PerformrSCRIPT vs Celtx: Which Fits a Theatre Writer?
By the PerformrSCRIPT Team · Reviewed September 28, 2026
Celtx grew from a free screenwriting program into a production suite for film and video. PerformrSCRIPT is built for scripts that end up on a stage.
Both run in a web browser, include a stage play editor, and connect the script to production work. The production each one leads to is different: Celtx plans a film shoot, and PerformrSCRIPT hands the script to a theatre production in PerformrSTAGE.
For playwrights, musical writers, students, and theatre companies, PerformrSCRIPT is our recommended choice. For a film or video production that needs shooting schedules and budgets, Celtx is the stronger fit.
PerformrSCRIPT vs Celtx at a Glance
| Feature | PerformrSCRIPT | Celtx |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free while the beta runs; no price set yet | Free plan; Writer $14.99 and Writer Pro $24.99 a month; Team from $29.99 a month |
| Trying it | The whole studio, free during the beta | Free plan with one project; 7-day free trial |
| Students | Free while the beta runs | $79.99 a year |
| Where it runs | Any web browser; no phone app and no offline writing yet | Web, with Android and Windows apps; no iPhone app listed |
| Stage plays | A stage play format with its own print layout | A stage play editor |
| Musicals | A musical format with lyric lines | Not listed on the public pages reviewed |
| Revisions | Nine revision colors, a locked baseline, A pages, and changed-line marks | Revision mode on Writer Pro and above |
| Co-writing | Owner, editor, and commenter roles; saves merge line by line and flag lines two writers both changed | Real-time presence, comments, and approvals |
| Classroom tools | Classes with join codes, assignments, submissions, and teacher notes | Education seat plans; assignment tools not listed |
| From script to production | Breakdown tags, sides, and production reports; sends the script to PerformrSTAGE as a production | Film production tools: breakdown, schedule, budget, and call sheets, as add-ons or on Team plans |
Celtx details come from www.celtx.com. Information reviewed September 28, 2026. Prices are in US dollars and may change. “Not listed” means the feature wasn’t advertised on the public pages reviewed.
Write a Musical as Well as a Play
Celtx has a stage play editor, and it is a real one. A musical needs one more thing: lyrics that look like lyrics.
PerformrSCRIPT has a musical format with lyric lines, along with stage play, short film, monologue, sketch, and scene formats. See how the editor works.
A musical format is not listed on the Celtx pages we reviewed.
Production Tools for a Theatre, Not a Film Set
Celtx turns a script into shooting schedules, budgets, and call sheets for a film or video shoot. Those tools are built well, and they are built for a camera.
PerformrSCRIPT tags props, costumes, and other elements as you write, prints sides and a production report, and sends the script to PerformrSTAGE, where characters become the cast list and scene headings become scenes for rehearsal. Sending needs a PerformrSTAGE account.
Track Revisions Without Moving Up a Plan
Revision colors and locked pages matter the day a script goes into rehearsal.
In PerformrSCRIPT they come with the studio: nine revision colors, a locked baseline, A pages, and marks on every changed line.
Celtx includes revision mode on Writer Pro and above, which is $24.99 a month.
Teach a Writing Class in the Same Place Students Write
PerformrSCRIPT runs classes with a join code, assignments with due dates, student submissions, and teacher notes on the submitted draft. See the classroom tools.
Celtx sells education seats and a student plan. Classroom assignment tools are not listed on its site.
Free while the beta runs. Nothing to install. Get started
Is PerformrSCRIPT the Better Choice for You?
We recommend PerformrSCRIPT if you want:
- Stage play and musical formats, with lyric lines.
- Revision colors and locked pages without a higher plan.
- A class, its assignments, and its submissions in the same studio.
- A script that becomes a theatre production in PerformrSTAGE.
Celtx suits film and video productions that need shooting schedules, budgets, and call sheets.
Questions
Does PerformrSCRIPT write stage plays like Celtx?
Yes. PerformrSCRIPT has a stage play format and a musical format with lyric lines, and both print in a stage play layout.
Is PerformrSCRIPT free?
The whole studio is free while the beta runs. There is no price set yet. Celtx has a free plan with one project and paid plans from $14.99 a month.
Can I bring a Celtx script into PerformrSCRIPT?
Yes. Export the script from Celtx as a PDF and import it into PerformrSCRIPT, or paste the text in.
Does PerformrSCRIPT make shooting schedules or budgets?
No. PerformrSCRIPT is built for theatre. It prints sides and production reports and sends the script to PerformrSTAGE, which runs rehearsals and the rest of a stage production.