The best Captions alternatives for captions in 2026

Written by the maker of Captions Cut, which is one of the tools compared. Facts checked on 22 October 2026 from the pages listed under Sources.

The short answer

If you use Captions for captions rather than its AI studio, Captions Cut does captions with the video kept on your device and no subscription; CapCut is the free all-in-one editor; Submagic adds emojis, zooms and b-roll automatically. Prices and limits below are from each tool’s own pages, read on 22 October 2026.

Why people look for a Captions alternative

It became an AI studio. The company renamed itself Mirage in 2025; dubbing, lip sync, avatars and generated video sit beside the captions.
Subscriptions. In the US App Store, Captions Basic is $9.99 a month and Max $24.99 a month.
The free tier is thin: one caption template and no AI credits.
No SRT file. Its pricing page lists a transcript download, not a caption file.

Captions at a glance

	Captions
What it is	An AI video studio: captions, AI dubbing, lip sync, avatars and AI editing.
Captions	Captions in 100+ languages (91+ on its App Store page), word-by-word animated styles, editable lines, translated subtitles; transcript download, no SRT listed.
Free tier	A free tier with no AI credits and one caption template.
Price	In the US App Store: Basic $9.99 a month ($64.99 a year), Max $24.99 a month. Its web pricing page lists Max at $24.99 and Frontier at $69.99 a month.
Video uploaded?	Yes: clips are uploaded for AI editing, with a cloud backup of imported clips.

The alternatives

1. Captions Cut ours

Best for captions only, paid per second, the video never uploaded.

What it is: A captions app: word-by-word animated captions from the speech in a clip, an editable transcript, translation, 1080p or 4K export. No cutting, music or effects.
Price: 1 credit per second of audio. Packs: 30 minutes $2.99, 2 hours $8.99, 5 hours $19.99, never expiring. Pro $7.99 a month or $49.99 a year adds credits, removes the mark and adds translation.
Video uploaded?: No: only the audio track is sent for transcription, and it is deleted right after.
Platforms: iPhone (iOS 18 or later) and the web editor in Chrome, Edge or Safari.

2. CapCut

Best for editing and captioning in one free app.

What it is: A full video editor (cuts, effects, music, templates) with auto captions as one of its tools.
Price: In the US App Store: Standard $9.99 a month, Pro $19.99 a month, and a yearly subscription at $89.99. Web prices are shown in local currency after sign-in.
Free tier: The editor is free to start; CapCut does not publish numeric limits for the free tier.
Video uploaded?: Yes for captions: CapCut says its mobile app and web editor recognise speech in the cloud; the desktop app can do it locally in some regions.
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows and the web.

3. Submagic

Best for captions with automatic emojis, zooms and b-roll.

What it is: A web app that captions short videos and adds emojis, zooms, b-roll and sound effects for you.
Price: Starter $19 a month ($12 yearly) for 15 videos up to 2 minutes; Pro $39 ($23 yearly) for 40 videos up to 5 minutes; Business $69 ($41 yearly) for 100 videos up to 30 minutes and 4K. No watermark on paid plans.
Free tier: Submagic’s caption page mentions 3 watermarked videos a month; its pricing page lists no free plan.
Video uploaded?: Yes: you upload the video or paste a link.
Platforms: The web only; Submagic lists no desktop or mobile app of its own.

4. Zeemo

Best for translated captions in many languages.

What it is: An AI caption app with translation, keyword highlights and AI video tools.
Price: On the web, billed yearly: Pro $8 a month, Expert $13.39 (4K), Business $16.07. The App Store lists monthly items from $2.99 to $9.99 and a yearly Pro at $79.99.
Free tier: 120 credits a year, clips up to 1 minute and 200 MB, 720p.
Video uploaded?: Yes: you upload the video from a computer or phone.
Platforms: iPhone, Android and the web.

5. Descript

Best for podcasts and talking videos edited as text.

What it is: A text-based audio and video editor: edit the transcript and the video follows.
Price: Hobbyist $16 or $24 a month (10 hours), Creator $24 or $35 (30 hours, 4K), Business $50 or $65; the lower price is billed yearly.
Free tier: 60 media minutes a month, 720p, watermarked.
Video uploaded?: Yes: Descript says your media is uploaded to the cloud.
Platforms: Mac, Windows and the web; no official iPhone app.

How to choose

Only captions? A captions app is simpler and cheaper than an editor or an AI studio.
Where may the video go? Every tool here uploads it except Captions Cut, which sends the audio alone.
How often do you post? A subscription pays off when you caption every day; per-second credits that never expire suit a few clips a month.
Which device? Check the platforms row: some are web only, some phone only.

How we checked

Each tool’s price, free tier, platforms and caption features come from its own pricing, feature or help pages and its US App Store listing, read on 22 October 2026. Prices are US dollars as listed and change by region and over time. Whether the video is uploaded comes from the tool’s own words where it says so, and otherwise from how it works (you upload a file or a link). The list is written by the maker of Captions Cut, which is on it.

Questions

Is Captions Cut the same app as Captions?

No. Captions is made by Mirage (captions.ai). Captions Cut is an independent app, listed on the App Store as “Captions Cut: Auto Subtitles”. Captions Cut vs Captions.

Which Captions alternative has no subscription?

Captions Cut sells credit packs that never expire, from $2.99, as well as an optional Pro subscription. CapCut’s editor is free to start.

Which alternative dubs videos like Captions?

Descript and Kapwing offer dubbing; VEED has AI voice and dubbing. Captions Cut translates the captions into a second line but does not change the voice.

Sources

Each page read on 22 October 2026.

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