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Comparison

The best auto subtitle generators in 2026Pick by the job: free captions inside an editor, viral styles in many languages, subtitle files for YouTube or a few captioned videos a month on a small budget.

Auto subtitle generators all listen to your video and turn the speech into captions, but they differ in how long a video can be, how many caption styles they offer, whether they translate and export SRT files, what you can do for free and what they cost. oVideo is our product. Each tool was checked on its own pricing and product pages on November 4, 2026, and where a tool is silent we say so.

Six subtitle tools, ordered by what each is best forPrices and limits checked November 4, 2026Includes oVideo, the tool behind this page

Updated

Add subtitles to your videoHow auto subtitles work

Video length limits differ

Submagic captions videos up to 2 minutes on Starter, 5 on Pro and 30 on Business. Kapwing's free plan exports up to 4 minutes and Pro up to 2 hours. oVideo takes videos up to 10 minutes and 1 GB. Descript counts media hours a month instead.

Translation and subtitle files

Submagic lists captions in 123 languages, Descript translates captions into 61 and Kapwing into 60+. oVideo translates into 28 languages. Kapwing, Descript, Submagic, the Captions app and oVideo all give you an SRT file for YouTube.

What you get for free

CapCut's caption page calls its auto captions free. Kapwing and Descript free exports are 720p with a watermark. oVideo gives 3 subtitle videos with no watermark on a free account, where the free plan is offered.

The workflow

How to choose an auto subtitle generator

Answer these five questions first.

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  1. 01

    Step 01

    Do you already edit in an app? CapCut and Descript add captions inside a full editor, so you caption while you cut.

  2. 02

    Step 02

    How long are your videos? Submagic Starter stops at 2 minutes and Kapwing's free plan at 4; oVideo takes up to 10 minutes; Kapwing Pro exports up to 2 hours.

  3. 03

    Step 03

    Do you need a subtitle file? Kapwing, Descript, Submagic, the Captions app and oVideo export SRT; CapCut's caption page does not say.

  4. 04

    Step 04

    Do you post in other languages? Check the language count: 123 caption languages on Submagic, 61 on Descript, 60+ on Kapwing, 28 on oVideo.

  5. 05

    Step 05

    Will a watermark matter? Free exports on Kapwing and Descript carry one. Submagic lists no watermark on every plan, and oVideo subtitle videos, free or paid, have none.

Compared

Six auto subtitle generators side by side

How long one video can be, which caption styles you get, translation, subtitle files, what you can do for free and where paid plans start. Not stated means the tool's own pages did not say when we checked.

ToolLongest videoCaption stylesTranslationSRT fileFree optionPaid plans from
CapCutNot statedFonts, templates, effects and animationsYes, count not statedNot statedAuto captions free, per CapCut's caption pagePro EUR 23.99/mo or EUR 199.99/yr (euro prices shown to us)
Submagic2 min on Starter, 5 on Pro, 30 on BusinessCaptions in 123 languages, premium templates from ProOn every planYesYour first videos$19/mo ($12 billed yearly)
KapwingFree exports up to 4 min, Pro up to 2 hours100+ preset styles, word by word60+ languagesSRT, VTT and TXT10 min of auto subtitles, 720p, watermark$16/mo (33% less billed yearly)
DescriptNot stated per video; 1 media hour a month free, 10 on HobbyistAnimated captions with word highlighting61 languages (limited on Free)SRT and VTT60 media minutes a month, 720p, watermark$16/mo billed yearly ($24 monthly)
Captions appNot stated1 template free, 100+ on MaxAI Translate on Max and upYesA free version with 1 caption template$24.99/mo (iOS price)
oVideo (our product)Up to 10 min and 1 GB10 styles, incl. word by word and karaoke28 languages (paid plans)SRT and VTT3 subtitle videos, no watermark, where the free plan is offered$10/mo ($7.50 billed yearly)

Checked November 4, 2026.

Best pick by use case

The short list

Best auto subtitle generator by use case.

Free captions inside a full video editor: CapCut
Viral short form captions in many languages: Submagic
Subtitle files and translation for long videos in the browser: Kapwing
Podcasts and talking videos you edit by transcript: Descript
Editing and captioning on your phone: Captions app
A few captioned Shorts a month without a watermark, paid per video: oVideo

Side by side

The tools, compared

What each tool is built for, where it falls short and what it costs, from each company's own site. oVideo is our product, so read our own entry with that in mind; every other tool links to its official site.

CapCutOfficial site

“Best for free captions inside a full editor”

Strengths

  • ✓CapCut's caption page says auto captions are free
  • ✓Fonts, templates, effects and animations for captions
  • ✓Captions can be translated into a target language

Limitations

  • ✗SRT export and video length limits are not stated on the pages we read
  • ✗The pricing page shows reference prices and says to sign in for your final price

Pricing

Pro EUR 23.99/mo or EUR 199.99/yr in the euro prices shown to us; free plan available (checked November 4, 2026)

Submagic

“Best for viral short form captions”

Strengths

  • ✓Captions in 123 languages and AI Translate on every plan
  • ✓Download SRT subtitle files
  • ✓No watermark on every plan, 4K and 60 FPS on Business

Limitations

  • ✗2 minutes per video and 15 videos a month on Starter
  • ✗No free plan on the pricing page; your first videos are free

Pricing

From $19/mo, $12/mo billed yearly (checked November 4, 2026)

KapwingOfficial site

“Best for subtitle files and long videos in the browser”

Strengths

  • ✓Word by word subtitles and 100+ preset styles
  • ✓Download SRT, VTT or TXT and translate into 60+ languages
  • ✓Pro exports up to 2 hours in 4K with no watermark

Limitations

  • ✗Free exports are 720p, watermarked and up to 4 minutes
  • ✗Free auto subtitles stop at 10 minutes

Pricing

From $16/mo, 33% less billed yearly (checked November 4, 2026)

DescriptOfficial site

“Best for podcasts and talking videos”

Strengths

  • ✓Animated captions with word highlighting on every plan
  • ✓Caption translation into 61 languages
  • ✓Exports SRT and VTT files

Limitations

  • ✗Transcription in 25 languages
  • ✗Free plan exports at 720p with a watermark
  • ✗Usage counted in media hours a month

Pricing

From $16/mo billed yearly, $24 monthly (checked November 4, 2026)

Captions app

“Best for captioning on your phone”

Strengths

  • ✓Captions in 100+ languages
  • ✓100+ caption templates on Max
  • ✓SRT export from the export settings

Limitations

  • ✗Free version has 1 caption template and no AI Translate
  • ✗Prices shown are iOS plans; yearly prices not stated

Pricing

Max $24.99/mo (iOS price, checked November 4, 2026)

oVideo

“Best for a few captioned Shorts a month on a small budget”

Strengths

  • ✓Burned in captions in 10 styles, including word by word and karaoke, up to 1080p with no watermark
  • ✓Pay by video length: 5 credits up to 1 minute, 10 up to 5, 20 up to 10
  • ✓Translate Subtitles into 28 languages and Create SRT for SRT and VTT files

Limitations

  • ✗Videos up to 10 minutes and 1 GB
  • ✗10 caption styles, fewer than tools with 100+ templates
  • ✗Arabic speech cannot be transcribed yet; no 4K

Pricing

Starter plan $10/mo, $7.50 billed yearly, 400 credits a month

Keep exploring

Related guides

Feature

Auto Subtitle Generator

Add automatic captions to your own video.

Feature

Word by Word Captions

One word at a time or karaoke style captions.

Feature

Translate Subtitles

Translate a video's captions into 28 languages.

Feature

SRT Generator

Create SRT and VTT files from a video.

Guide

TikTok Caption Generator

Captions styled for TikTok videos.

Comparison

CapCut Subtitle Generator

Captions without CapCut, compared.

Answers

Frequently asked questions

What is the best auto subtitle generator?
It depends on the job. For free captions inside a full editor, CapCut. For viral short form captions in many languages, Submagic. For subtitle files and long videos in the browser, Kapwing. For podcasts and talking videos, Descript. For captioning on your phone, the Captions app. For a few captioned Shorts a month with no watermark, paid per video, oVideo.
Which auto subtitle generator is free?
CapCut's caption page says its auto captions are free. Kapwing gives 10 minutes of auto subtitles and Descript 60 media minutes a month, both exporting at 720p with a watermark. The Captions app has a free version with 1 caption template and Submagic lets you export your first videos free. oVideo gives 3 subtitle videos with no watermark on a free account, where the free plan is offered (checked November 4, 2026).
How do I add word by word captions to a TikTok, Reel or Short?
Upload the video, let the tool transcribe the speech, fix any wrong words, pick a word by word or karaoke style and export the video with the captions burned in. Kapwing, Descript, Submagic and the Captions app all offer animated styles. In oVideo you choose 1 to 6 words per group and one of 10 styles, and the MP4 comes out up to 1080p with no watermark.
Can I download an SRT file of my subtitles?
Yes on most of these tools. Kapwing exports SRT, VTT or TXT, Descript SRT or VTT, and Submagic and the Captions app SRT. oVideo's Create SRT gives SRT and VTT files for the same price as subtitles. CapCut's caption page does not mention SRT export.
Which subtitle generator translates into the most languages?
Submagic lists captions in 123 languages and the Captions app lists 100+. Descript translates captions into 61 languages and Kapwing's pricing page lists 60+. oVideo translates into 28 languages, timed to the original speech, on paid plans (checked November 4, 2026).
How long can my video be?
Submagic allows 2 minutes per video on Starter, 5 on Pro and 30 on Business. Kapwing's free plan exports up to 4 minutes and Pro up to 2 hours. oVideo takes videos up to 10 minutes and 1 GB. Descript counts media hours a month, and CapCut and the Captions app do not state a limit on the pages we read.
Which auto subtitle generator is the cheapest?
Submagic starts at $12 a month billed yearly and Descript and Kapwing at $16 (Descript billed yearly, Kapwing monthly). oVideo's Starter plan is $10 a month or $7.50 billed yearly with 400 credits, and a subtitle video costs 5 credits up to 1 minute, 10 up to 5 minutes and 20 up to 10 minutes (checked November 4, 2026).
Should I burn captions in or upload an SRT file?
Burned in captions are part of the picture, so the styled words look the same everywhere and cannot be turned off; that is the usual choice for Shorts, TikTok and Reels. An SRT file is a separate text track that viewers can switch on or off, which suits YouTube videos and translated versions. oVideo, Kapwing, Descript, Submagic and the Captions app can do both.