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Better Draft vs Story Notes

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors. Better Draft starts at $12, Story Notes at $20. Both have a free tier.

Better DraftAn AI script reader that gives line-by-line notes on a screenplay draft and argues back if the writer disagrees.Story NotesReads a full screenplay and returns page-referenced coverage notes across six craft categories, not a keyword scan.

Side by side

FactBetter DraftStory Notes
CategoryScriptwriting & ScreenwritingScriptwriting & Screenwriting
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$12 month$20 one_time
Public APINoNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, macOSWeb
CompanyBetter Draft—
Last verifiedSep 1, 2026Sep 1, 2026

What our research says

Better Draft

Better Draft positions itself against tools that just rewrite a scene for you, instead giving notes a writer has to act on themselves, backed by plot-thread memory across a full draft and the ability to push back in conversation. The mobile app for voice or photo capture and a genuinely offline Mac app make it usable away from a desktop, which most screenplay-feedback tools aren't.

Pros

  • remembers plot threads across the whole draft instead of reviewing scenes in isolation
  • will respond and defend a note rather than just restating it
  • free tier plus a genuinely offline native Mac app, not just a web wrapper

Cons

  • four-tier credit pricing makes it harder to predict monthly cost than a flat plan
  • company location is not disclosed
  • no API for integrating notes into other writing tools

Story Notes

Story Notes is aimed at writers who want the kind of detailed, page-referenced coverage a professional script reader gives, rather than a quick AI opinion. Reading the full script instead of pattern-matching is the core claim, and the free first two stages let a writer sample the depth of feedback before paying $20 to unlock the rest for that script.

Pros

  • cites specific page numbers and character names instead of generic notes
  • covers six distinct craft categories in one pass, from genre framing to scene-level detail
  • files are deleted after analysis rather than retained

Cons

  • one-time $20 charge applies per script, so reviewing multiple drafts of the same script adds up
  • no API or bulk-upload option for production companies reviewing many scripts
  • company name and location are not disclosed

Which one fits

Choose Better Draft if you need

  • writers who want detailed, memory-aware notes rather than an AI-generated rewrite
  • capturing script notes by voice or photo away from a computer

Choose Story Notes if you need

  • getting structured, page-referenced coverage on a finished screenplay draft
  • writers who want to sample feedback depth for free before paying per script

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