Celtx vs Movie Magic Screenwriter (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Celtx grades higher than Movie Magic Screenwriter: 2.4 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Celtx grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. Movie Magic Screenwriter grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on 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
Movie Magic Screenwriter
Screenwriting software for scripts, stage plays and comics
Which one is for you
Pick Celtx if
- Fits if you're making the film too and want the script and the shoot planning in one place
- Works for film classes, with seat-based plans from $600 a year for 10 seats
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, with 1 project, read-only history and no comments or collaboration
- Pricey if you only want to write, since Writer is $11.24 a month and stops at 3 projects
- Skip it if you want an iPhone or iPad app, as the download page links none
- Watch out: production planning is a paid add-on on Writer and Writer Pro, and only included from Team
- Watch out: Team is priced for 3 to 15 members, $44.99 a month for 3, not as one seat
Pick Movie Magic Screenwriter if
- Fits if you write screenplays and want a desktop program
- Makes sense if you'd rather pay once than subscribe
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you're only trying screenwriting, at $169 with nothing free
- Skip it if you want a web or mobile version, as none is listed
- Watch out: the Windows version is 6.0 and the Mac version is 6.8
- Watch out: it needs an internet connection during installation
How we grade them
| 2.4GPACeltxFair | 1.6GPAMovie Magic ScreenwriterWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DWriter is $11.24 a month billed yearly, $14.99 monthly, and still stops at 3 projects. The parts people want sit well above this category's $8.33 middle: unlimited projects and the story tools are Writer Pro at $18.74, and production planning is an add-on until Team, $44.99 a month for 3 members. | C$169 once, against $19.99 in the middle of one-time prices in writing tools, though under two years of a $9.95 subscription. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree gives you 1 project with the screenplay, stageplay and A/V editors, script goals and read-through. One project is a cap you hit immediately, script history is read-only and there's no commenting or collaboration. New accounts do get a 7-day run at the paid features. | FNo free plan or trial is listed. A 30-day money-back guarantee isn't a trial. |
| 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 holds scene numbers once a script is locked. Nothing else here takes you from script to shoot. | CScript templates, instructional and TV templates, sample files and free technical support. No web or mobile version on the page. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and this is a studio rather than an editor: beat sheets, breakdowns, schedules and budgets all want learning, and working out which plan or add-on holds what is a job in itself. The script editors do at least format as you type. | CNo store rating on record. It needs an internet connection to install and activate. |
| Platforms and integrations | BBrowser-based, with the Celtx Screenplay app on Google Play and the Microsoft Store and a plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro. The download page links no iOS app at all, so iPhone and iPad writers are out, and that's what keeps it off an A. | CWindows 8 or later and macOS 10.15 or later only. Computers only, with no integrations listed. |
| Best for | writing a script and planning the shoot | screenplay formatting on a desktop |
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 Movie Magic Screenwriter. How we grade
Where they differ
- Movie Magic Screenwriter can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Celtx also covers long-form writing.
- Movie Magic Screenwriter also covers templates.
At a glance
| Celtx | Movie Magic Screenwriter | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $11.24 per month, billed yearly ($134.88); $14.99 billed monthly (Writer) | $169 one-time (listed against a crossed-out $249.95) |
| 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 | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Celtx Inc. | Screenplay.com (Write Brothers) |
| Price read from | celtx.com | screenplay.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
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.
Movie Magic Screenwriter
- It is a desktop program for Windows 8 or later and macOS 10.15 or later; there is no web or mobile version on the page.
- An internet connection is needed during installation.
- The Windows download is version 6.0 while the Mac download is 6.8, per the product page.
- Screenplay.com states a 30-day money-back guarantee on purchases from its store.
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.
Movie Magic Screenwriter
- Script templates
- The product page lists over 100 templates and tools, including 20 or more blank formats for screenplays, TV shows, stage plays, radio plays and comic books.
- Instructional templates
- Eight templates cover forms such as stage play, screenplay, sitcom structure and classic film structure.
- TV templates
- The page says it includes over 86 television templates.
- Sample files
- Sample files include a comic story arc, a radio play, a screenplay and a stage play.
- Activations
- A license manager lets you activate and deactivate computers; full versions allow three at once, academic versions two.
- Free technical support
- The page promises free technical support for as long as you use the program.
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.
Movie Magic Screenwriter
Movie Magic Screenwriter$169
one-time purchase
The Windows and Mac download. The store shows $249.95 crossed out with no end date given, and says full versions allow three activations.
Academic Version$99.95
one-time purchase
For full-time students and teachers, who must give proof of academic standing. The store lists $129.95 crossed out; two activations.
Upgrade$89.95
one-time purchase
Upgrade download for Mac and Windows, listed against a crossed-out $99.95.
6.8 Upgrade (Mac)$69.95
one-time purchase
Mac-only upgrade download for version 6.8.
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.
Movie Magic Screenwriter
- Education
Academic version for students and teachers
The academic edition is $99.95 against $169 for the standard download, with proof of full-time academic status required.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Celtx or Movie Magic Screenwriter?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Celtx starts at $11.24 per month, billed yearly ($134.88); $14.99 billed monthly (Writer), and Movie Magic Screenwriter starts at $169 one-time (listed against a crossed-out $249.95).
Which has a free plan, Celtx or Movie Magic Screenwriter?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Celtx has a free plan. Movie Magic Screenwriter does not.
Which platforms do Celtx and Movie Magic Screenwriter run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Celtx lists a web app and an Android app and only Movie Magic Screenwriter lists a macOS app. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.