
What reports does Trelby generate?
Scene, location, character and dialogue reports are listed on the site. They help check continuity and show how a script is distributed across settings and speakers. A compare function also shows what changed between two versions of a script. Both features are most useful once several readers have returned notes on different drafts.