EnsembleWriter vs Highland: free cross-platform collab versus John August's Mac-only Fountain editor.
Highland 2, from screenwriter John August, is a beautiful Mac-only Fountain-first editor beloved by writers who think in plain text. EnsembleWriter takes a different bet: free, browser-based, multi-cursor real-time collaboration on any device.
Try EnsembleWriter Free →What is Highland?
Highland 2, built by John August's company, is a Mac-only screenwriting app priced around $49.99. It's deeply Fountain-first — the plain-text screenplay format that August co-created — with a clean, minimalist UI that emphasises distraction-free writing. Many working writers swear by it.
Its limits are platform and scope: there's no Windows or Linux version, no web version, no real-time co-writing. For Mac-using solo writers who love Fountain, it's nearly perfect. For everyone else, it's not an option.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | EnsembleWriter | Highland |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (Pro $10/mo) | $49.99 one-time |
| Runs on Windows / Linux / Chromebook | Yes — any browser | No — macOS only |
| Runs in browser | Yes | No |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes — multi-cursor | No |
| Fountain-first plain-text editing | Imports Fountain | Yes (native) |
| Industry-standard formatting | Yes | Yes |
| PDF export | Yes | Yes |
| Shot list with blocking diagrams | Yes (5 shots free, unlimited on Pro) | No |
| Read-aloud / table read | Yes — 9 voices | Limited |
| Free trial / free tier | Free tier, no limit | Free reader; paid editor |
Where Highland is the better choice
- You work exclusively on macOS and want a native, polished app.
- You think and write in Fountain plain text and want that to be the native file, not an import format.
- You prefer a single-writer, single-device, no-internet-required setup.
- You're already in the John August / Scriptnotes orbit and the tooling matches your taste.
Where EnsembleWriter is the better choice
- You're not on a Mac, or you split your work across multiple devices.
- You co-write with anyone — Highland has no collaboration story.
- You want to write in the browser without an install or a $49.99 commitment.
- You want a shot list or a built-in table-read tool.
The honest take
Highland 2 is a love letter to writers who think in Fountain on a Mac. If that description fits you, buy it — it'll be money well spent.
For everyone else (Windows, Linux, Chromebook, multi-device, collaborative writers), Highland simply isn't on the table. EnsembleWriter fills that gap with a comparable focused writing experience plus collaboration, a table read and a shot list, free.
Try EnsembleWriter before you commit.
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