Celtx vs Highland Pro
We give Celtx and Highland Pro the same GPA: 3.0 out of 4.0. Celtx grades higher on the free plan and platforms. Highland Pro grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Celtx
Online scriptwriting with pre-production planning tools
Highland Pro
Plain-text screenwriting app for Mac, iPad and iPhone
How we grade them
| 3.0GPACeltxVery good | 3.0GPAHighland ProVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CWriter is $11.24 a month billed yearly, or $14.99 monthly, and still caps you at 3 projects. Unlimited projects and the story tools need Writer Pro at $18.74. Production planning is an add-on until Team, which is $44.99 a month for 3 members. | A$4.99 a month billed $59.99 annually, about half what paid writing tools typically start at. Everything is in the one plan, on Mac, iPad and iPhone. Monthly is $9.99, so the yearly plan is where the saving is. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree gives you 1 project with the screenplay, stageplay and A/V editors, script goals and read-through. Script history is read-only and there's no commenting or collaboration. New accounts start with a 7-day trial of the paid features. | CNo free plan. There's a 30-day free trial, and the listing doesn't say whether it needs a card. Afterwards the app still opens, prints and exports your documents, but all the features need a subscription. |
| Features | AAuto-formatting editors for screenplays, stage plays and two-column A/V scripts, then a beat sheet, storyboard and shot lists, then breakdowns, scheduling, budgets and call sheets. Revision Mode keeps scene numbers in place once a script is locked. | AFountain and Markdown with automatic formatting, 14 templates, a Navigator for scenes and notes, Revision Mode with colours and stars in the margin, sprints and goals. It imports and exports Final Draft files, and PDF Melting turns a script PDF back into editable text. |
| Ease of use | BThere's no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. It runs in a browser and formats the script for you, and you can start on a free account and stay on it. | BThere's no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. You write plain text and the app formats it, with autocomplete for character names and scene headers. Syncing between devices runs through iCloud. |
| Platforms and integrations | BIt's browser-based, with the Celtx Screenplay mobile app on Google Play and the Microsoft Store and a plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro. The download page has no iOS App Store link, so there's no app for iPhone or iPad. | CMac, iPad and iPhone only, synced through iCloud. There's no Windows, Android or web version. The App Store listing asks for iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 on mobile devices and macOS 13 or later on a Mac. |
| Best for | writing a script and planning the shoot | plain-text screenwriting on Apple devices |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Celtx and Highland Pro. How we grade
Where they differ
- Celtx starts at $11.24 per month, billed yearly ($134.88); $14.99 billed monthly (Writer). Highland Pro starts at $4.99 per month, billed $59.99 annually.
- Celtx has a free plan. Highland Pro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Celtx lists a web app.
- Only Celtx lists Android and Windows apps.
- Only Highland Pro lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Highland Pro also covers Markdown and templates.
At a glance
| Celtx | Highland Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $11.24 per month, billed yearly ($134.88); $14.99 billed monthly (Writer) | $4.99 per month, billed $59.99 annually |
| Free plan | 1 project with the screenplay, stageplay and multi-column AV editors, script goals and read-through. Script history is read-only and there is no commenting or collaboration. | None |
| Free trial | 7-day trial of the paid features when a free account is created | 30-day free trial; cancel anytime |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Celtx Inc. | The Quote-Unquote Company |
| Price read from | celtx.com | quoteunquoteapps.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Celtx
- Filmmakers who want the script and pre-production planning in one tool
- Film and media classes, which get seat-based education plans
- Production teams of 3 to 15 people sharing scripts and schedules
Highland Pro
- Screenwriters on Apple devices who like writing in plain text
- Writers who draft both scripts and novels in one app
- Anyone who needs to turn a script PDF back into an editable document
Worth knowing
Celtx
- The Free plan allows 1 project, with read-only script history and no commenting or collaboration.
- Production planning tools cost extra on Writer and Writer Pro and are only included from the Team plan.
- Team is priced for a group of 3 to 15 members rather than as a single seat.
- The download page links the mobile Celtx Screenplay app on Google Play and the Microsoft Store only, with no iOS App Store link.
Highland Pro
- It is listed only for Mac, iPad and iPhone; there is no Windows, Android or web version.
- After the 30-day trial a subscription is required for all features; without one the app still opens, prints and exports documents.
- The App Store listing requires iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 on mobile devices and macOS 13 or later on a Mac.
- Syncing between devices relies on iCloud.
Key features
Celtx
- Script editors
- Auto-formatting editors for film and TV screenplays, stage plays and two-column A/V scripts are included on every plan, including Free.
- Story development tools
- A Beat Sheet, a Storyboard, shot lists and talent sides help plan a script. They are included from Writer Pro and sold as an add-on to Writer.
- Production planning
- Script breakdown, catalog, scheduling, cast and crew, budget, call sheets and production reports are included on Team and are an add-on for the writer plans.
- Collaboration and approvals
- Comments are anchored to script text with @mentions, presence awareness shows co-writers' cursors and edits in real time, and scripts can be sent for review and approval.
- Script history, drafts and read-through
- Restore earlier saves from a dated history, keep editable draft copies of a script, and play lines back with text-to-speech voices.
- Revision Mode and episodic projects
- Revision Mode locks a script for production so scene numbers are preserved through changes. Episodic projects link scripts across the installments of a series.
Highland Pro
- Fountain and Markdown writing
- Write in plain text and let the app format it. There are 14 templates, including Screenplay, Multi-Cam and Manuscript, and autocomplete for character names and scene headers.
- Navigator and Overview
- The Navigator maps sections, scenes, synopses and notes, and the Overview shows a whole script or novel in one view with characters and scenes highlighted.
- Revision Mode
- Tracks changes in different colors with stars in the margin, alongside automatic scene numbering with custom ranges.
- Sprints and goals
- Timed writing sprints track focused sessions, and goals set milestones for a page, word or character count.
- /Lookup
- Typing a slash and a question returns quick answers such as definitions, rhymes and world facts without leaving the draft.
- Import, export and PDF melting
- Imports and exports Fountain, Final Draft .fdx and PDF files. PDF Melting converts Final Draft and Fountain PDFs back into editable text.
Plans
Celtx
Free$0
1 project with the three script editors, script goals and read-through; read-only script history and limited script settings.
Writer$11.24
per month, billed yearly ($134.88); $14.99 billed monthly
Up to 3 projects, unlimited comments and collaboration, script drafts and custom headers and footers. Story and production tools are optional add-ons.
Writer Pro$18.74
per month, billed yearly ($224.88); $24.99 billed monthly
Unlimited projects, episodic scripts, Revision Mode, watermarking, review and approval, the story development tools and the Adobe Premiere Pro plugin.
Team$44.99
per month for 3 members, billed yearly; $59.99 billed monthly
For 3 to 15 members: everything in Writer Pro plus production planning tools, episodic planning, advanced sharing controls and live chat support.
Education$600
per year for 10 seats ($60 a seat), billed yearly
Classroom plan for 10 to 700 seats with educator admin controls and recyclable student seats; the price per seat falls as seats are added.
Student$79.99
per year, billed yearly
Writer Pro features plus the production planning tools for one student, with a student email required and 3 years of discounted pricing.
Highland Pro
Yearly$4.99
per month, billed $59.99 annually
All Highland Pro features on Mac, iPad and iPhone, billed once a year. Advertised as a 50% saving on the monthly plan.
Monthly$9.99
per month, billed monthly
The same features on a month-to-month subscription.
Ways to pay less
Celtx
- Annual discount
Save 25% with yearly billing
The pricing page advertises 25% off for yearly billing: Writer is $134.88 a year against $14.99 a month, and Writer Pro is $224.88 a year against $24.99 a month.
- Education
Student plan for $79.99 a year
Students with a school email get Writer Pro features plus the production planning tools for $79.99 a year, described by Celtx as over 75% off, for up to 3 years.
Highland Pro
- Annual discount
Save 50% with the yearly plan
The yearly plan is billed $59.99, which works out to $4.99 a month against $9.99 on the monthly plan, or $119.88 over twelve months.
