Overview

Celtx combines format-specific script editors, story-development tools, and production planning in one product. Its use cases include film and television, commercials, documentaries, and interactive media. The company is based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, and was founded in 2000.

Key features

Writing and story development

Editors cover film and TV screenplays, stageplays, multi-column audio/video scripts, and game scripts. Beat Sheet, Storyboard, and Script Goals & Insights extend the workspace beyond drafting, which is useful when a story needs structured development as well as pages. The range is less compelling for someone who wants only a focused script editor.

Production planning

The studio includes breakdowns, catalogs, shot lists, scheduling, cast and crew, sides, budgets, call sheets, and reports. Revision tracking, budgeting, and cost reporting keep production work connected to the script; that breadth favors projects moving toward production over writing-only work.

Collaboration and integration

Collaborators can read, edit, or approve scripts, with comments, presence awareness, and sharing permissions; read-only links provide a way to share without granting editing access. Celtx also keeps revision, feedback, and approval history. Its Adobe Premiere Pro Panel imports screenplays, maps scenes to media bins, and supports script synchronization, a useful bridge for teams using Premiere Pro.

Offline and security considerations

The cloud product runs in a browser, while Celtx Screenplay is available for Windows and Android. The app does not include Studio project-view tools such as Storyboard and Breakdown, so offline access is not a full substitute for the cloud workspace. Celtx says it uses US data-hosting providers and technical safeguards, while acknowledging that absolute security cannot be guaranteed.

Pricing

Celtx is freemium, with paid plans from $11.24/user/mo (annual) and a 7-day trial. Most plans are offered monthly or annually; Education and Student are annual only. Annual billing can save up to three months of billing. Major cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay are accepted.

Plan	Price and terms	What it includes
Free	Free	One project, cloud script editors, real-time collaboration, read-only history, and shareable links.
Writer	11.24 USD per month, billed yearly	Up to three projects and unlimited comments. Its project cap makes it an entry point for writers with a small active slate, not a roomy home for several simultaneous projects.
Writer Pro	18.74 USD per month, billed yearly	Unlimited projects and comments, plus story-development tools. It is the more suitable writing tier for ongoing or episodic work that outgrows Writer.
Team	44.95 USD per month, billed yearly	Five members, unlimited projects and comments, story development, and production planning tools. Team features also include live chat team support; this is the tier for a small group needing planning as well as writing.
Education	Custom pricing; billed yearly	10–700 seats, educator admin controls, unlimited projects, story development, and production planning.
Student	Custom pricing; billed yearly	Requires a student email and includes unlimited projects, Writer Pro and production planning tools, with three years of discounted pricing. Eligible students receive these features at over 75% off regular price.

The Free plan’s one-project ceiling and Writer’s three-project cap matter if you keep multiple scripts active. Writer Pro removes the project cap and adds story tools; production planning is included in Team and the education-focused tiers, so solo writers do not need to pay for team planning unless those tools serve their work.

Platforms

The cloud product works in a web browser; Celtx Screenplay is available for Windows computers and Android devices. The platform range also includes iOS, macOS, and browser extensions, while mobile browsers include iPhone Safari support. Offline use comes with the Screenplay app’s narrower feature set rather than the full Studio project view.

Who it's for

Celtx makes the most sense for writers, educators, and small production teams that want to move from script development into schedules, budgets, sides, and call sheets without separating those stages into different workspaces. Writers who need only script drafting, or who need full Studio project-view tools offline, should weigh a narrower alternative.

Pros and cons

Pros: Editors for several media formats and story-development tools support work beyond standard screenplays.
Pros: Production planning tools connect scripts to breakdowns, schedules, budgets, and call sheets.
Pros: Real-time collaboration, permissions, comments, and revision history support shared script work and review.
Cons: Free allows only one project, and Writer allows three, which can constrain writers managing several active scripts.
Cons: Celtx Screenplay omits Studio tools such as Storyboard and Breakdown, limiting what the offline app can do.
Cons: Education and Student use custom pricing, so their cost cannot be compared directly with the priced individual and Team plans.

Alternatives

For other options, browse Screenwriting Software, Writing Apps, Creative Project Management Software, and Video Production Management Software.

Story Architect is worth considering if open-core software and broader desktop and mobile platform support matter: its maker says the core is MIT-licensed, while some features are closed source and commercial. Studiovity is another freemium choice with web, desktop, and mobile platforms; its Education monthly plan is 22.00 USD per month, while PRO pricing is custom.

WriterDuet suits readers who want a free plan with three projects and support across web, desktop, and mobile; its Plus plan adds unlimited projects and real-time collaboration. Arc Studio Pro is a more limited free starting point at two scripts with watermarked PDF export, on iOS, macOS, and Windows.

Final Draft is a paid alternative without a free plan; its Suite Annual plan costs 99.99 USD per year and includes Final Draft 13 and Final Draft Cloud. OpenDraft is the free-forever option for readers who want no account, subscription, or feature gating, across web, desktop, and mobile platforms.

DramaQueen offers a free plan with no project-count or length restriction and writing, formatting, and outlining tools on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Revision Screenwriter is another free option, with no plan limits stated, and support for web, desktop, and mobile platforms.

Verdict

Choose Celtx if your work benefits from keeping story development, script collaboration, and production planning together, especially in a small team. Its breadth is the main reason to choose it; the project caps on its cheaper plans and the reduced scope of the offline app are the main reasons to look elsewhere.

	Celtx	The Novelist
Free plan	Yes
Free trial	Yes
Paid from	$11.24/mo
Platforms	Android, extension, iOS, macOS, Web, Windows
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	$11.24/user/mo
Publishing tools	Yes	Yes
Real-time collaboration	Yes	No
Version history	Yes	Yes
Offline mode	Yes	Yes
Mobile apps	Yes	No
Export formats	standard	standard

Celtx vs The Novelist

Celtx

The Novelist