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It seems to me that those scripts that are saved as *.applescript are always meant to be the raw, uncompiled text while those that are saved as *.scpt can be either the raw text or the compiled program.

What advantages/disadvantages are there to using each extension?

An ancillary question: is there an analogous extension to *.applescript for the new JavaScript for Automation (JXA) language? Perhaps *.jxa?

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.scpt is in binary. .applescript is in text.

You can use Spotlight/Finder's find function to search for words in .applescript. You cannot do this with .scpt.

Since .scpt is already compiled, it's quicker to launch.

My favorite thing about .applescript is that I can write that a script that read/write onto itself, so that variables are saved for next run without creating a separate file to house the variables.

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    "Since .scpt is already compiled, it's quicker to launch" -- really? What's it compiled in to? Byte code? Has anyone ever done a study of run time differences between compiled AppleScript and non-compiled AppleScript on modern Apple hardware?
    – Ian C.
    Apr 15, 2015 at 19:09
  • @IanC. I think bytecode
    – randomuser5215
    Mar 9, 2019 at 23:13

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