CardBeat
Write by hand
Use Apple Pencil or just your finger, with pens, pencils and markers in any color you like.
Plot your story
on index cards.
CardBeat is a digital corkboard for iPhone and iPad. It keeps all the fun things about index cards – and gets rid of all the rest.
Everything you love about index cards. None of the mess.
Break your story into acts, sequences and scenes. Put each beat on a card, pin it to the board and shuffle until the structure works – without wasting ink or paper.
…or type
Prefer a cleaner look? Every card takes keyboard input, with bold, italics and alignment.
Color-code every subplot
Blank, lined, dotted or grid cards in eight colors. Give each character, subplot or timeline its own.
All the pens. All the colors.
Sketch, underline, circle and scribble in the margins – just like on paper, but with undo.
Built for the way stories get made.
The things paper can’t do – and other apps don’t.
Writers’ room mode
Connect a TV, monitor or projector and CardBeat shows the board itself – not a mirror of your iPad. No toolbars, no menus, just cards, laid out for the screen. Keep plotting on the iPad while the whole room follows along.
- Updates as you move and edit cards
- Fitted to the screen’s aspect ratio
- Card size adjustable for any room
Clean Up in one tap
Throw cards around while you brainstorm. When it’s time to see the structure, Clean Up lines them up on an even grid – without scrambling the order of your acts and scenes.
- Keeps every row and column in order
- Fans out deliberate stacks instead of breaking them apart
- Tidy a selection or the whole board – one undo away
Export the whole board
Send the complete board as a single PDF page, sized to your cards, with every card’s text laid out exactly as on screen. Or export a CardBeat file your co-writer imports and keeps working on.
- PDF for producers, editors and writing groups
- CardBeat file with cards, handwriting and drawings
- From inside a board or straight from the overview
Unfold the big picture.
CardBeat is made for iPhone Duo. Unfold your phone and see your whole story on one screen – then fold it and keep plotting on the go.
Your boards stay in sync across iPhone, iPad and iPhone Duo through your own iCloud – or switch syncing off with a single toggle.
Free to start. Yours to keep.
No subscription. Try CardBeat with two full boards, then unlock unlimited boards once.
Free
$0
- Two boards
- Every card style, pen and color
- iCloud sync and PDF export
CardBeat Pro
One-time
- Unlimited boards
- Everything in Free
- Supports an independent developer
Price shown in the App Store for your region.
Private by design.
No accounts, no ads, no third-party analytics. CardBeat doesn't collect any data. Your story stays on your devices – and in your own iCloud, if you want it there.
Questions writers ask.
What is CardBeat?
CardBeat is a digital corkboard for iPhone and iPad. You plot a novel, screenplay or short story on index cards: one card per scene or beat, arranged in acts and sequences, and rearranged as often as you like.
Can I plot a screenplay on iPhone or iPad?
Yes. CardBeat is built for exactly that. Put every scene on a card, line the cards up by act and move them until the structure works. Connect a TV or projector to show the board in a writers' room.
Does CardBeat work for novels?
Yes. Use cards for chapters, scenes or plot points, and color-code them by point of view, subplot or timeline.
Do I need an Apple Pencil?
No. You can write on cards with your finger or type with the on-screen or a hardware keyboard. Apple Pencil works too.
Is CardBeat free?
CardBeat is free with two boards. A one-time in-app purchase unlocks unlimited boards. There is no subscription.
Does CardBeat sync between iPhone and iPad?
Yes, through your own iCloud account. You can switch syncing off in the app's settings and keep your boards on one device.
Can I share a board with a co-writer?
Yes. Export a board as a PDF for feedback, or as a CardBeat file that your co-writer can import and keep working on. CardBeat does not offer real-time collaboration on the same board.
Does CardBeat write the screenplay for me?
No. CardBeat is for structure: finding the shape of your story before and while you write. Write the pages in your screenwriting or writing app of choice, such as Final Draft, Fade In, Highland or Scrivener.
Wondering how CardBeat compares? See CardBeat next to Scrivener, Freeform and paper index cards.
What data does CardBeat collect?
None. CardBeat has no accounts, no ads and no third-party analytics. Your boards stay on your devices and, if you turn it on, in your own iCloud.
Which devices does CardBeat run on?
iPhone and iPad with iOS or iPadOS 26 or later, including iPhone Duo.