Creating subtitles manually can be time-consuming and tedious, especially for longer videos. Fortunately, AI subtitle generators can automate this task, saving you time and effort. By combining ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition) and NLP (Natural Language Processing), subtitle generators can analyze the audio components of a video and transcribe it into text.
If you're in need of a quick and easy solution for generating subtitles, look no further. In this article, we'll explore six of the best free AI subtitle generators that you should consider trying out.
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Are Free Subtitle Generators Worth It?
Whether or not free subtitle generators are worth trying out depends on what the user is looking for and the particular generator in question.
Although AI subtitle generators are becoming more sophisticated practically daily, that does not necessarily mean they are perfect. Some subtitle generators may excel at one aspect of transcription and fail when it comes to others.
In addition, no online subtitle generator is completely free. Some features may be available for free use, however when it comes to captioning your videos and adding subtitles, you will come across common limitations that you can remove only by opting for the paid premium versions.
When looking for a high-quality free automatic subtitle generator, consider the following aspects.
Aspect | Explanation |
Accuracy | Different AI subtitle generators will have varying degrees of transcription accuracy. Subtitle generators must meet specific criteria regarding their training data, architecture, context understanding, understanding accents, reducing background noise, and so on, to produce accurate subtitles. A well-developed AI subtitle generator should be able to produce subtitles no matter the complexity of the context, the speaker's pronunciation, or the audio quality. |
Language Support | When users opt for a free subtitle generator, they need to be sure that the one they choose has a wide selection of languages. They should ensure at least support for the particular language in the video. Most generators let you choose from a solid pool of languages, but it is worth paying attention to when selecting one. |
Customization | Like videos, free automatic subtitle generators also require a high level of customization that allows for a seamless and natural subtitle. These generators should have subtitle customization features to produce adequate subtitles, including font, style, and timing. |
User interface | The entire point of having a subtitle generator is to have an automated tool so that you can sit back and relax. So, like any quality software, AI subtitle generators should have a user-friendly interface so that their users can add their desired subtitles quickly and with ease. |
Limitations | Free AI subtitles are very accessible subtitle solutions. However, many of them have certain limitations. That may include restrictions such as how many minutes of audio material users can process monthly or some locked features and customization options. |
Overall, free AI subtitle generators are worth trying since the very best of them can meet most of these requirements and do the job just right.
Top 7 Free Automatic Subtitle Generators
The following free AI subtitle generators are your best options for leveraging AI to add subtitles to videos without paying a dime.
Generators | OS Support | Languages | Accuracy | Free Offer | Pricing |
Wondershare DemoCreator | Windows, macOS | 90+ | High | 12-250 min | 9.9$ monthly |
Animaker | Online | 100+ | High | 50 min/per month | 12.5 - 39$ monthly |
Maestra AI | Online | 80+ | High | 1 min /per video | 29$ monthly |
Submagic | Online | 48+ | High | 1 min 30 s/per video | 16-120$ monthly |
Kapwing | Online | 70+ | High | 10min/per month | 16-50$ monthly |
Media.io | Online, iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows | 70+ | High | 5 min / per month | 19.99-95.99$ monthly |
Wavel AI | Online | 40+ | High | 15 min / per month | 18-60$ monthly |
1. Wondershare DemoCreator
Wondershare DemoCreator is a professional, multifaceted, downloadable recording and video editing software. It has many AI-powered tools, including an AI subtitle generator that can transform speech to text in 90+ languages with a 99% accuracy rate. Besides, you can customize your subtitles by changing the font, size, color, and timestamps, or by using the trendy subtitle templates.
The Auto Caption feature of DemoCreator is charged on a credit basis, with 8 credits per minute. However, there's no need to worry, as you receive 100 free trial credits after logging into your account, and if you're a subscription user of DemoCreator, you get 500 free credits. Once you've used up all the free credits, you can enjoy unlimited credits for just $9.9 per month. This makes it much more affordable than the free video caption generators mentioned below.
Downloading Wondershare DemoCreator to your Windows or macOS lets you auto generate subtitles from video offline.
To caption your videos automatically using the Wondershare DemoCreator's Auto-caption feature, you'll simply have to:
- Launch Wondershare DemoCreator on your PC and import the video you want to caption.
- Drag and drop the video to the timeline.
- Click on Caption > Auto-Caption > Start to Recognize.
- Pick the language of the video and click on Ok.
- The generated subtitles will appear in the timeline below.
2. Animaker
Animaker Inc. is a video animation software that provides almost a dozen products, one of which is its Auto subtitle generator.
Automated and having support for over a hundred languages, it is available on the official website and is only a sign-in page away.
It allows you to upload your videos simply by dragging and dropping them to Animaker, where you can generate subtitles or, if you prefer, type in or upload them.
Users can change the subtitle text format, adjust times, and then proceed to download the edited videos to their computer.
Although generating a subtitle for your video is free, Animaker will limit you to 50 monthly minutes. In addition, your video will have a watermark. You'll have to purchase one of the four paid versions to unlock more features and remove the time and watermark limitations.
3. Maestra AI
Maestra AI is an online platform offering three AI-based tools to transcribe, caption, and voiceover your videos. Its AI subtitle generator (listed as Subtitles/Captions under Tools on the official website) will effectively and efficiently create subtitles for your videos.
It has support for over 80 languages and lets users customize the generated subtitles by styling their fonts and changing the captions' size, color, and timestamps.
While it is intuitive, easy to use, and has all the standard customization options you might need, the free version of the subtitle generator will only allow you to export the first minute of the subtitled video for free.
If you need to generate subtitles for videos longer than one minute, opt for one of the paid subscriptions.
4. Submagic Auto Subtitle Generator
If you are a content creator looking to increase your viewership by adding subtitles or captions, Submagic Auto Subtitle Generator might be for you.
This subtitle generator primarily fits a short video format, typically suitable for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Submagic's subtitle generator provides templates, emojis, and sound effects to help users create quick and trendy-looking videos.
It has support for 48+ languages and a supposed 99% accuracy.
However, even though this eye-catching subtitle generator may sound ideal, it has a few drawbacks.
For instance, although it claims to have both paid and free versions, the free version feels lacking. The free trial lets users generate subtitles for only three 200 MB videos per month, with a video length limitation of one minute and 30 seconds.
Additionally, it is browser-dependent and leaves a watermark on your videos.
If you're willing to pay a monthly or yearly subscription, you can remove these limitations and unlock additional features such as custom templates, uploading your fonts, and inviting collaborators.
5. Kapwing
Kapwing is another online video editing platform with its own free caption generator for videos. It allows users to translate and add subtitles in over 70 languages.
Like the free subtitle generators above, Kapwing has various customization options, including font, size, color, and effect editing.
Although the platform is intuitive and easy to use, it is not all-encompassing.
While it offers free and paid versions, the free version limits you to four-minute videos and ten minutes of AI subtitles per month. Likewise, you can't remove watermarks.
It will suffice when editing shorter videos. Otherwise, you'll have to purchase one of the paid versions.
6. Media.io
Another AI subtitle generator available for free use is Media.io's Auto Subtitle Generator. Unlike the subtitle generators above, Media.io stands out for having both an online and a desktop version, with the latter surpassing the former in stability and efficiency.
It supports over 70 languages and allows users to customize their subtitles' font, size, color, transparency, and other features. It's available for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows devices.
By uploading your video to Media.io's official website, you can quickly generate and export the subtitles you need.
While it is free to use, it does leave a watermark, unlike the paid version. It also has restrictions on how many minutes of subtitles you can generate monthly.
7. Wavel AI Auto Subtitles Generator
Last but not least is the free AI subtitle generator by Wavel. It's available for online use, supports 40+ languages, and is relatively fast and easy to use.
It allows users to upload the video they want to dub or paste it as a Image name.
Like most free video caption generators, it has standard customization options: font, size, color, and timestamps.
Wavel's subtitle generator is unique because it operates through credits, like Wavel's other tools. Users who opt for the free version get 15 monthly credits for various tools. One credit will allow for one minute of subtitles in any language. While that is not ideal, it is still more than some of the other subtitle generators have to offer.
The free version also comes with a watermark. Users must purchase a monthly or annual subscription to remove the watermark, unlock hours of subtitles per month, and access additional features.
Now that we've covered all of our selected best AI subtitle generators, here's a general overview of their respective specifications. Note that most of these generators are web apps, meaning that you access them through a browser; so they will run on any operating system. And since we've chosen the very best out there, you can rest assured that all of the listed subtitle generators are highly accurate.
Who Should Use Free AI Subtitle Generators?
AI subtitle generators are available to anyone looking to add subtitles to their videos quickly. Still, some users would benefit from AI subtitle generators more than others.
For example, having an AI-generated subtitle would significantly improve video editing for content creators. Although many platforms like YouTube have their auto-generated subtitles, they are less polished and sophisticated than AI software generator tools make them and may not perform as well. Additionally, subtitles will improve user engagement because many viewers watch videos with the sound off.
Similarly, AI subtitle generators are also there to aid companies striving to make their videos more accessible and searchable, meeting or even excelling their SEO requirements.
AI subtitle generators are also valuable for language learners. Those looking to learn a new language could advance their language proficiency by visualizing the words and other units of speech they're listening to in educational videos.
Likewise, online learning platforms teaching through video materials can make their courses easier to follow by implementing AI-generated subtitles.
Conclusion
There are multiple options to choose from when it comes to free AI subtitle generators.
The very best of them will have excellent accuracy, support for dozens of languages, a user-friendly interface, and customization options.
The only factors to consider when choosing an AI subtitle generator are language support, video size, and duration restrictions.
While Animaker stands out among free AI subtitle generators, Wondershare DemoCreator is the software of choice among paid versions.
Since most of them have similar subtitle editing features and interfaces, the choice is ultimately up to you. As long as you're okay with some of their limitations, you can generate subtitles immediately.
FAQs
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Is there a free subtitle generator?
The best free subtitle generators are Animaker, Maestra AI, Submagic Auto Subtitle Generator, Kapwing, Media.io, and Wavel AI Auto Subtitles Generator. -
How can I make subtitles for free?
If you want to create video subtitles for free, you can do so automatically using an AI subtitle generator, for example Kapwing. All you'll have to do is:- Open Kapwing in your browser of choice and click on Create New.
- Upload the video you want to caption by clicking on Click to Upload.
- Go to Subtitles and click on Auto subtitle.
- Choose the original and language you want to translate to and click on Auto subtitle.
- The subtitles will appear in the timeline.
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What are the downsides of using a free subtitle generator?
The main downsides of using free subtitle generators are the limitations on the size of a video you can upload and how many minutes of subtitles you can create. Another disadvantage is the watermark on your video after adding the subtitles and exporting the file. -
Which free subtitle generator has no watermark?
Unfortunately, there aren't any free subtitle generators without watermarks. You'll have to pay for premium versions to create subtitles for your videos without watermarks. -
When should I upgrade to a paid AI subtitle generator?
Upgrading to a paid AI subtitle generator is wise since it unlocks additional features and removes limitations such as video size limits and watermarks. We recommend upgrading to a paid version if its free counterpart does not meet your editing needs.