The questions writers and producers ask most often. If your question is not here, email [email protected].
Most screenwriting tools were built English-first, so Arabic gets bolted on, with broken right-to-left flow, no diacritics, and formatting that works against you. Alifba is built for Arabic from the first line: true right-to-left layout, on-demand Tashkeel, and industry-standard screenplay format that applies itself as you type. It also handles mixed Arabic-English dialogue cleanly and writes in English just as well, so a bilingual writing room works in one place.
Yes. Alifba has a free tier with one script and full professional formatting, with no trial clock and no watermark on your writing. You can start a screenplay in your browser in under a minute. Premium tools (Tashkeel, translation, voice dictation, scene visuals, the Production Suite) unlock when you upgrade.
Yes. Alifba runs in the browser on any computer, with nothing to download or update. Your script saves automatically on every keystroke and syncs across devices, and offline edits sync the moment you reconnect.
The one that handles format for you. In Alifba, scene headings, action, character names, dialogue, and transitions indent and capitalize themselves as you write, so you focus on the story instead of tab stops. There is nothing to set up; open a blank script and start typing.
Start with the structure: a scene heading (interior or exterior, location, time of day), then action describing what we see, then a character name above their dialogue. Alifba lays all of this out in correct right-to-left screenplay format automatically, adds Tashkeel on demand for vocal clarity, and keeps the page matching what professional readers and submission portals expect, so a first-time Arabic screenwriter can produce a properly formatted script from day one.
A specific layout: 12-point Courier, scene headings in capitals, action in the present tense, character names above their dialogue, and consistent margins so one script page reads as roughly one minute of screen time. Alifba applies every one of these rules for you, in Arabic or English, so the output matches what agents, producers, and festivals expect.
No. Formatting is the part the application handles. You pick the element you are writing, or just press Enter and Tab, and the indentation, casing, and spacing apply themselves. Many writers learn correct format simply by watching Alifba format their first script.
Yes. The free tier includes one script and professional Arabic formatting. Premium features (Tashkeel, translation, voice dictation, scene visuals) unlock at Pro.
Yes. Recurring subscriptions can be canceled from your account at any time and remain active until the end of the current billing period.
Pro gives every writing tool plus a 1,500-credit monthly allowance. Ultimate adds a 6,000-credit allowance, real-time co-writing, scene visuals generation, character and location references, Storywall, the script gut check, and the Production Suite. Pro is for the solo screenwriter; Ultimate is for the writer who also runs pre-production.
Premium features (translation, Tashkeel, scene visuals, voice dictation, script gut check) consume credit from a monthly allowance. The credit cost is shown next to the feature before it runs, never after.
No. Stored credit packs do not expire and stack on top of your next monthly refresh.
Monthly and annual subscription rates are locked in for the duration of your subscription. If we change rates, your existing subscription keeps its price until you change plans.
Yes. Scene headings, action, character names, dialogue, parentheticals, transitions, and shots all match the standard US Letter page that professional readers and submission portals expect. Indentation, casing, and line spacing apply themselves while you type.
Yes. We import .fdx (Final Draft) and .fountain. PDF import is not supported. Once imported, your script lives as a native Alifba script and you can export back to .fdx or .fountain at any time.
No. Tashkeel is on demand. You write naturally; when you want diacritics added (for a vocal-clarity pass before submission, for example), you trigger Tashkeel and it vocalizes the script. You can also toggle Tashkeel visibility independently on screen and on export.
Yes. Mixing English words and Latin numerals inside Arabic dialogue is handled cleanly. Directional runs are detected automatically and the cursor stays where you expect it.
Translation runs at the block level and preserves screenplay formatting. The original Arabic stays the master copy; the translated version is a sibling document. If you continue editing the original, the application keeps both in sync.
A still-image preview of any scene, generated from the scene heading and the action that follows it. Useful for pitch decks, lookbooks, and director conversations long before a single frame is shot. Scene visuals respect any character or location references you have already created so the same face shows up in every scene that character appears in.
Yes. Publish any script as a read-only web page from inside the editor. The recipient does not need an Alifba account and cannot edit your draft. Contact information from the cover page is hidden automatically.
Yes. Alifba’s Production Suite (on Ultimate) turns a finished script into a shot list. Build shots by hand, dictate them by voice, or auto-extract them scene by scene, then track each one through the shoot.
Generate scene visuals from your scene headings and action, attach them to shots, and export a storyboard PDF, useful for pitch decks, lookbooks, and director conversations long before the first day of shooting. Character and location references keep the same faces and places consistent across every scene.
A breakdown lists everything a scene needs to be shot, from cast and locations to props and wardrobe, so a production can be scheduled and budgeted. Alifba’s Production Suite rolls these elements up per scene automatically from the script you already wrote.
On encrypted cloud storage tied to your account. You can export to PDF, .fdx, or .fountain at any time. Every keystroke saves automatically; offline edits sync the moment the network returns.
Yes, from Settings, at any time. Deletion removes your scripts and account data from Alifba. See the Security page for the full detail of what is deleted.
No. Every protected feature verifies your identity before any data is accessed. You see only your own scripts. Anonymous sign-in and external account linking are not permitted.