This free screenwriting software Mac is the most tailored and lightweight screen app to give you the maximum writing pleasure. It is full of scriptwriting feature and also has media rich production support. Amazon today announced Amazon Storywriter, a free, cloud-based screenwriting software for writers of all levels to create movie and TV screenplays in standard format, offering an alternative to.
Celtx is one of the most known free writing software packages around. So, what does it offer?
It’s online
Until a few years ago celtx was a desktop application for you to download and install on your hard drive. Not anymore. Celtx now is 100% integrated in your web browser. The desktop version of the program is no longer produced or distributed.
Best Screenwriting Software Free
The advantage is you can access your scripts from anywhere, given you have an internet connection.
The disadvantage is: if you don’t have an internet connection there is (no more) free way to edit your scripts (see below for paid options)
It’ Free
Yes, it is. It doesn’t cost you a penny. If you want to use it for writing that is. Celtx offers a bunch of other features if you want to use it for production purposes as well (see below for paid options).
If you only use it for writing it costs nada.
Yes, it is. It doesn’t cost you a penny. If you want to use it for writing that is. Celtx offers a bunch of other features if you want to use it for production purposes as well (see below for paid options).
If you only use it for writing it costs nada.
Features
Like any other screenwriting software it formats you screenplay properly while you write it. The only difference is – like in the “old” desktop version – celtx makes all you scene headlines grey. It needs a bit of getting used to if you ask me.
You can jump through the different format styles like in any other screenwriting software with TAB and ENTER. No surprises here.
You also get a revision mode if you want to colour your changes. The colours are preselected and you can choose between blue, pink, yellow, green, goldenrod, salmon and cherry.
Sharing
Since it’s an online application you are able to share your screenplays with others. You enter an e-mail address and define if the person you are sharing with is a writer or a reader for your screenplay. “Reader” gives view-only permissions whereas “writer” also gives permission to edit the script.
It is also possible for two people to work on the same script simultaneously. But there is a caution: You may not both work at the end of the script at the same time, or within the same paragraph (dialogue, action line, …). If you do that and one hits the save-button the other person’s changes will be overwritten.
To see the script changes of your writing partner I had to reload the script (click on the “celtx” logo in the upper left corner and then select your screenplay project again). It didn’t update automatically. I don’t know if it would have updated if I had waited longer. Maybe I was impatient.
Other Formats
If you start a new project in celtx these are the formats you can choose from:
– Screenplay
– Stageplay
– AV Script
– Audio Play
– Comic Book
– Novel
– Sketch
– Screenplay
– Stageplay
– AV Script
– Audio Play
– Comic Book
– Novel
– Sketch
Screenplay
Choose between scene heading, action, character, dialogue, parenthetical, transition, shot, and text.
Choose between scene heading, action, character, dialogue, parenthetical, transition, shot, and text.
Stageplay
Gives you acts, scenes, stage direction, character, dialogue, parenthetical, transition, and text.
Gives you acts, scenes, stage direction, character, dialogue, parenthetical, transition, and text.
AV Script
Pre-formatted paragraphs for: scene heading, shot, character, dialogue, and parenthetical.
Note: if you export or print an AV script it will be formatted in two columns whereas the edit view you write your script in is all in one flow.
Pre-formatted paragraphs for: scene heading, shot, character, dialogue, and parenthetical.
Note: if you export or print an AV script it will be formatted in two columns whereas the edit view you write your script in is all in one flow.
Audio Play
You get formatting for scene headings, production notes, character, dialogue, parenthetical, sound, voice, and music.
You get formatting for scene headings, production notes, character, dialogue, parenthetical, sound, voice, and music.
Comic Book
Use formats for: page, panel, caption, character, balloon, balloon type.
Note: exporting or printing gives you a two-column view for “description” and “dialogue”.
Use formats for: page, panel, caption, character, balloon, balloon type.
Note: exporting or printing gives you a two-column view for “description” and “dialogue”.
Novel
This doesn’t give you any formatting except a “chapter” button that you can hit every time you need a new headline.
This doesn’t give you any formatting except a “chapter” button that you can hit every time you need a new headline.
Sketch
Choose between cast, dialogue, action, writers, and title and cast.
Choose between cast, dialogue, action, writers, and title and cast.
Exporting
You can print and pdf your project. That’s pretty much it.
Price Plans
As mentioned, the writing part is free, but there are other features that you have to pay for on a monthly basis. You can also pay yearly with a little discount.
For $9.99 a month you get the writing part, plus free mobile apps, index cards, script revision history, storyboarding & shot-blocking, budgeting, scheduling & reports, scene breakdown, and a shot list.
$19.99 a month gives you the same as above plus in-session live support.
Writing offline
If you want to edit your screenplays offline you need the “Script for OS X” application, which has limited capabilities. You have no index cards or storyboard for instance. And it’s going to cost you. At the time of writing you get it from the Mac App Store for $19.99.
Conclusion
Online Screenwriting Software
If you are satisfied with the writing part alone, celtx gives you an easy-to-use and free solution with all the elements you need. The online collaboration is really useful if that is something you want to do.
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely. If you’re looking for a free solution, go for it. It’s one of the best (if not THE best) around.
Absolutely. If you’re looking for a free solution, go for it. It’s one of the best (if not THE best) around.
Are there drawbacks?
Absolutely. I for my part miss two things in particular.
– Writing offline without paying extra
– Exporting. You can only export to pdf, not to a text file or any other screenwriting software
Absolutely. I for my part miss two things in particular.
– Writing offline without paying extra
– Exporting. You can only export to pdf, not to a text file or any other screenwriting software
What are your experiences with celtx? Do you use it? Have you used it?
I’m happy about your comments below…
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If you are a screenplay writer, then you will need a number of tools like spell checking and auto-completion. This will help in making the screenplay writing process very easy. You will be able to use certain Screenplay Software for this purpose. These Writing Software will have many tools which will make viewing the content more conformable. Such Free Writing Software are free to use and can be used very easily.
Related:
Trebly
This free software is a multiplatform screenwriting program which has an advanced screenplay editor. It can be used for enforcing correct script formats and pagination along with spell checking and auto-completion.
Writer Duet
This free software from Screenplaypen LLC can be used online and offline. Any number of writers will be able to work together on the same script in real-time and it has many collaboration tools.
Raw scripts
This free software can be used online to write screenplays. It will provide a private, accessible and secure medium for writing and it can be accessed from any computer.
Plotbot
Fade In
DramaQueen
Page2stage
Story Touch
Adobe Story
Fountain
Writer
ScriptHelperX
Other Free Script Writing Software For Different Platforms
You will be able to find many file transfer software online when you look for screen Writing Software. These software will be designed to work on one particular operating system like Windows, Mac, Linux or Android and it will not function on any other OS.
BPC-SCREENPLAY
This free software designed by The Berlin Picture Company GbRmbH is compatible on the Windows platform and can be used by writers and directors for developing scripts that can be used for professional production.
Slugline
This premium software is compatible on the Mac platform and can be used for writing screenplays. It will automatically format all the writings to meet precise industry standards and it can be used for submission.
DubScript Screenplay Writer
This free Android app by The Production Company is perfect for new screenwriters. New scripts can be created on the app that works on different formats and manual work will be reduced.
Amazon Story Writer
This is a free screenwriting tool from Amazon.com, Inc and is very popular for creating drafts and giving secure access to the readers. They can sign in and view all the scripts that were shared using any device.
How to install Script Writing software?
Most of the script writing software that are available in the market can be used online. So all that you will have to do is identify the software that you require and open it on a browser that is compatible. You will need an active internet connection to access the web page. If the software has to be downloaded, then the links can be used. The file has to be unzipped after which the installation file has to be run. The instructions that are prompted on the window can be used to install the software onto the desired location easily.
This software can be used to write stories, develop analyze and visualize them. It will be suited for writing movie scripts, novels, and short stories and the collaboration tools can be used when more than one writer is working on the script in real-time. Formatting will be very easy and the final output can be saved as a PDF.