Highland 2 went through two years of beta testing with more than a thousand users.
We asked them what they thought of the finished app.
Highland 2 has completely changed the way I write first drafts. It allows me to stop thinking about formatting and just focus on story and characters. It’s a game changer.
I’ve never had more ease transferring the story inside my head to paper. It took every “I wish my screenwriting software could do ________,” and did it cleaner than I could’ve imagined. One could go on about how easy it is to navigate, how beautifully detailed it is, or how intelligent its features are, but the bottom line is that Highland 2 is simply the best app for writing.
I made the switch to Highland when I needed a budget-friendly alternative to Final Draft and will never, ever turn back.
Highland 2 is beautifully designed, intuitive and way more than a screenwriting software. You can write plays, treatments, even manuscripts, all in one place and – get this – without having to obsess about formatting since the software does it for you.
I write a lot on-the-go, like on the train or the subway, so simply copy/pasting what I wrote frees up both my creativity and my workflow. I urge every writer to give this a try, you won’t regret it!
Highland 2 builds on the excellence of Highland 1, without mucking up the original’s elegant UI. New features encourage focus and goal-setting -- both essential tools for surviving screenwriting’s solitary grind. H2 in fullscreen, dark mode theme, with typewriter scrolling enabled, and a sprint timer running makes for an exhilaratingly minimalist digital writing experience.
I highly recommend Highland 2 for students and professionals alike, whether you’re a filmmaker, blogger, or writer. This app should be your go-to for creative writing, no matter the story you’re trying to tell.
When I get a great idea for a scene (or, let’s be honest, a mediocre idea), I can jump right in and start writing. I never have to wait for the app to finish load, or call tech support, or try to re-register my serial codes from last year’s upgrade with an expired email download link that was upgraded from a previous version that’s no longer supported and also my files were corrupted because whatever. None of that nonsense. I can just write, and it works.
I loved the original Highland, but Highland 2 brings some amazing new features I’ve found surprisingly useful. It’s my favorite writing software.
Hammer and chisel, quill pen, ballpoint, typewriter, Wordstar, Final Draft, original Highland, and now Highland 2. The evolution of the writing tool for screenwriters has reached its apex. Highland has always let me get words on the screen without distraction, now it’s more intuitive, with greater genuinely-useful functionality, than ever.
Rockne S. O’Bannon
Highland 2 shifts technicalities aside, allowing the writer to focus on telling their story. It’s intuitive and motivating to see your script come to life in such a natural way.
Highland takes a lot of weird neurotic stress out of writing (for me at least) because it enables a minimalistic approach to the actual process. I’m not worried about page counts or margins. I’m not worried about a screen full of buttons that I don’t understand the use for. I’m just worried about words. And, I mean, also existential dread if we’re being honest -- but that’s neither Highland’s fault nor its responsibility to solve.
I love Highland. I’ve been writing scripts for eighteen years and Highland is the first true software innovation for the format I’ve seen. With Highland, I can integrate my outlining, research, and revision notes all into one document. I love the clean interface and intuitive workflow. Highland added options to my writing process I didn’t even know that I needed. But now that I have them, I can’t imagine going back. I am an unabashed, enthusiastic convert. Highland = [emphatic thumbs up emoji]
From start to fade out, Highland 2 is a writer’s dream. I’m a multi-published author relearning the craft of screenwriting, and Highland 2 has streamlined the process just beautifully. It’s elegant yet full-featured, visually appealing, and downright fun to use.
I’ve written one script using Highland 2 exclusively, and I can’t imagine using any other program for my next. And, special thanks for the new Gender Analysis feature -- so simple, but so important.
Highland 2 is intuitive and robust. It has everything that I like about other programs, but through some strange alchemy makes the writing flow better. It really helps me put formatting in the background and get on to the good stuff.
So many screenwriting programs are purely focused on correct formatting, but they neglect the actual process a writer undertakes to get to the point where a story is ready to be formatted. From random notes and brainstorming to outlining to drafts, Highland 2 works the way that writers actually write.
The two biggest selling points are its simplicity and its adaptability. There is almost no learning curve here. You skim the basics, and away you go. And best of all, you can use it in whatever way works for your own personal process. The tools at your disposal are limited in number by design, but there’s nothing mandating how you should use them.
I recommend Highland 2 for aspiring writers and working professionals alike.
I was surprised with how well the developers took an already great text utility, and crafted it into a full-blown writing environment. Highland 2 draws you in with very intuitive writing tools. And, then keeps you “in the zone” with cool features like the varied color themes, Goal setting and the Sprint timer that actually make the writing process... (dare I say it?) fun!
Every little detail of Highland 2 feels like it’s been organically designed from the minds of actual writers.