Highland Pro Review

Overview

Highland Pro is what happens when a working A-list screenwriter decides to build the tool he actually wants to use. John August -- the writer behind Aladdin, Big Fish, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory -- co-created Highland because he was frustrated with the bloated complexity of existing screenwriting software. The result is the purest, most distraction-free screenwriting experience available anywhere.

Highland is built on Fountain, the plain-text screenwriting markup format that August co-created. This means your scripts are never locked in a proprietary format. They are plain text files that any text editor can open, but Highland renders them as beautifully formatted screenplays. It is an elegant philosophy: the format is open, the writing experience is focused, and the software gets out of your way.

The trade-offs are real, though. Highland is Apple-only -- Mac, iPad, and iPhone, with no Windows, Linux, or Android support. The recent shift from a one-time purchase to a subscription model has upset longtime users. And there are no collaboration features at all, which means co-writing teams need to look elsewhere. Highland Pro is a tool for solo writers on Apple hardware who want the cleanest possible writing environment.

Key Features

Fountain-Based Writing

Highland's Fountain foundation is its philosophical core. You type in plain text using simple, intuitive markup, and Highland renders it as a perfectly formatted screenplay. Scene headings are any line that starts with INT. or EXT. Character names are lines in ALL CAPS followed by dialogue. There are no menus to navigate, no element types to select -- you just write, and the formatting follows. It feels natural in a way that traditional screenwriting software does not.

PDF Melting

This is a feature unique to Highland and genuinely brilliant. PDF Melting takes a PDF screenplay and converts it into an editable Fountain document. If someone sends you a script as a PDF and you need to edit it or extract text, Highland can "melt" the PDF back into editable form. It is not perfect -- complex layouts can trip it up -- but for standard screenplays, it works remarkably well.

Distraction-Free Interface

Highland's interface is stripped to the absolute minimum. There is a sidebar for navigation, a writing area, and virtually nothing else. No toolbars, no floating palettes, no ribbon menus. The design is native macOS, which means it feels like it belongs on your Mac rather than being a cross-platform app shoe-horned into Apple's design language. For writers who find traditional screenwriting software visually noisy, Highland is a revelation.

Gender Analysis and Statistics

Highland includes a built-in gender analysis tool that breaks down dialogue and screen time by character gender. It also provides general script statistics -- page count, scene count, dialogue-to-action ratio, and more. These are useful tools for writers who want to be conscious of representation in their work.

Pricing Breakdown

Free Tier: Basic Highland with limited features. Usable for simple writing tasks.

Highland Pro: $10/month or $60/year. All features unlocked.

Students and Educators: Free. Highland Pro is completely free for students and educators with verification.

30-Day Trial: Available for Highland Pro features.

Note: Highland originally launched as a one-time purchase ($29.99 for Highland 2). The shift to subscription pricing with Highland Pro has been controversial among longtime users who preferred the old model. At $60/year, it remains affordable, but the philosophical shift rubbed some users the wrong way.

Pros and Cons

Who Is Highland Pro For?

Highland Pro is for Mac-using screenwriters who want the writing experience to feel like writing, not like operating software. If you find Final Draft's interface cluttered and distracting, if you care about open formats and data portability, or if you simply want the most beautiful, focused writing environment available, Highland Pro is built for you. The free student access also makes it the best choice for film students on Mac.

If you need collaboration, production features, or cross-platform support, Highland Pro is not the right fit. It is uncompromisingly focused on solo writing on Apple hardware, and it does that one thing better than anything else.

Editorial Verdict

Highland Pro is the best writing experience in screenwriting software, period. John August built a tool that reflects how a working screenwriter actually wants to write -- minimal, focused, and free of proprietary format lock-in. The Apple-only limitation and lack of collaboration are real drawbacks, but if you are on a Mac and write alone, nothing else comes close to Highland Pro's clarity and elegance.

Alternatives to Highland Pro

Frequently Asked Questions