Fountain+ TL;DR
ftn2xml is a C++ command-line Fountain converter for the terminal crowd. Fountain+ Exporter is a Google Docs Add-on for writers. If your idea of a screenwriting tool is make && ./ftn2pdf, you want ftn2xml. If it's a menu item inside Docs, you want Fountain+ Exporter.
At a Glance — Fountain+ Exporter
Free Google Docs Add-on. Reads Fountain or Mangaplay markup, writes FDX, FadeIn, PDF, TXT and Fountain. 14 locales. No build step, no command line — installs from the Workspace Marketplace in seconds.
At a Glance — ftn2xml
Free, open-source (GPL-3.0) C++ project by GitHub user xiota at github.com/xiota/ftn2xml. Ships four binaries: ftn2xml (native XML), ftn2html, ftn2pdf (via PoDoFo), ftn2fdx. Requires C++17 to build. A niche developer tool with a small star count — not a writer-facing product.
Pricing
Fountain+ Exporter — Free
- Google Docs Add-on
- All export formats included
- No build step, no command line
ftn2xml — Free (OSS)
- C++ CLI suite
- GPL-3.0 licensed
- Build from source — no precompiled binaries
Feature Matrix
| Feature | Fountain+ | ftn2xml |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Google Docs Add-on | C++ command line |
| Setup | Install from Marketplace | Build from source (C++17) |
| Fountain markup | ✓ | ✓ |
| .fdx export | ✓ | ✓ |
| .fadein export | ✓ | No |
| PDF export | ✓ | Via PoDoFo |
| HTML export | No | ✓ |
| Native XML export | No | ✓ |
| Lives in Google Docs | ✓ | No |
| Mangaplay / comic format | ✓ | No |
| Locales | 14 | English |
| Scriptable / batch | No | ✓ |
| Open source | No | GPL-3.0 |
Why Pick Fountain+ Exporter
- You're a writer, not a developer.
- You don't want to install a C++ compiler to convert a screenplay.
- You need FadeIn export.
- You write in Google Docs.
- You want the Add-on UI in your own language (14 supported).
- You write comics or manga.
Why Pick ftn2xml
- You're batch-converting hundreds of
.fountainfiles in a script. - You need native XML output for downstream tooling (custom pipeline, static-site generation).
- You want HTML export.
- You want fully offline, no Google account, no network dependency.
- You want GPL-3.0 source you can fork or embed.
Workflows
These are different jobs. ftn2xml is a building block — you drop it into a Makefile, a build step, or a shell pipeline. Fountain+ is a finished product — a writer clicks a menu item in Docs and gets a file.
Co-existence pipeline. A developer-screenwriter could draft in Google Docs with Fountain+, then commit the exported .fountain source to a repo and use ftn2xml in a build step to regenerate static-site HTML versions of public-domain scripts.
Switching Direction
Fountain text moves between tools without losing structure.
1. To take ftn2xml input into Fountain+ Exporter: paste your .fountain source into a Google Doc, run the Add-on's export. 2. To take Fountain+ output into ftn2xml: Extensions → Fountain+ Exporter → Export Fountain. Run ftn2fdx script.fountain or ftn2pdf script.fountain.
Bottom Line
Pick ftn2xml if you're a developer building a Fountain conversion step into a pipeline, you want HTML or XML output, or you want GPL-3.0 source code you can modify.
Pick Fountain+ Exporter if you're a writer drafting in Google Docs.
FAQ
Does ftn2xml have a GUI? No — pure command line.
Are there precompiled ftn2xml binaries? Not as of last verification. You build from source against a C++17 compiler.
Does Fountain+ Exporter have a CLI? No. The closest in-browser equivalent is Fountain+ Screenplay Converter, which runs locally without uploading files.
Can ftn2xml read a Google Doc? No — it operates on .fountain text files. Export your Doc to Fountain first (via Fountain+ Exporter), then pipe it into ftn2xml.