Best Call Sheet Software for 2026
Two tables below — one for 1st and 2nd AD features, one for Producer / UPM / LP features — comparing 9 tools across 8 AD categories and 8 producer categories.
Quick answer: which call sheet tool fits which production?
No single tool leads in every category. G-Casper Pro is AD-focused: Movie Magic import, multi-day auto call sheets, auto-drafted call times, Crew DOOD, and SMS. StudioBinder and Yamdu are suites covering the full pre-production pipeline. SetHero is dedicated to SMS distribution. G-Casper (free template) has 10,000+ users in 127 countries.
AD Feature Comparison
Features used by 1st ADs, 2nd ADs, and crew schedulers. Scroll horizontally on mobile.
| Feature | G-Casper Pro | G-Casper | Casper | Yamdu | SetHero | StudioBinder | Celtx | Assemble | Simple Call Sheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $4–7/day $6/mo · AD Plan First 5 production days free | FREE 100% free, open source | FREE Free. Requires MS Excel | From €39 (~$42)/mo Per-project pricing; student discounts | From $19/mo First project free | $42–$340/mo $504–$4,080/yr Free tier: 1 project, 10 contacts | $15–$60/mo Call sheets on Team plan and above | Custom pricing. 14-day trial available | Free templates; paid for distribution |
| Pricing Model | Usage-Based | Free | Free | Suite Subscription | Subscription | Suite Subscription | Suite Subscription | Enterprise | Freemium |
| Distribution & Communication | |||||||||
| Automatic SMS Distribution | |||||||||
| Email Distribution | |||||||||
| Read Confirmations | |||||||||
| Delivery Status Tracking | |||||||||
| Call Time Automation | |||||||||
| Auto-Draft Cast Call Times | |||||||||
| SAG/Minor Work Hour Compliance | |||||||||
| Relative & Offset Call Times | |||||||||
| Call Time Wheel | |||||||||
| Crew Speed / Bulk Scheduling | |||||||||
| Department Speed Schedule | |||||||||
| Checkbox Speed Schedule | |||||||||
| Copy Crew Calls from Day | |||||||||
| Schedule Integration | |||||||||
| Movie Magic Import | |||||||||
| USS Export | |||||||||
| Multi-Day Auto Call Sheets | |||||||||
| Schedule Re-Import Without Data Loss | |||||||||
| Banner Strip Preservation | |||||||||
| Call Sheet Content | |||||||||
| Weather Integration | Basic | ||||||||
| 20-Hour Weather Forecast | |||||||||
| Sunrise/Sunset Auto-fill | |||||||||
| Scene Auto-Population | |||||||||
| Food Allergy Tracking | |||||||||
| Error Detection | |||||||||
| Quality & Compliance | |||||||||
| AD Control Center | |||||||||
| Call Sheet Warnings Overlay | |||||||||
| Call Sheet Design | |||||||||
| Custom Branding | |||||||||
| Production Title Designer | |||||||||
| G-Matrix Scene Colors | |||||||||
| Access | |||||||||
| Offline Access | |||||||||
| No Software Installation | |||||||||
| Mobile Optimized | View only | ||||||||
Producer Feature Comparison
Features used by UPMs, Producers, and Line Producers: hot costs, production reports, Exhibit G, DOOD, and payment tools.
| Feature | G-Casper Pro | G-Casper | Casper | Yamdu | SetHero | StudioBinder | Celtx | Assemble | Simple Call Sheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $4–7/day +$9/mo · Producer add-on First 5 production days free | FREE 100% free, open source | FREE Free. Requires MS Excel | From €39 (~$42)/mo Per-project pricing; student discounts | From $19/mo First project free | $42–$340/mo $504–$4,080/yr Free tier: 1 project, 10 contacts | $15–$60/mo Call sheets on Team plan and above | Custom pricing. 14-day trial available | Free templates; paid for distribution |
| Pricing Model | Usage-Based | Free | Free | Suite Subscription | Subscription | Suite Subscription | Suite Subscription | Enterprise | Freemium |
| Documents & Reports | |||||||||
| Production Reports | |||||||||
| SAG Exhibit G | |||||||||
| PDF Export | Manual | Manual | |||||||
| Custom Branding | |||||||||
| Google Sheets Export | |||||||||
| Cast & Crew Oversight | |||||||||
| Cast DOOD | |||||||||
| Crew DOOD | |||||||||
| Crew & Cast Pay Tracking | |||||||||
| Scene Time Estimates | |||||||||
| Budget & Financial | |||||||||
| Hot Cost Calculator | |||||||||
| DOOD Day Rate Totals | |||||||||
| Overtime Rate Configuration | |||||||||
| Meal Penalty Tracking | |||||||||
| Producer Tools | |||||||||
| Producer Dashboard | |||||||||
| Payment Request Links | |||||||||
| Extended Suite Features | |||||||||
| Script Breakdown | View Only | ||||||||
| Scheduling/Stripboard | |||||||||
| Shot Lists | |||||||||
| Storyboards | |||||||||
| Platform & Access | |||||||||
| Cloud-Based | |||||||||
| Real-Time Collaboration | |||||||||
| 200+ Crew Support | Up to 300 | ||||||||
| Free Tier | |||||||||
| Free Tier Available | 5 free days | Trial only | First project free | Very limited | Trial only | Trial only | |||
Individual Tool Profiles: What Each Call Sheet Tool Does and Does Not Do
One-paragraph summary for each tool with role fit and pricing transparency. Open the accordion for pros and cons.
G-Casper Pro is a dedicated call sheet platform built on the heritage of the G-Casper template, which has been used by over 10,000 filmmakers across 127 countries. It introduces automation not found in any other call sheet tool: multi-day call sheet generation from a single schedule import, SAG and minor work-hour-compliant auto-drafted call times, relative offset call times that cascade when the general call changes, and a non-destructive schedule re-import system. Pricing is usage-based, meaning productions pay per shoot day or per month depending on scale. Built on Google infrastructure; requires a Google account.
Who benefits most
ADs and 2nd ADs on union features, episodic TV, and multi-day commercial shoots. The multi-day import, auto-drafted call times, and Crew DOOD are most valuable on productions running 20 or more shoot days. Producers on SAG productions benefit from the Exhibit G auto-population and Hot Cost Calculator on the Producer plan.
Pricing transparency
Pricing is publicly available and usage-based: $4–7 per production day or $6–19/month depending on scale. The first 5 production days are free with no credit card required. A one-day commercial costs less than a 60-day feature.
G-Casper is a free call sheet template built on Google Sheets, maintained by Prodigium Pictures and used by more than 10,000 professionals across 127 countries. It includes over 30 automation features including weather integration, sunrise/sunset auto-fill, scene auto-population, food allergy tracking, and 20+ error detection checks. Distribution requires manual export and external sharing. There is no built-in SMS or email delivery system and crew confirmation tracking is not available. Support is provided through a community Facebook group, not a formal support desk.
Who benefits most
ADs who want a free, customizable tool and are willing to handle distribution manually. Well suited for student films, low-budget productions, and as a learning tool for ADs early in their career. Also used on productions where the crew is small enough for the AD to share the PDF by email.
Pricing transparency
Completely free with no usage limits. Maintained by Prodigium Pictures and supported through a community Facebook group. There is no formal customer support or SLA.
Casper is the original Excel-based call sheet template created in 2013 by Michael Williams, Paul Silver, and Elion Olson of ThinkCrew. It requires Microsoft Excel and operates entirely offline, which is an advantage on location without internet but limits real-time collaboration. It includes a Hot Cost Report for tracking overtime costs, a feature not commonly found in other call sheet tools. As an Excel template, it has no distribution system, no mobile access, and no cloud storage. Call sheets must be emailed or shared manually.
Who benefits most
ADs and producers working in facilities without reliable internet access: remote locations, closed studio environments, or regions with IT restrictions on cloud tools. Also suited for productions with an existing Microsoft Office workflow where Excel is already the standard tool.
Pricing transparency
Free to download and use. Requires a Microsoft Excel license. ThinkCrew does not charge for the template. No subscription fees and no usage limits.
Yamdu is a German-developed production management platform used primarily in European film and television. It covers the full production workflow from script breakdown to scheduling and call sheets, with strong GDPR compliance and support for multiple European languages. Call sheets in Yamdu are part of a larger suite; the platform is not positioned as a standalone call sheet tool. Yamdu does not offer SMS distribution and does not include US union compliance features such as SAG work hour calculations or Exhibit G forms, which limits its applicability for US productions with union cast.
Who benefits most
European production companies, co-productions, and organizations working under GDPR data protection requirements. Most useful for productions that manage the full pipeline from script to call sheet within one platform. The target user is primarily the production manager or producer, not the on-set AD.
Pricing transparency
Euro-denominated pricing starting around €39/mo (~$42 USD at current exchange rates). Per-project pricing and student discounts are available. Full pricing details are on the Yamdu website. No public pricing for enterprise or broadcast tiers.
SetHero is a dedicated call sheet platform with SMS and email distribution, weather, drag-and-drop layout, and delivery tracking. It has no script breakdowns, no scheduling import from Movie Magic, no DOOD grids, and no auto-draft call time tools. Setup is fast and the drag-and-drop interface requires minimal training. Used on commercial, music video, and short film sets. Production reports are included on paid plans.
Who benefits most
ADs on commercial, music video, and short film productions who need fast SMS distribution without requiring a scheduling tool integration. The drag-and-drop interface is suited for productions that build call sheets from scratch each day. Not suited for productions importing from Movie Magic or needing DOOD tracking.
Pricing transparency
Monthly subscription pricing starting at $19/mo. The first project is free with no credit card. Project limits apply on entry-level plans. SMS distribution is included on paid plans. Full pricing details are on the SetHero website.
StudioBinder is a web-based production management platform that bundles call sheets with script breakdowns, shot lists, storyboards, scheduling, and contact management in a single subscription. Call sheets cannot be purchased separately. All plans include the full feature suite. The free tier restricts users to one active project and ten contacts, making it limited for active productions. For productions that need an integrated end-to-end system and can commit to the subscription cost, the bundled approach provides workflow continuity from script to call sheet. For productions that only need call sheets, the suite pricing represents features they may not use.
Who benefits most
Production teams that actively use call sheets, script breakdowns, shot lists, storyboards, and scheduling together in one workflow. The bundled suite is most efficient when all these tools are in daily use. Productions that only need call sheets will pay for features they do not use.
Pricing transparency
Pricing is publicly available: $42–$340/mo monthly or $504–$4,080/yr annually. The free tier is limited to one active project and ten contacts. Call sheets cannot be purchased separately. All plans include the full feature suite.
Celtx began as screenwriting software and has expanded to include production tools including call sheets, script breakdowns, shot lists, and scheduling. Call sheet functionality is available only on Team plans and above. The base Individual plan does not include call sheets. There is no SMS distribution; call sheets are sent via email only. For writer-producers who already use Celtx for drafting and want continuity into pre-production without switching platforms, the bundled approach has value. ADs who need advanced call sheet automation will find the feature set limited compared to dedicated call sheet tools.
Who benefits most
Writer-producers and showrunners who want to stay in one platform from script drafting through pre-production. The value is continuity of script data into breakdown and call sheet fields without manual re-entry. ADs who need DOOD, auto-draft call times, or SMS distribution will need a different tool.
Pricing transparency
Pricing is publicly available: approximately $15/mo for Individual (no call sheets), $30/mo for Team (call sheets included), $60/mo for Studio. A 75% student discount is available. Call sheets require the Team plan or above.
Assemble is a production collaboration platform focused on post-production and creative review. It includes basic call sheet functionality alongside asset management, video commenting, and approval workflows. Call sheets are a secondary feature; the core product is built around asset review and approval tracking. No AD-specific automation, no schedule import, and no SMS distribution are present. Pricing is custom with no public rate card.
Who benefits most
Post-production teams and content studios managing large asset libraries, video review, and approval workflows alongside production logistics. Call sheets in Assemble are a supplementary feature. Not suited for productions that need dedicated AD tools, union compliance features, or schedule import.
Pricing transparency
Custom pricing with no public rate card. A 14-day trial is available. Pricing requires contacting the sales team. Not suited for small productions or individual freelancers.
Simple Call Sheet is a lightweight call sheet tool aimed at small or student productions. Templates are free. Distribution is by email. No SMS, no weather, no scheduling import, and no automation are included. It suits productions that need a basic formatted call sheet and have no other requirements.
Who benefits most
Student filmmakers and first-time producers on small productions who need a basic formatted call sheet and have no other distribution or automation requirements. The tool has a very low learning curve. Not suited for productions with more than 50 crew or any union cast.
Pricing transparency
Free templates are available at no cost. Paid distribution features are available at a low monthly rate. Pricing is on the Simple Call Sheet website. Not suited for productions requiring volume SMS distribution or professional-grade features.
Frequently Asked Questions About Call Sheet Software
13 questions answered in plain language for ADs, producers, and filmmakers comparing tools.
Disclaimer: Feature data and pricing for third-party tools are based on publicly available information and may change. Verify current details on each publisher's website before making a purchasing decision. Last updated: May 2026.