Comparison
Celtx alternative for Mac: one price, no subscription
Is Celtx free? Only in part: Celtx has a free plan limited to one project, with none of its production tools, and every other plan is a subscription from $14.99 a month (checked on Celtx's pricing page on 6 November 2026). The old free desktop app was discontinued. Below are the full details, then what Scriptease does differently.
Is Celtx free? Is it no longer free?
Celtx still has a free plan, but it is small. On Celtx's pricing page the Free plan is one seat and one project, and none of the production-planning tools (breakdown, scheduling, budgeting, call sheets) are included. Paid plans are subscriptions:
| Celtx plan | Monthly | Billed yearly | Production tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Not included — 1 project |
| Writer | $14.99 | $134.88 / year | Not included — up to 3 projects |
| Writer Pro | $24.99 | $224.88 / year | Optional add-ons |
| Team | $29.99 first seat | $269.88 / year first seat | Optional add-ons |
What people usually remember as "free Celtx" is the old desktop app. Celtx's help centre says development and distribution of the Celtx desktop software (version 2.9.7 and older) was discontinued in 2013, the Celtx Script app left the Mac App Store in January 2023, and Offline Mode was retired in September 2023. Celtx today runs in the browser and needs a connection.
Celtx prices and free-plan limits checked on 6 November 2026 on celtx.com/pricing; desktop and offline history from support.celtx.com, checked 22 October 2026. Prices are USD; Celtx shows prices by region and changes them, so check their page before you decide.
Where Celtx is the better choice
- You are on Windows, a Chromebook or a phone. Celtx runs in a browser and has a mobile app. Scriptease is macOS only.
- You only need to write one script and pay nothing. Celtx's free plan does that. So do several apps on our list of the best free screenwriting software.
- Your team works in the same project at the same time. Celtx Team is built for shared cloud projects. Scriptease is single-user by design.
What Scriptease does differently
You buy it once. $99.99, two Mac activations, updates included, with no monthly plan and no add-ons. At Celtx's Writer Pro yearly price, the subscription passes $99.99 within the first year, before any production add-ons.
It works without a connection. Scriptease is a desktop app and your project is a file on your own disk. It goes online only to start the trial, activate or check a licence, and check for updates; day to day it works fully offline.
Production is in the box. The same project that holds the script holds the breakdown, the stripboard schedule, the Day Out of Days, the budget and the call sheets. Tag a prop in the scene and the breakdown, schedule and budget all see it.
Celtx vs Scriptease at a glance
| Scriptease | Celtx | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.99 once | Free plan, or subscription from $14.99/month |
| Platform | macOS desktop app | Browser (Mac and Windows), mobile app |
| Works offline | Yes, day to day | No — Offline Mode retired in 2023 |
| Where the project lives | A file on your Mac | Your Celtx online account |
| Screenwriting | Yes — imports FDX, Fountain and PDF | Yes |
| Breakdown, stripboard, budget, call sheets | Included | Paid add-ons on Writer Pro and Team |
| Day Out of Days | Included | Not found on Celtx's pages |
| Real-time collaboration | No — single user | Yes, on Team |
| Trial | 14 days, full version, no card | 7-day trial of paid features |
Moving your scripts across
Scriptease imports Final Draft (.fdx), Fountain and PDF scripts, so export your script in one of those formats and open it in Scriptease. Scene headings, characters and dialogue come in formatted, and the scenes are ready to break down. Try it with a script you have already written: the trial is the full version for 14 days, and when it ends the app goes read-only rather than locking your files.
Frequently asked questions
Is Celtx completely free?
No. Celtx has a free plan limited to one project with no production tools. Everything else is a monthly or yearly subscription.
Can I still download the old Celtx desktop app?
Celtx says its old desktop software was discontinued in 2013 and is not compatible with recent macOS versions. Current Celtx runs in the browser.
Does Scriptease have a free version?
There is a free 14-day trial of the full version with no credit card. After that it is a one-time $99.99 licence; the app goes read-only, not locked, if you do not buy.
Is there a Windows version of Scriptease?
Not currently. Scriptease is macOS only; on Windows, Celtx is the more practical choice.