Both Fountain and Final Draft’s FDX have a place in modern workflows. Here’s how to choose the right one for the job.
Quick overview
| Fountain (.fountain) | FDX (.fdx) | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Drafting fast, versioning in Git, portability | Hand‑off to studios, compatibility with Final Draft |
| Format | Plain text | XML file |
| Pros | Lightweight, readable, easy merges | Industry‑standard, rich metadata |
| Cons | Needs an app to render beautifully | Heavier files, harder to diff |
When to use Fountain
- You want speed and portability while drafting.
- You sync with Git or cloud storage and care about readable diffs.
- You often switch between devices and editors.
When to use FDX
- Hand‑off to collaborators who expect Final Draft.
- You need certain production notes or page‑locked handouts.
Converting between them
In ScriptForge, import either format, make changes, then export to the other via the Export menu.