Final Draft vs Celtx
Final Draft is a desktop formatter that you buy once or rent through the Suite, while Celtx is a web account that carries a script into breakdowns and budgets. Final Draft 13 is published by Cast & Crew Production Software in Burbank, California. Celtx is a Canadian company in St. John's that Backlight acquired in 2021. Only Celtx runs a free plan, limited to one project. Neither page we read prints a single price figure, so cost comparison needs a visit to each vendor.
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Choose Final Draft ifyou send scripts to producers who ask for Final Draft files and you prefer a one-time purchase over renting. You also want a desktop program on macOS 12 or later or Windows 11.
Choose Celtx ifyou want to start free and take one script into storyboards, shot lists and budgets inside one account. You also work with a small crew that can share a Team plan.
Final Draft and Celtx side by side
| Final Draft | Celtx | |
|---|---|---|
| Our screenwriting software rank | #11 of 11 | #10 of 11 |
| Established in | United States | Canada |
| List price, 7 November 2026 | Version 13 as a one-time purchase, or the Suite on a monthly or annual subscription (no amounts listed); 5-day Suite trial | Free plan with 1 project; Writer, Writer Pro and Team plans with annual billing marked Save 25%; no amounts listed; 7-day trial |
| Free tier | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | Writers sending scripts to producers that ask for FDX files | Small film crews taking a script through to schedule and budget |
| Not for | Hobbyists or students who do not need the industry file format | Novelists or screenwriters wanting only a quiet writing page |
Both are reviewed in full in our screenwriting software ranking: Final Draft and Celtx.
Where they differ
Final Draft 2 · Celtx 3 · open 1- 01
Starting without paying anything
Celtx has a free plan with one seat and one project, and its page says you can stay free forever after the trial. New accounts also get a 7-day trial of the paid features. Final Draft names no free plan, though its homepage offers Try Suite FREE for 5 Days and links a free screenwriting trial without details. For a writer with one script to finish, Celtx is the cheaper place to begin. That makes Celtx the lower-risk starting point for a first draft.
Edge: Celtx
- 02
Buy once or rent monthly
Final Draft 13 is sold as a one-time desktop purchase without Cloud, and the Suite bundles Cloud with version 13 on a monthly or annual subscription. Discounted licences are listed for students, educators, non-profits and multi-user studios. The homepage shows no amounts or currency, so we cannot compare totals. Celtx has no one-off option on the page we read, only plans with annual billing marked Save 25%. Weigh how long you will use it before choosing.
Edge: Final Draft
- 03
Seats, projects and crew size
Celtx separates its plans by capacity. Writer gives one seat and up to three projects, Writer Pro gives one seat and unlimited projects, and Team covers 3 to 15 members with unlimited and private projects. Education and Student plans say Contact sales for pricing. Final Draft's pages say a single licence activates on two computers but name no project limits or team plan except multi-user Studios and Production licensing. Check the seat count before you sign up for any tier.
Edge: Celtx
- 04
Formatting that producers recognise
Final Draft 13 formats scripts automatically to entertainment industry standards and adds production features, advanced outlining and story development tools. Celtx also offers multi-format editors for film and TV, theatre and documentaries, formatted to industry standards. Our earlier notes say many producers ask for Final Draft's file format, which is the point in its favour. The pages we read give no counts of users for either tool. Whether that matters depends on who reads the script.
Edge: Final Draft
- 05
Beyond the page: breakdowns and budgets
Celtx lists storyboards, beat sheets, shot lists and scene-by-scene breakdowns, plus budgeting with cost reporting. Collaboration includes text-anchored comments and revision tracking. Some of these planning tools are optional add-ons on Writer Pro, so the full set can cost more. Final Draft's Suite adds Cloud storage and an online writing interface with secure sharing, but nothing there lists scheduling or budgeting. Production planning is Celtx's clear strength. Writers who only format will not need these tools.
Edge: Celtx
- 06
Platform limits and the owners behind them
Final Draft's terms name Cast & Crew Production Software, LLC dba Final Draft, in Burbank, under California law. Our notes add that Chromebooks are unsupported. Celtx Inc. calls itself a Canadian company, was founded in 2000 in Newfoundland and Labrador and has been a Backlight business since 2021. Celtx's homepage links both a web account and a download page, but does not say how it is hosted. No third-party integrations are named. Check both before you rely on either for client work.
Depends on the buyer
When neither fits
If you only want a quiet writing page or a lower-cost editor, look at Fade In or WriterDuet. Both are in our screenwriting software category, and Fade In suits those who do not need production planning.
Final Draft or Celtx: questions
3 answersCan I use Celtx for free, and for how long?
Yes. The free plan has one seat and one project, and the pricing page says users can stay free forever on it after a trial. New accounts first get a 7-day trial of paid features.
Does Final Draft come as a subscription as well as a licence?
It does. Final Draft 13 is a one-time desktop purchase, and the Suite combines it with Final Draft Cloud on a monthly or annual subscription. The homepage we read shows no prices, so confirm them before you choose.
Which is the better fit for a three-person film crew?
Celtx's Team plan covers 3 to 15 members with unlimited projects and private projects. Final Draft lists multi-user Studios and Production licensing, but no team size is given. Crews that plan shoots will find more tools in Celtx.
Sources
Checked 7 November 2026- Final Draft homepage: licence versus Suite subscription, Cloud, 5-day Suite trial, discounted licence groups, automatic formatting.
- Final Draft terms of service: operator named as Cast & Crew Production Software, LLC in Burbank, California law.
- Celtx pricing page: Writer, Writer Pro and Team limits, free plan of one project, 7-day trial, Save 25% on annual.
- Celtx homepage: script editors, storyboard, beat sheet, shot lists, budgeting, comments, web and download links.
- Celtx about page: founded 2000 in Newfoundland and Labrador, acquired by Backlight in 2021.
- Celtx terms: Celtx Inc. described as a Canadian company at a St. John's address.