Elements, Not Styles
Scene heading, action, character, parenthetical, dialogue, transition. Stela knows which is which and formats it as you type.
Stela for Screenwriters
Screenwriting software with real script elements and Fountain.
Stela's screenplay mode formats scene headings, action, character names, parentheticals, dialogue, and transitions as you type, with Enter and Tab moving between elements the way working screenwriters expect. Import or export Fountain, check running time, and print a paginated Courier Prime PDF. Free on Windows and macOS.
What You Get
Six Things Stela Does for Screenwriters
Enter and Tab Do the Right Thing
Enter after a character name drops you into dialogue and Tab cycles to the next element. Character and location names autocomplete from your script.
Dual Dialogue and a Title Page
Two characters talking over each other, a proper title page, and page breaks where a reader expects them.
Fountain In, Fountain Out
Open a .fountain file from anywhere on disk, or export one for a collaborator or any other screenwriting tool.
Know the Running Time
Reading time when read silently and when spoken aloud, for a single scene or the whole script.
Paginated Courier Prime PDF
A paginated preview inside the app and a PDF in Courier Prime, ready for a table read or a competition upload.
Does Stela format screenplays automatically?
Yes. Screenplay mode gives you the six standard elements: scene heading, action, character, parenthetical, dialogue, and transition. Stela applies the right indent, capitalization, and spacing as you type, and the paginated preview shows where each page breaks. You never pick a font size or set a margin.
- Enter moves from a character cue into dialogue; Tab cycles elements
- Character and location names suggested from your own script
- Dual dialogue and a title page built in
Can I import or export Fountain files?
Yes. Stela opens .fountain files straight from disk, even outside a project, and exports your script as Fountain so it travels to any other screenwriting tool or to a collaborator. Fountain is plain text, so it also works with version control and ordinary text editors.
Does Stela export a properly paginated PDF?
Yes. Export produces a PDF set in Courier Prime with standard screenplay margins and pagination, matching the paginated preview inside the app. It is ready for table reads, contests, and sending to a producer.
Does Stela open Final Draft (.fdx) files?
Not yet. Stela does not read or write Final Draft's .fdx format. Export your script from Final Draft as Fountain, open it in Stela, and export Fountain back whenever you need to return. Fountain preserves scene headings, dialogue, parentheticals, and transitions.
Can I write two-column AV scripts for ads and documentaries?
Yes. Alongside screenplay mode, Stela has a two-column AV script with visual, audio, and sound-effect rows, built for commercials, explainer videos, and documentary narration.
See Stela for copywritersHow long will a scene run?
Stela shows reading time for the text you select or for the whole script, both read silently and spoken aloud, so you can judge pacing before anyone reads the scene out loud.
What Stela Does and Doesn't Do
| You need | Stela |
|---|---|
| Price | Free during the beta. No subscription, no account. |
| Platforms | Windows and macOS. |
| Script interchange | Fountain import and export. |
| Final Draft (.fdx) | Not supported. Go through Fountain. |
| Paginated, set in Courier Prime. | |
| Other exports | Markdown, HTML, and plain text. |
| Co-writing | Not yet. Share Fountain files instead. |
Questions Screenwriters Ask
Is Stela's screenplay mode free?
- Yes. Screenplay mode, Fountain import and export, and PDF export are all part of the free beta.
Does Stela support dual dialogue?
- Yes. Two characters can speak at once in side-by-side columns, and the layout carries through to the PDF.
Can I keep notes and research next to the script?
- Yes. A project holds any number of documents, so beat sheets, character notes, and research sit beside the screenplay in the sidebar.
Will Stela autocomplete character names?
- Yes. Character and location names you have already used appear as suggestions when you start a new scene heading or character cue.
Get Started
Write the next page in Stela.
Free for Mac and Windows. No subscription, no account, and nothing between you and the page.