Highland Pro is the replacement for Highland 2, not a paid tier of it. Highland 2 no longer gets updates and cannot be bought. If you own it and write only on one Mac, you can keep using it. If you want iPad and iPhone, iCloud sync and the new tools, Highland Pro costs $59.99 a year or $9.99 一年 after a 30-day trial. The facts below were checked on quoteunquoteapps.com, the App Store and the developers' own posts on 28 September 2026. Prices are in US dollars.
Most people searching "Highland 2 vs Highland Pro" hit the same wall. They type the old name, land on a subscription page for an app with a different name, and nobody explains what happened. Here is the short version, then the details.
What happened to Highland 2
Highland started in 2012 as a utility for converting screenplay PDFs. It became a full writing app in 2014. Highland 2 shipped in May 2018 after a three-year beta, and version 2.5 added Revision Mode and the Navigator in June 2019.
In March 2025, Quote-Unquote Apps released Highland Pro. John August announced it on 4 March 2025. The company's own transition post is direct about the old app: Highland 2 has been superseded and there will be no further updates.
Three things follow from that today:
- You cannot buy Highland 2. The address quoteunquoteapps.com/highland-2/ now redirects to the Highland Pro page.
- If you own it, it still installs. The developers say you can download it again from the Mac App Store by clicking your avatar and looking in your previously installed apps.
- It will slowly age. The same post says it should keep working for years, but expects some interface issues as macOS changes.
Why "Pro" and not "Highland 3"? The developers say they wanted to stop the version-number problem, and followed the naming of apps like Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro.
Highland 2 vs Highland Pro at a glance
| Highland 2 | Highland Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | No longer sold, no further updates | Current app, version 3.3.6 updated July 2026 |
| Price model | Free download, one-time Pro upgrade bought in the app | $59.99/yr or $9.99一年 |
| Free option | Free download, no longer offered | 30-day trial |
| Platforms | Mac only | Mac, iPad and iPhone, all native |
| System requirements | No longer maintained | macOS 13 or later, iOS and iPadOS 26 or later |
| Sync | No mobile apps to sync with | iCloud |
| Offline | Local app, local files | Native apps, documents sync through iCloud |
| Collaboration | None live | None live. Supports comments for internal notes, and can send the document to readers for review |
| Formats | Fountain, Final Draft (.fdx), PDF | Can import and export industry-standard formats: Fountain, Final Draft (.fdx), PDF |
| Production features | Revision Mode, Navigator | Revision Mode, scene numbering, cast and location lists, gender analysis for character breakdowns for character breakdowns |
| If you stop paying | Nothing to stop | Still opens, prints and exports your scripts without restrictions your scripts without restrictions |
Neither version runs on Windows, Linux, Android or in a browser. That platform limitation has not changed.
What changed in 升级至 Highland Pro
Highland Pro is close to a new app. The developers describe it as a rewrite in which almost every line of code is new, around 95% of it. The biggest changes:
It left the Mac. Highland Pro runs natively on Mac, iPad and iPhone, and one subscription covers all three. Documents sync with iCloud. For anyone who wanted to write a scene on the train, this is the reason to switch.
New writing tools. The App Store listing names /Lookup, which answers definitions, rhymes and quick facts without leaving the draft. The Shelf stores cut dialogue, snippets and notes. There is also a Title Page Builder, Custom Pages, an Overview of the whole script, and Grammar Highlight.
Improved old tools. The Navigator, headers and footers, templates (14 of them, including Screenplay, Multi-Cam and Manuscript) and themes (12, or build your own) all got reworked.
Steady updates. Recent release notes add paragraph numbering on macOS, a safer way to handle iCloud conflicts, and revision colors that now show when you send a document to others to read.
What stayed the same
The things people loved about Highland 2 carried over.
Plain text at the core. Highland is from the creators of Fountain, and Fountain stays first-class. Files move between Highland 2 and Highland Pro without conversion. The .highland format is a package built on plain text, with extra data for Pro features. Our guide to Fountain import and export shows what survives a trip between apps.
PDF melting. Highland's signature trick still works. It turns a Final Draft or Fountain PDF back into an editable script.
A calm interface. Writing sprints, goals, full-screen mode and in-line notes and synopses are all still there.
Pricing: one-time purchase against subscription
This is where Highland 2 owners feel the change most.
Highland 2 was a free download with a one-time Pro upgrade inside the app. You paid once and kept it. Highland Pro is a subscription: $9.99 一年, or $59.99 a year, which the site shows as $4.99 一年 billed annually. There is a 30-day free trial, and you can cancel anytime. Quote-Unquote's transition post mentions no upgrade discount for Highland 2 owners.
Two points soften this. First, the App Store listing says that if your subscription lapses, Highland Pro still opens, prints and exports your documents. You are not locked out of your pages. Second, your scripts are plain text, so you can always leave with them.
Did Highland 2 owners actually move? According to John August's April 2026 post on the first year, three quarters of Highland 2's weekly active users switched in the first two months. About 60% of trial users became paying customers. Highland Pro's first year earned more than the last four years of Highland 2 combined. That suggests the subscription is keeping the app alive, which is good news if you rely on it.
For the full picture of the old app, including its feature tiers, see our Highland 2 review.
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Start FreeWhich one for whom
| You are | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A Highland 2 owner on one Mac, happy as is | Keep Highland 2 | It still runs, and it costs nothing more |
| 已拥有 Highland 2 但希望在 iPad 或 iPhone 上同步使用 | 升级至 Highland Pro | 可获得三大平台（Mac、iPad、iPhone）的原生应用以及 iCloud 云端同步功能 |
| On a Mac older than macOS 13 | Highland 2, if you own it | Highland Pro needs macOS 13 or later |
| On an iPhone or iPad not on iOS 26 | Neither on mobile | Highland Pro's mobile apps need iOS or iPadOS 26 |
| New to Highland and on Apple devices | Highland Pro trial | 30 days is enough to write something real |
| On Windows, Linux or a Chromebook | Neither | See the third option below |
| Co-writing live with a partner | Neither | Look at WriterDuet or the options in our comparisons hub |
If you are still on Highland 2, the risk is gradual. It works today. The day a macOS update breaks something, there will be no fix. Export your important scripts to Fountain or Final Draft now, so the choice stays yours.
A third option
Highland is a writing app, and a very good one. It ends at the page.
熙熙 starts at the page and keeps going. The 免费档 costs 免费 and comes with no expiration date, offering unlimited projects and unlimited pages, industry-standard screenplay formatting, outlining tools and beat-sheet support, and the ability to export as both PDF and Final Draft (.fdx) files. It runs directly in the browser across Mac, Windows, Linux and iPad, can be installed as a progressive web app, works fully offline, and syncs your work across devices—covering all the platforms Highland never officially supported, including Windows and Linux environments.
When the draft is ready, the 年度会员 (¥168 一年, 3,000 张额度 一年) generates the storyboard from your screenplay, with each shot's framing, angle, movement and duration under your control. The same plan carries the project into the shooting script and video generation, both available today.
To be fair: 熙熙 lists iPad, not iPhone, among its officially supported platforms. It exports PDF and Final Draft (.fdx) formats, not Fountain directly, and it reads Fountain files as plain text through its AI assistant feature, which is available only with a paid subscription plan. If you love Highland's plain-text Markdown-style workflow on Apple devices and the native Mac or iOS experience, Highland Pro remains a great choice for that ecosystem. If you need Windows support, Linux compatibility, or a genuinely free plan with no trial limits, our detailed Highland alternative comparison page walks through 熙熙 and Highland Pro side by side, feature by feature.
FAQ
Is Highland 2 still available?
Not for new buyers. The Highland 2 product page now redirects visitors to Highland Pro, and the developers have publicly stated there will be no further updates or patches to Highland 2. If you purchased Highland 2 before the transition, you can still reinstall it from your Mac App Store purchase history and continue using it on compatible macOS versions.
Is Highland Pro a free upgrade for Highland 2 owners?
No. Highland Pro is sold as a separate subscription service priced at $59.99 per year or $9.99 一年, and it includes a 30-day free trial. The developers' official transition announcement makes no mention of any upgrade discount, loyalty pricing, or special offer for existing Highland 2 license owners.
Can Highland Pro open my Highland 2 files?
Yes. Fountain files work seamlessly in both Highland 2 and Highland Pro, and the proprietary .highland format is built on top of plain text with Markdown-style syntax, so it remains human-readable and portable. Highland Pro also supports importing and exporting industry-standard Final Draft (.fdx) files and PDF documents, giving you flexible workflow options with other screenwriting tools.
What happens if I stop paying for Highland Pro?
According to its App Store listing, Highland Pro still opens, prints and exports documents in compatible formats after a subscription lapses. You retain access to your screenplay files and can continue to view, print, and export them—you simply lose access to the paid features such as advanced formatting tools and collaboration options, but never your scripts themselves.
Does Highland Pro work on Windows?
No. As of September 2026, Highland Pro runs exclusively on Mac, iPad and iPhone. There is no Windows version, no Android app, and no web-based alternative available at this time.
Is Highland 2 or Highland Pro better for Fountain?
Both applications handle Fountain markup exceptionally well, which makes sense given that Highland comes directly from the creators of the Fountain format itself. Highland Pro extends that capability by adding full iPad and iPhone support, enabling you to write Fountain screenplays on more devices—phone, tablet, or desktop—and keep everything synced seamlessly through iCloud across your entire Apple ecosystem.
Final Step
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