Free AI caption and subtitle generators October 2026

Free minutes, watermarks, animated styles and SRT files, read on the pages of 18 caption and subtitle tools. Some free plans stamp a watermark on every video, and some let you download nothing.
Checked by hand on 16 October 2026, on each company’s own pages.2 of 144 have moved since, re-checked 21h ago.

The short answer
If you read nothing else, read this.
- Free, no watermark, no limit stated: Microsoft Clipchamp. Its autocaptions are free for all users, with no limit on video length, a .srt download and over 100 languages. Instagram's free Edits app also exports watermark-free captions, on your phone.
- Free inside the app you post to: TikTok captions the videos you upload, and YouTube adds automatic captions in 67 languages. YouTube Create, its free phone editor, adds captions to Shorts with one tap.
- Free minutes every month, with a watermark: Descript 60 minutes (animated captions on every plan), OpusClip 60, Vizard 60 (exports up to 10 minutes), Zubtitle 2 videos. VEED is free to start, with animated styles, but does not say how many minutes.
- Free SRT files: Clipchamp, Kapwing (its SRT maker is "free for all users"), Zubtitle, Rev (45 minutes a month, English only) and Happy Scribe (10 minutes once). VEED and Vizard keep SRT for paid plans.
- Not really free: Submagic is a trial of 3 short videos, with a watermark. SubtitleBee gives 10 minutes but disables downloads. CapCut's own pages disagree: one says auto captions are free of charge, two say they are a Pro feature ($19.99 a month).
I read the pages of 18 caption tools. The best free one may already be on your computer or phone.

Quick picks
No watermark, no limit
Microsoft Clipchamp
Free, no length limit
Autocaptions free for all users, .srt download, over 100 languages. Needs a Microsoft account.
Animated captions
Descript
60 minutes a month
Animated word-highlight captions on every plan, no card. Free exports carry a watermark, at 720p.
For Reels, on your phone
Edits (Instagram)
Free, no watermark
Instagram's free app. Pick a caption style, then save the video or post it as a reel.
SRT file, monthly
Rev
45 minutes a month
AI captions as SRT, VTT and 12 other formats. English only on the free plan.
Compare them all
All 18, side by side. Tap a name for the sentences behind it.
Free, with no watermark
Microsoft ClipchampUnlimitedWatermark None · Animated styles Font and color only stated · SRT Yes, .srt only · Languages Over 100 · Max length No limit · Sign-up Microsoft account, no payment · Paid from Comes with Microsoft 365Try free
- Edits (Instagram)Free appWatermark None · Animated styles Caption styles, animation not stated · SRT Not statedOpen
CanvaAs often as you needWatermark Only on premium elements · SRT Not stated; MP4 download · Languages Translate to 100+ · Paid from $144 a year (Pro)Try free
Captions app (captions.ai)Free plan, 1 caption templateWatermark None on free features · Animated styles 1 template; others need a paid plan to export · SRT In export options; plan not stated · Languages 100+ · Max length 10 minutes (5 on Android) · Paid from $9.99 a month (Basic)Try free
Zeemo120 credits a yearWatermark None · SRT Not clear on free · Languages 95 · Max length 1 minute · Paid from $8 a month yearly, $9.99 monthlyTry free
Built into YouTube and TikTok
- YouTube automatic captionsBuilt inSRT Download in YouTube Studio · Languages 67 · Max length Not stated; very long videos may fail · Sign-up Sign in to YouTube StudioOpen
- TikTok auto captionsBuilt inAnimated styles Font and color only stated · SRT Not statedOpen
Free minutes, with a watermark
Descript60 minutes a monthWatermark Yes · Animated styles Yes, unlimited · SRT SRT or VTT; plan not stated · Languages 25 · Sign-up No card · Paid from $16 a month yearly, $24 monthlyTry free
OpusClip60 minutes a monthWatermark Yes · Animated styles Yes, with watermark · SRT Not stated · Languages 20+ (paid card) · Paid from $15 a monthTry freeVizard60 minutes a monthWatermark Yes · SRT No, TXT only on free · Max length 10-minute exports · Paid from $174 a year ($14.50 a month)Try free
VEEDFree to start, minutes not statedWatermark Yes · Animated styles Yes, unlimited · SRT Paid only · Max length Longer needs a paid plan · Sign-up No card · Paid from Price changes by countryTry free
Kapwing10 minutes, onceWatermark Yes · Animated styles Word-by-word; plan not stated · SRT Yes, free · Languages 155 variants · Max length 4-minute exports · Paid from $16 a month yearly, $24 monthlyTry free
Zubtitle2 videos a monthWatermark Yes · SRT Yes · Max length 20 minutes · Sign-up No card · Paid from $19 a month, $190 a yearTry free
Subtitle files (SRT), not styled captions
Rev45 minutes a monthSRT Yes, and 13 other formats · Languages English only on free · Paid from $25.49 a seat a month yearly, $29.99 monthlyTry freeHappy Scribe10 minutes, onceWatermark On MP4 exports · SRT Yes · Languages 150+ · Paid from $8.50 a month ($17 crossed out)Try free
A trial, or Pro to export
SubmagicTrial: 3 short videosWatermark Yes, until you subscribe · SRT Not stated · Languages 48+ or 100+, its pages differ · Sign-up No card · Paid from $12 a month yearly, $19 monthlyTry free
CapCutIts pages disagreeSign-up No card · Paid from $19.99 a month, $179.99 a yearOpen
SubtitleBee10 minutes, no downloadWatermark Removed on paid plans · SRT No: downloads are off · Languages 120 · Max length 10 minutes · Paid from $16.60 a month yearly, $19 monthlyTry free
– means their own pages do not say.
Free, with no watermark
Captions on your video with nothing stamped on it. Read on each company's own pages on 9 October 2026.
Microsoft Clipchamp
- Free
- Unlimited
- Watermark
- None
- Animated styles
- Font and color only stated
- SRT
- Yes, .srt only
- Languages
- Over 100
- Max length
- No limit
- Sign-up
- Microsoft account, no payment
- Paid from
- Comes with Microsoft 365
Works in your browser and in the Windows app. One language per video. Its pages talk about fonts, colors, size and position, not animated word-by-word captions. Premium features come with Microsoft 365 Personal or Family; Clipchamp's page does not give that price.
In their own words(10, checked 9 Oct)
“The autocaptions feature is free for all Clipchamp users.”
“There are no limits on generating subtitles for a video in Clipchamp.”
“Transcripts can only be downloaded in SubRip subtitle file format, also known as .srt format.”
“Free in over 100 languages”
“Change the subtitle font, colors, text size, and alignment to make subtitles match your video aesthetic”
“Export videos in up to 1080p (full HD) video resolution for free, with no watermarks.”
“Sign in with a personal Microsoft account to get started with Clipchamp video editor.”
“No payment or downloads required.”
“Premium features are now included with Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans.”
“Transcripts can be generated in one language per video.”
Edits (Instagram)
- Free
- Free app
- Watermark
- None
- Animated styles
- Caption styles, animation not stated
- SRT
- Not stated
Meta's video editor for iPhone and Android. You pick the spoken language and a caption style, then save the video to your phone or post it as a reel. A reel posted from Edits shows a small icon saying it was made with Edits. No language list or length limit is stated.
In their own words(6, checked 9 Oct)
“Edits is available globally and free for download”
“managing your projects, editing and exporting watermark-free without leaving the app”
“You can generate captions for voiceovers or other spoken audio in your video.”
“You can customize your captions, including selecting the language being spoken in your video, the style of the captions, and transcription controls.”
“If you've started a video project on Edits, you can download it to your device's camera roll.”
“Your reel on Instagram will also include an icon indicating that it was created with Edits.”
Canva
- Free
- As often as you need
- Watermark
- Only on premium elements
- SRT
- Not stated; MP4 download
- Languages
- Translate to 100+
- Paid from
- $144 a year (Pro)
In the editor: Text, then Dynamic text, then Captions. Canva Free adds a watermark only to premium elements you put in the design. Canva's caption pages do not mention animated caption styles, an SRT file or a length limit. Pro has a free trial; the pricing page does not give its length.
In their own words(6, checked 9 Oct)
“Add subtitles to your videos in just a few clicks, for free, as often as you need.”
“Premium elements will have watermarks on your design if you're a Canva Free user.”
“Download your video with AI auto captions as an MP4 file.”
“With over 100 options available, you can effortlessly address a bigger audience and grow your channel.”
“US$144 /year for one person”
“You can start a free trial of Canva Pro or Canva Business.”
Captions app (captions.ai)
- Free
- Free plan, 1 caption template
- Watermark
- None on free features
- Animated styles
- 1 template; others need a paid plan to export
- SRT
- In export options; plan not stated
- Languages
- 100+
- Max length
- 10 minutes (5 on Android)
- Paid from
- $9.99 a month (Basic)
The free template is called Eclipse. If your project uses a paid feature, such as other caption styles, AI Edit or background music, you have to subscribe to export it. The pricing page shows only Max ($24.99) and Frontier ($69.99) and says its prices are for iPhone plans; Basic is in the help centre.
In their own words(12, checked 9 Oct)
“Yes, there is a free version of Captions.”
“The Free plan includes 60-200 lifetime credits, use of one template”
“No watermarks”
“If you use any other features in your project, you'll be asked to upgrade to a paid plan.”
“Caption templates Free 1 Max 100+”
“such as AI Edit, captions styles, eye contact correction, or background music”
“You'll be prompted to subscribe when you attempt to export a project that uses paid features.”
“Download the generated captions in a separate SRT file”
“Captions in 100+ languages”
“Captions in same language 10 minutes 10 minutes 5 minutes”
“Our Basic plan (formerly Pro) costs $9.99 USD per month and comes with 200 credits that renew monthly.”
“Features and prices reflect iOS plans only.”
Zeemo
- Free
- 120 credits a year
- Watermark
- None
- SRT
- Not clear on free
- Languages
- 95
- Max length
- 1 minute
- Quality
- 720p
- Paid from
- $8 a month yearly, $9.99 monthly
Good for one short clip: free captions stop at 1-minute videos up to 200 MB. Pro raises that to 3 minutes. The price table has an SRT row, but its ticks are pictures, so we cannot read which plans get it. Zeemo's caption tool page says "Unlimited duration for single video", which is not true of the free plan.
In their own words(8, checked 9 Oct)
“Let's try it out for free US$0/mo No watermark”
“120 credits/year”
“1 min max for caption video length”
“Video length / size limit 1 min / 200 MB”
“Captions in 95 languages”
“US$9.99/mo US$8/mo”
“3 mins max for caption video length”
“download the subtitle file (SRT/ASS/TXT) for further use”
Built into YouTube and TikTok
Nothing to install on a computer. The captions live on your post, inside the app.
YouTube automatic captions
- Free
- Built in
- SRT
- Download in YouTube Studio
- Languages
- 67
- Max length
- Not stated; very long videos may fail
- Sign-up
- Sign in to YouTube Studio
YouTube makes captions for your uploads by itself and publishes them on the video. You can fix mistakes in YouTube Studio and download the caption file; that page does not name the file format. To put captions on the picture of a Short, YouTube Create, YouTube's free phone editor, adds them with one tap. It is in select markets only.
In their own words(10, checked 9 Oct)
“YouTube can use speech recognition technology to automatically create captions for your videos.”
“If automatic captions are available, they'll automatically be published on the video.”
“Automatic captions are available in Afrikaans, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic”
“The video is too long.”
“Click Options and select Download subtitles”
“Sign in to YouTube Studio”
“Use the YouTube Create app at no cost, with no ads interrupting your editing flow.”
“Automatically add captions to your videos with just the tap of a button.”
“Seamlessly create, edit, and publish both Shorts and long-form videos directly to your channel.”
“available in select markets”
TikTok auto captions
- Free
- Built in
- Animated styles
- Font and color only stated
- SRT
- Not stated
TikTok makes captions for the videos you upload. Creator captions, turned on with the Captions button before you post, let you change the font style and color. The help page does not mention a subtitle file, a language list or a length limit.
In their own words(4, checked 9 Oct)
“Captions will be automatically generated for videos that you upload.”
“Eligible videos will show auto-generated captions based on the selected language.”
“You can edit and design creator captions for your videos, such as changing the font style and color.”
“Your video's speech audio will then automatically be transcribed into text.”
Free minutes, with a watermark
Enough to try the animated style. Every free export carries the company's mark.
Descript
- Free
- 60 minutes a month
- Watermark
- Yes
- Animated styles
- Yes, unlimited
- SRT
- SRT or VTT; plan not stated
- Languages
- 25
- Quality
- 720p
- Sign-up
- No card
- Paid from
- $16 a month yearly, $24 monthly
The 60 minutes count any media you import or record. Animated captions with word highlighting are unlimited on every plan, Free included. The watermark sits in the bottom-right corner.
In their own words(9, checked 9 Oct)
“60 minutes (1 hr) / month”
“Automatically create animated captions for your videos.”
“Choose from our stock caption styles or customize the font, colors, word highlighting, and positioning, to make your videos accessible and engaging. Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited”
“Automatically transcribe your recordings into text in 25 languages”
“Exports from a Free drive will include a Descript watermark in the bottom-right corner.”
“Free plan users are limited to 720p export.”
“Export your subtitles from Descript as an SRT or VTT file.”
“Do I need to enter a credit card to try Descript? No, Descript's Free plan includes everything you need to record, edit and mix audio and video content.”
“Hobbyist $16 $24 per person / month”
OpusClip
- Free
- 60 minutes a month
- Watermark
- Yes
- Animated styles
- Yes, with watermark
- SRT
- Not stated
- Languages
- 20+ (paid card)
- Catch
- Export within 3 days
- Paid from
- $15 a month
OpusClip cuts a long video into short clips and captions them, with emojis and keyword highlights. A minute of the long video you import uses 1 credit. Free clips can no longer be exported after 3 days. Paid plans have a free trial with no card.
In their own words(9, checked 9 Oct)
“60 processing minutes per month”
“AI Captions with emojis and keyword highlighter”
“Currently, processing clips will cost 1 credit per minute of the original video imported.”
“Has watermark No editing”
“Animated caption templates With watermark”
“After 3 days, the clips will no longer be exportable”
“AI animated captions in 20+ languages”
“Start your free trial No credit card required”
“$15 billed monthly 150 credits per month”
Vizard
- Free
- 60 minutes a month
- Watermark
- Yes
- SRT
- No, TXT only on free
- Max length
- 10-minute exports
- Quality
- 720p
- Paid from
- $174 a year ($14.50 a month)
Another clip maker with auto subtitles. 1 credit is 1 minute of uploaded video. Free projects expire after 3 days. SRT downloads start with the Creator plan.
In their own words(7, checked 9 Oct)
“Vizard's forever free plan provides 60 credits of uploads.”
“Do note that if you are on the free plan, your exported videos will have a Vizard.ai watermark and each project will expire after 3 days.”
“1 credit = 1 minute of video”
“Download transcript TXT TXT, SRT TXT, SRT”
“Export length 10 minutes Any length Any length”
“Export quality 720p 4K 4K”
“$174 billed yearly”
VEED
- Free
- Free to start, minutes not stated
- Watermark
- Yes
- Animated styles
- Yes, unlimited
- SRT
- Paid only
- Max length
- Longer needs a paid plan
- Quality
- 720p
- Sign-up
- No card
- Paid from
- Price changes by country
Its animated presets, such as Glide and Pulse, are open to the Free plan with no limit. VEED does not say how many free subtitle minutes you get. Its subtitle page says Creator "starts at $20/month", but its pricing page shows prices in your own currency, so they change by country.
In their own words(8, checked 9 Oct)
“The auto subtitle generator is free to start. Upgrade to a paid plan to subtitle longer videos and download subtitle files.”
“Dynamic Subtitles bring your captioning to life with animated presets that make your content more engaging and mobile-ready.”
“Free, Lite, Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans: Unlimited access.”
“All projects exported while you weren't logged into an account or used a free account will have a VEED.IO watermark.”
“Free Plan: Export in 720p only.”
“No credit card required”
“Prices are listed in your local currency if available, and if not they are listed in USD.”
“A Creator plan starts at $20/month.”
Kapwing
- Free
- 10 minutes, once
- Watermark
- Yes
- Animated styles
- Word-by-word; plan not stated
- SRT
- Yes, free
- Languages
- 155 variants
- Max length
- 4-minute exports
- Quality
- 720p
- Paid from
- $16 a month yearly, $24 monthly
The free plan has 10 credits for life, not every month, and auto subtitles use 1 credit a minute. Its SRT maker is free for all users. There is no free trial of the paid plans.
In their own words(11, checked 9 Oct)
“Auto-subtitling (up to 10 mins)”
“The Free Plan comes with 10 credits lifetime.”
“Subtitle Transcription 1 minute = 1 credit”
“Unlimited exports with a watermark”
“There you can remove word-by-word subtitle highlighting or the style and coloring.”
“Yes, Kapwing's SRT file generator is free for all users.”
“Kapwing supports 155 different language variants.”
“Export videos up to 4 minutes long”
“720p video quality”
“We do not currently offer a free trial for Kapwing's paid plans.”
“Pricing starts at $16 per member per month when billed annually or $24 per member per month when billed monthly.”
Zubtitle
- Free
- 2 videos a month
- Watermark
- Yes
- SRT
- Yes
- Max length
- 20 minutes
- Quality
- 720p
- Sign-up
- No card
- Paid from
- $19 a month, $190 a year
Free forever, says the plan card, with 2 videos a month. Its FAQ still says the free plan lets you upload 1 video. Every processed video gets a .txt or .srt file.
In their own words(9, checked 9 Oct)
“$0 /mo free forever”
“2 videos per month”
“Zubtitle watermark added”
“Yes. The Free Trial plan lets you upload 1 video and access all the video editing features (including captioning) at no cost.”
“Yes. For each video that is processed with Zubtitle, a .txt or .srt file can be downloaded.”
“20 minutes or less in duration”
“Resolutions up to 720p”
“Try it for free. No credit card required to start creating.”
“$19 /mo or $190 yearly”
Subtitle files (SRT), not styled captions
For YouTube, courses and long videos: a file you upload next to the video.
Rev
- Free
- 45 minutes a month
- SRT
- Yes, and 13 other formats
- Languages
- English only on free
- Paid from
- $25.49 a seat a month yearly, $29.99 monthly
Rev now sells mostly to legal and investigation teams, but its free plan still gives 45 AI minutes a month for transcripts and captions. Every caption format comes with an AI captions order at no extra cost.
In their own words(6, checked 16 Oct)
“Free includes 45 AI minutes per user per month, 1 seat and one workspace, and English-only transcription and captions.”
“We offer the following AI captions formats: SubRip (.srt)”
“When you order AI captions, all of our AI captions file formats are available to you at no additional cost.”
“For investigative teams who need more seats, more minutes, and smarter workflows.”
“$25.49 per seat/month”
“$29.99 per seat/month”
Happy Scribe
- Free
- 10 minutes, once
- Watermark
- On MP4 exports
- SRT
- Yes
- Languages
- 150+
- Paid from
- $8.50 a month ($17 crossed out)
The free 10 minutes cover transcription, subtitles and translation. Text and SRT files have no watermark; a video with the subtitles burned in does.
In their own words(6, checked 9 Oct)
“10-minute free trial of AI Transcription, Subtitling and Translation”
“Export files in DOCX, TXT, SRT and MP4 (watermarked)”
“Remove watermark from video exports”
“AI speech-to-text for 150+ languages and dialects”
“$8.50 / month”
“Basic $17$8.50/mo”
A trial, or Pro to export
You can try them, but the free part ends quickly, or never leaves the app.
Submagic
- Free
- Trial: 3 short videos
- Watermark
- Yes, until you subscribe
- SRT
- Not stated
- Languages
- 48+ or 100+, its pages differ
- Sign-up
- No card
- Paid from
- $12 a month yearly, $19 monthly
There is no free plan on Submagic's pricing page. Its help centre describes a trial of 3 short videos; downloads without a watermark need a subscription. Starter gives 15 videos a month of up to 2 minutes each.
In their own words(7, checked 9 Oct)
“You'll be able to upload 3 short videos and edit them the way you want.”
“If you choose a subscription, you'll be able to download it without a watermark”
“No credit card required.”
“We support 48+ languages”
“This significant update brings our total supported languages to over 100”
“45 credits = 15 videos 2 min video duration”
“$19 $12 / mo. Save $84”
CapCut
Not confirmed- Free
- Its pages disagree
- Sign-up
- No card
- Trial
- 7-day Pro trial, some countries
- Paid from
- $19.99 a month, $179.99 a year
CapCut's caption tool page says it turns speech into text free of charge. Its Standard vs Pro article, from 23 September 2026, says the auto caption generator is for Pro users only, and its help centre says Pro features in a project ask for an upgrade when you export. Its pages do not state a watermark, an SRT file or languages. Prices vary by country.
In their own words(9, checked 9 Oct)
“With CapCut auto subtitle generator, videos may be automatically converted to text free of charge and translated into various languages.”
“an advanced AI-powered tool set, including motion tracking and an auto caption generator, is exclusive to Pro users.”
“However, when you try to export, the system will detect these premium elements and require a Pro upgrade.”
“If you enjoy using advanced tools like auto captions and want uninterrupted access, upgrading to Pro will unlock exclusive features and a smoother editing experience.”
“No credit card required”
“CapCut Pro offers a 7-day free trial in select countries and regions.”
“Monthly plan: $19.99 per month for individual users.”
“Yearly plan: $179.99 per year, offering a lower overall cost compared to monthly payments.”
“Prices can vary by region”
SubtitleBee
- Free
- 10 minutes, no download
- Watermark
- Removed on paid plans
- SRT
- No: downloads are off
- Languages
- 120
- Max length
- 10 minutes
- Paid from
- $16.60 a month yearly, $19 monthly
You can caption 10 minutes for free and see the result, but downloads are disabled during the free trial, and storage lasts 14 days. Watermark-free export is listed as a Starter feature.
In their own words(7, checked 9 Oct)
“Auto subtitle 10 minutes video”
“10 min/video 20 min/video”
“Video exports per Month 1 video 12 video”
“Yes we do. Our free trial storage is retained for 14 days, but downloads are disabled during the trial.”
“Ideal for individuals to caption content and export watermark-free videos”
“Automatically generate accurate subtitles in over 120 languages.”
“$19/mo billed monthly $16.6/mo billed yearly at $199”
Questions
Is there a free AI caption generator with no watermark?
Yes. Microsoft Clipchamp's autocaptions are free for all users, with no limit on video length and no watermark on exports up to 1080p. Instagram's free Edits app also exports without a watermark. Zeemo has no watermark on its free plan but stops at 1-minute videos, and the Captions app gives one free caption template.
Is Submagic free?
No. Submagic has no free plan, only a free trial of 3 short videos, and you download without a watermark only with a subscription. Plans start at $12 a month billed yearly, or $19 month to month, for 15 videos of up to 2 minutes.
Are CapCut's auto captions free?
No, not for sure. CapCut's caption tool page says speech is turned into text free of charge, but its own Standard vs Pro article says the auto caption generator is for Pro users only, and its help centre says Pro features in a project ask for an upgrade at export. CapCut Pro costs $19.99 a month or $179.99 a year, with a 7-day trial in some countries.
How can I make an SRT file for free?
5 tools here give you one free. Clipchamp downloads .srt with no limit stated. Kapwing's SRT maker is free for all users, though auto subtitles use its 10 free minutes. Zubtitle gives a .srt for each of its 2 free videos a month, Rev gives 45 AI minutes a month (English only) and Happy Scribe 10 minutes once. YouTube Studio also lets you download your video's captions.
Does the Captions app have a free plan?
Yes. The free plan has no watermark and one caption template, Eclipse, with captions in 100+ languages and videos up to 10 minutes on iPhone. If your project uses paid features, such as other caption styles or AI Edit, you have to subscribe to export it. Basic costs $9.99 a month.
How do I add free captions to TikTok, Reels and Shorts?
3 apps do it for free. TikTok makes captions for the videos you upload and lets you change the font style and color. Instagram's Edits app makes captions in a style you pick and exports without a watermark. YouTube Create, free of charge, adds captions to Shorts with one tap.
Which free caption generator gives the most minutes?
60 minutes a month is the most any plan here states: Descript, OpusClip and Vizard each give 60, all with a watermark. Rev gives 45 a month for English caption files. Clipchamp states no limit at all.
How we checked
Every fact here comes from the company’s own page, with the sentence it is in. The facts checked for this guide show the day we read them. The tables come from our catalogue, which re-reads each price page on its own. When a page does not say something, we write that, and we never guess. How we check