Captions Cut vs Submagic
A subscription web service with b-roll, zooms and emojis, against a pay-per-second app that keeps the video on your device.
Written by the maker of Captions Cut. Submagic’s facts are from its public pages, checked 21 October 2026; plans and prices change, so confirm them there.
The short answer
Submagic is a web service built for short-form creators and agencies: upload a clip, get captions plus automatic emojis, zooms, b-roll and sound effects, on a monthly plan with a cap on videos per month. Captions Cut is narrower and cheaper for light use: word-by-word animated captions on iPhone or in the browser, the video never uploaded, 1 credit per second of audio with no monthly video cap. Choose Submagic if you want the extra effects and a desktop workflow with a team; choose Captions Cut if you want captions, privacy and a price that scales with what you actually caption.
Side by side
| Captions Cut | Submagic | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A captions app. Captions only: transcript, timing, position, style, translation. No cuts, music or effects. | A web app that captions a clip and can add emojis, zooms, b-roll, sound effects and highlights; Magic Clips turns long video into shorts. |
| Price | Free app; 1 credit per second of audio. Packs from $2.99 (30 minutes), never expire. Pro $7.99 a month or $49.99 a year. | As checked in October 2026: a free trial of about three watermarked videos; Starter around $19 a month (less yearly) for 15 videos a month; Pro around $39 for 40; Business around $69. Each plan caps the number and length of videos. |
| Where the video goes | The video stays on your device. Only the audio track is uploaded for transcription and deleted right after. | The whole video is uploaded to Submagic’s servers for processing. |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 18 or later) and the web editor in Chrome, Edge or Safari. | Web first; also offers mobile apps. |
| Languages | 53 spoken languages plus Auto detect. | Captions in about 48 languages, with translation. |
| Caption styles | 48 word-by-word animated styles, 137 open-licence fonts, every style editable. | Templates with word highlighting, emojis and animations; custom styles on paid plans. |
| Editing the transcript | Tap any word to fix the text or nudge its timing. | Edit the transcript in the web editor. |
| Export | 1080p or 4K to Photos or a download; free exports carry a small mark, Pro removes it. | Watermark-free on paid plans; SRT export available. |
| Account | None needed. Sign in with Apple or Google only to share credits between iPhone and the web. | Account required. |
Choose Submagic when
- You want automatic b-roll, zooms, emojis and sound effects added for you.
- You cut long videos into shorts and want that automated.
- You work from a desktop with a team, and want API access.
Choose Captions Cut when
- You caption fewer than a handful of clips a week and the monthly plan would go to waste.
- You do not want your footage uploaded anywhere.
- You edit on your iPhone and want the captions saved straight to Photos in 4K.
- You want no cap on how many videos you caption; only the seconds count.
Questions
Does Captions Cut add emojis and b-roll like Submagic?
No. Captions Cut makes and styles captions, with word-by-word highlights and translation. It does not add emojis, b-roll, zooms or sound effects.
Which is cheaper for ten short clips a month?
Ten 45-second clips are 450 seconds, so 450 credits: well inside a 30 minutes pack at $2.99, which never expires. Submagic’s smallest paid plan, as of October 2026, is around $19 a month.
Can I export an SRT file?
The iPhone app writes an SRT of the project’s captions, timed to the exported video, so you can upload captions to platforms that take a file.