Celtx

Celtx is a cloud workspace that carries media projects from script development into production planning. It best suits writers and small creative teams who want those stages connected, rather than a standalone script editor. Its value depends on whether the plan’s project allowance and production tools match the work.

Overview

Celtx serves film and television, commercials, documentaries, and interactive media. Its editors cover screenplays, stageplays, multi-column audio/video scripts, and game scripts, with story-development tools and a production studio alongside them. The company is based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, and was founded in 2000.

Key features

Writing and story development

Writers can choose an editor suited to the format, then develop material with Beat Sheet, Storyboard, and Script Goals & Insights. That breadth is useful when a project needs more than screenplay pages, though the free plan’s single-project cap makes it a trial-sized home for ongoing work.

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 can keep planning close to the script instead of scattering it across separate tools. This is a stronger fit for projects moving toward production than for writers who only need to draft.

Collaboration and history

Real-time collaboration includes presence awareness, comments, sharing permissions, and read-only links. Users can invite others to read, edit, or approve scripts. Celtx keeps a complete history of revisions, feedback, and approvals, while the free plan offers read-only history. That distinction matters to teams relying on an active feedback trail.

Premiere workflow

The Adobe Premiere Pro Panel imports Celtx screenplays, maps scenes to media bins, and supports script synchronization. It can help connect script and editing workflows, but Premiere integration appears in the pricing comparison; confirm the relevant tier before choosing around it.

Pricing

Celtx is freemium, with a 7-day trial. Most plans are offered monthly or annually, and annual billing can save up to three months of billing. Prices below are the stated annual-billing rates.

• Free: free. One project, cloud-based script editors, real-time collaboration, read-only history, and shareable links. A sensible way to try the workflow, but the one-project ceiling is restrictive for multiple active scripts.
• Writer: $11.24 a month (billed yearly). Up to three projects and unlimited comments. It suits writers with a small slate who do not need the broader story-development and production-planning bundle.
• Writer Pro: $18.74 a month (billed yearly). Unlimited projects, unlimited comments, and story-development tools. A better fit for writers managing several projects or developing episodic work, without the Team plan’s production-planning package.
• Team: $44.95 a month (billed yearly), for 5 members. Includes unlimited writing and planning tools, projects, comments, story development, production planning, and live chat team support. It is aimed at collaborative production work; the stated capacity is the account holder plus 2–14 additional collaborators, so confirm the seat configuration that applies to your group.
• Education: custom pricing, billed yearly, for 10–700 seats. It includes educator admin controls, unlimited projects, story development, and production planning. This is the institutional option rather than a small-team subscription.
• Student: custom pricing, billed yearly, with a student email required. Eligible students get Writer Pro and production-planning features at over 75% off the regular price, with three years of discounted pricing.

Accepted payment methods include major cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Education and Student are annual-only.

Platforms

The cloud product runs in a web browser, and Celtx is offered for web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, as well as an extension. Celtx Screenplay is available on Windows computers and Android devices, and mobile browsers include iPhone Safari support. The Screenplay app does not include Studio project-view tools such as Storyboard and Breakdown, so mobile access is not a full substitute for the browser studio.

Who it's for

Celtx is a strong candidate for screenwriters, educators, and production teams who benefit from scripts, revisions, collaboration, and planning in one workspace. A solo writer who only needs a few scripts can start with Writer; those developing stories across unlimited projects have a clearer case for Writer Pro. Teams that need production tools should weigh Team’s price and member structure against their actual collaboration needs. The company says its software is used by more than 7 million storytellers in over 140 countries and more than 25,000 educational institutions, but reach alone does not determine plan fit.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Multiple script formats and story-development tools support work beyond a single screenplay format.
• Pro: Production planning, collaboration, and revision history can keep writing and preparation connected.
• Pro: Student and Education options address learners and institutions, including student discounts and educator controls.
• Con: The free plan stops at one project, while Writer allows only three; writers with several active projects must move up to Writer Pro.
• Con: Celtx Screenplay lacks Studio features such as Storyboard and Breakdown, limiting what can be done in that app.
• Con: Education and Student require annual billing, and their prices are custom rather than fixed subscription amounts.

Alternatives

For a writing-first choice, compare Writing Apps and Screenwriting Software; for planning-oriented needs, browse Creative Project Management Software or Video Production Management Software.

• WriterDuet is worth considering if three free projects are enough and you want its listed platform coverage, including Linux.
• Campfire suits someone looking to try writing and worldbuilding modules with limited free access and no credit card requirement.
• Story Architect may appeal if open-core software and an MIT-licensed core matter to your choice.
• Final Draft is a paid alternative with a free trial and a listed annual suite plan at $99.99 a year.
• Reedsy Studio is another option to consider.
• Write.as is another option to consider.
• HackMD is another option to consider.
• Overleaf is another option to consider.

Verdict

Choose Celtx if your work benefits from a shared path from script development through production planning, especially when collaborators need comments, approvals, and revision records. Its main advantage is the breadth of that connected workflow; its main drawback is that project caps, tier distinctions, and annual-only education options can make the right plan less straightforward. If you only need a writing space, or need full Studio tools in the Screenplay app, look elsewhere.