Celtx
Celtx provides a cloud-based all-in-one media pre-production platform covering scriptwriting, story development, scheduling, budgeting, call sheets, and Adobe Premiere handoff. It serves individual screenwriters, production teams, and over 300 educational institutions across 140+ countries with 7M+ users.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersSt. John's, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Celtx does
Celtx Inc. is a cloud-based media pre-production platform that consolidates scriptwriting, story development, pre-production planning, production management, and post-production handoff into a single integrated product. The platform's core is a multi-format script editor with automatic industry-standard formatting for film & TV, theater, documentaries, audio drama, AV scripts, and interactive media, surrounded by modular tools including Beat Sheet (3-act story development), Storyboard, Script Goals & Insights, Breakdown, Catalog, Shot List, Schedule, Cast & Crew, Script Sides, Budget, and a native Adobe Premiere Pro plugin. Project data is interlinked so that schedules, budgets, call sheets, and breakdowns auto-populate from the script, eliminating manual re-entry. The product is delivered through a web platform, mobile apps on Android and Microsoft devices, and the Adobe integration, with real-time co-writing, text-anchored comments, and revision tracking supporting team and classroom workflows.
The business is built on a freemium-to-paid subscription model. A free tier supports 1 active project, with paid individual tiers (Writer, Writer Pro), team plans for 3-15 members, education site licenses for 20-700+ seats, and discounted student plans at 75%+ off requiring a school email. Education is a major go-to-market pillar with a dedicated sales motion, educator admin controls, domain-restricted sharing, and invoiced billing. Celtx distributes through product-led growth for individuals and teams, enterprise field sales for institutions, and community-led growth via Raindance Film Festival sponsorship, user stories, and educator outreach. The platform reports 7M+ verified accounts across 140+ countries, 4.4/5 user satisfaction across 1,387 surveys, 900+ 5-star ratings, and over 300 universities and 25,000+ educational institutions as users, and is a 2025 G2 Screenwriting and Momentum Leader.
Celtx was founded in 2001, transitioned from desktop to cloud, and is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Backlight, a global media technology rollup backed by $200M from PSG that has acquired six media software companies since 2021. Leadership is anchored by CEO Mark Kennedy. The company is incorporated in the United States with operations in St. John's, Canada, and a headcount of 11-50 employees. No AI/ML capabilities, public APIs, or proprietary models are disclosed in the current product surface, leaving analytics like Script Goals & Insights as the closest indicator of data-driven functionality.
Celtx firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Celtx
- Legal name
- Celtx Inc.
- Website
- https://celtx.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Celtx provides a cloud-based all-in-one media pre-production platform covering scriptwriting, story development, scheduling, budgeting, call sheets, and Adobe Premiere handoff. It serves individual screenwriters, production teams, and over 300 educational institutions across 140+ countries with 7M+ users.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Celtx industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Screenwriting and Pre-Production Software
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Software Publishers (513210), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scripted TV Series Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Low-Code/No-Code Application Platforms (HDAEAKAA)
Keywords
Where Celtx is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St. John's
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Celtx business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription - Individual Plans: Recurring subscription revenue from individual tiers (Writer, Writer Pro) with monthly or annual billing. Annual billing offers up to 25% savings.
- Subscription - Team Plans: Recurring subscription for teams of 3-15 members with production planning tools included
- Subscription - Education Plans: Annual subscription licensing for educational institutions with 20-700+ seats, educator admin controls, and domain-restricted sharing. Billed via invoice, ACH wire, or credit card.
- Subscription - Student Plans: Discounted student subscription at 75%+ off Writer Pro pricing, requiring valid school email, billed annually
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Free | Free - Entry-level with 1 project and basic writing features |
| Subscription | Annual | Writer - Entry-level writing features for beginners |
| Subscription | Annual | Writer Pro - Robust writing, episodic, and story development tools |
| Subscription | Annual | Team - Unlimited writing and planning with production tools for 3-15 members |
| Subscription | Annual | Education - Institutional licensing for 20-700+ seats |
| Subscription | Annual | Student - Discounted individual plan at 75%+ off with school email required |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Celtx product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Celtx provides a cloud-based, all-in-one media pre-production platform for screenwriters, filmmakers, and production teams. Its core offering centers on an industry-standard multi-format script editor (film & TV, theater, documentaries, AV scripts) integrated with story development tools (Beat Sheet, Storyboard), pre-production planning modules (Breakdown, Shot List, Schedule, Cast & Crew), and production tools (Budget, Call Sheets), plus a mobile app and an Adobe Premiere Pro plugin for post-production handoff.
Product overview
Celtx is an all-in-one cloud-based media production studio offering a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core platform centers on the Celtx Writing module — a professional multi-format script editor with industry-standard auto-formatting for film & TV, theater, documentaries, and AV scripts. Story development is powered by the Beat Sheet (3-act structure planning), Storyboard (visual pre-visualization), and Script Goals & Insights modules. Pre-production is covered by Breakdown, Catalog, Shot List, Schedule, Cast & Crew, and Script Sides, which collectively enable scene-by-scene planning and asset management. Production is supported by a Budget tool with cost reporting and an Adobe Premiere Pro Plugin for post-production handoff. The platform is delivered as a cloud service accessible via web browser, desktop app, and mobile apps (iOS, Android, Microsoft), with collaboration features including real-time co-writing, text-anchored comments, and shared studio environments. Celtx also provides free downloadable template resources including storyboard templates and call sheet templates, alongside specialized education plans for students and educators. The company is a subsidiary of Backlight, a global media technology company backed by $200M in funding.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Celtx Writing Multi-format script editor providing industry-standard auto-formatting for film & TV, theater, documentaries, and other media, targeting solo screenwriters, playwrights, and content creators.
- Celtx Story Development Suite Suite of story development modules (Beat Sheet for narrative structure planning, Storyboard for visual shot pre-visualization, and Script Goals & Insights for pacing and structure analytics) for screenwriters and storytellers developing scripts.
- Celtx Pre-Production Suite Suite of pre-production planning modules (Breakdown for scene-by-scene element identification, Catalog for asset management, Shot List for camera planning, Schedule for shoot day organization, Cast & Crew for personnel management, Script Sides for talent references) for production teams and film students.
- Celtx Production Tools Production and post-production tools including a Budget module for cost tracking and reporting and an Adobe Premiere Pro plugin for handoff into post-production editing, targeting production companies and filmmaking teams.
- Celtx Screenplay Mobile App Mobile screenplay application for Android and Microsoft devices, enabling writers to write, edit, and collaborate on screenplays from any location with mobile access to Celtx's scriptwriting tools.
- Celtx for Education Institutional subscription licensing for universities, K-12 schools, and online learning platforms (20-700+ seats) with educator admin controls, student activity tracking, domain-restricted file sharing, recyclable student seats, shared studio management, and invoiced billing. Targeted at educational institutions teaching film and media production.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 7 million verified accounts worldwide
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Celtx
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Celtx technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature7 records
Celtx partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Howard University Film Organization (HUFO)minorBacklight partnered with HUFO (a student film organization at Howard University HBCU) providing monetary contribution and software donations including Celtx, ftrack Studio, cineSync, and iconik for use in HUFO's annual short film series production.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Celtx competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Avid Media Composer:
- Entertainment Partners (Movie Magic): Entertainment Partners offers Movie Magic Screenwriter and a broad production-management suite for payroll, residuals, and production planning. It is a larger incumbent with overlapping pre-production capabilities but a much wider portfolio than Celtx.
Direct peers
- WriterDuet: WriterDuet is a cloud-native collaborative screenwriting tool with real-time co-writing. It directly competes with Celtx's collaboration features and targets the same independent and small-team writer market.
- Final Draft: Final Draft is the long-standing industry-standard screenwriting software used by professional screenwriters and major studios. It is the most direct competitor to Celtx's Writing module and the entrenched incumbent Celtx must displace in Hollywood.
- Arc Studio Pro: Arc Studio Pro is a modern cloud-based screenwriting platform competing head-to-head with Celtx in collaborative, browser-based script writing. It targets the same individual and team writer segments with a strong professional-formatting feature set.
- StudioBinder: StudioBinder is a web-based production management platform offering call sheets, shooting schedules, breakdowns, and script sides. It overlaps directly with Celtx's pre-production and production modules and competes for the same production-team buyer.
- Fade In Professional Screenwriting Software: Fade In is a professional screenwriting application for film, TV, and stage that competes with Celtx Writing on industry-standard formatting and price-conscious professional users.
Emerging players
- Slugline: Slugline is a Fountain-based screenwriting app focused on Mac/iOS writers. It is a niche, emerging competitor with partial overlap on professional script formatting and writing experience.
- Trelby: Trelby is an open-source screenwriting application targeting budget-conscious individual writers. It is a small, free competitor that occupies a similar entry-level niche as Celtx's free tier.
- Amazon Storywriter: Amazon Storywriter is a free browser-based screenwriting tool from Amazon that competes with Celtx's free tier and pressure-tests monetization at the entry level.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Celtx social profiles
Digital presenceCeltx financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Celtx leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Celtx funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Celtx M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Celtx
What does Celtx do?
Celtx provides a cloud-based, all-in-one media pre-production platform for screenwriters, filmmakers, and production teams. Its core offering centers on an industry-standard multi-format script editor (film & TV, theater, documentaries, AV scripts) integrated with story development tools (Beat Sheet, Storyboard), pre-production planning modules (Breakdown, Shot List, Schedule, Cast & Crew), and production tools (Budget, Call Sheets), plus a mobile app and an Adobe Premiere Pro plugin for post-production handoff.
Is Celtx a public or private company?
Celtx is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Celtx founded?
Celtx was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Celtx based?
Celtx is headquartered in St. John's, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Celtx make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Subscription - Individual Plans are the primary driver. The others are subscription - Team Plans, subscription - Education Plans and subscription - Student Plans.
Who are Celtx's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Avid Media Composer and Entertainment Partners (Movie Magic). Direct peers are WriterDuet, Final Draft, Arc Studio Pro, StudioBinder and Fade In Professional Screenwriting Software. Emerging players are Slugline, Trelby and Amazon Storywriter.
Does Celtx have an API?
No public API is recorded for Celtx.
What industry is Celtx in?
Celtx's product category is Screenwriting and Pre-Production Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADABAB, Scripted TV Series Production (Live-Action), with a secondary code of HDAEAKAA, Low-Code/No-Code Application Platforms. Its NAICS code is 512110 and its SIC code is 7812.