Every caption app, side by side
| App | Free plan | Paid from | Limits when paying | Your video | Account | Pay once option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karaoke CaptionsFree · Pro optional | No watermarkUnlimited videos | $19/yror $59 once · optional | No caps | On your device | Not needed | Yes |
| CapCutcapcut.com | VariesAuto captions capped | $179.99/yror $19.99/mo · Pro | Monthly AI points | Audio to their cloud | For most features | No |
| Submagicsubmagic.co | Watermark3 videos/mo · 90 s each | $12/mobilled yearly · $19 monthly | 15 videos/mo · 2 min each | Uploaded to their cloud | Required | No |
| Captionscaptions.ai | WatermarkUsage limits | $9.99/moPro | AI usage metered | Uploaded to their cloud | Required | No |
| VEEDveed.io | Watermark720p · ~30 subtitle min/mo | $12/mobilled yearly · Lite | Subtitle hours capped | Uploaded to their cloud | Required | No |
| Zeemozeemo.ai | Watermark1-min videos · credits | ~$8/moPro | Yearly credits | Uploaded to their cloud | Required | No |
| ZapCapzapcap.ai | No watermark3 videos/mo · 90 s each | $8/moStarter | 15 projects/mo · 2 min each | Uploaded to their cloud | Required | No |
Submagic, CapCut, Captions, VEED, Zeemo and ZapCap are trademarks of their respective owners. We are not affiliated with any of them. Prices and limits are from their public pricing pages as of October 2026 and change often; check each site before you decide.
The one difference that explains the rest
Every tool in this table except Karaoke Captions sends your video (or, in CapCut's case, its audio) to their servers to transcribe it. Server time costs money per minute, so they ration it: videos a month, minutes per video, credits, a watermark until you pay. Karaoke Captions runs the speech model inside your browser instead. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is rationed, and Pro can cost $19 a year.
Which one should you use?
- You edit whole videos and want one app: CapCut.
- You want an AI studio that also cuts, zooms and adds b-roll: Submagic or Captions.
- You need subtitles translated into many languages: Zeemo or VEED.
- You want great word-by-word captions, free, private and without a subscription: Karaoke Captions.
Each one in detail
CapCut alternative →
Best at a full video editor: timeline, effects, templates, music and huge creator community. Free plan: auto captions hit a usage cap, then an upgrade prompt. Paid from $19.99/mo, or $179.99/yr (Pro, since Feb 2026).
Submagic alternative →
Best at a polished all-in-one short-form editor: b-roll, auto-zoom, silence removal, AI clips. Free plan: 3 videos a month, 90-second cap, watermark. Paid from $19/mo, or $12/mo billed yearly.
Captions alternative →
Best at a mobile-first AI editor: eye-contact fix, dubbing, AI edits and avatars. Free plan: watermark on exports, usage limits. Paid from $9.99/mo (Pro).
VEED alternative →
Best at a browser video editor with teams, brand kits, translation and stock media. Free plan: 720p, watermark, ~30 subtitle minutes a month. Paid from from $12/mo billed yearly (Lite).
Zeemo alternative →
Best at captions in ~95 languages and translation into 120+. Free plan: 1-minute cap, 120 credits a year, watermark. Paid from from about $8/mo (Pro).
ZapCap
Best at template-driven captions in 50+ languages with an API. Free plan: 3 videos a month, 90-second cap. Paid from from $8/mo (Starter).
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free caption app with no watermark?
Among the tools compared here, Karaoke Captions is the only one whose free plan has no watermark, no video limit and no upload. ZapCap’s free plan also has no watermark but allows three 90-second videos a month.
Which caption app does not upload my video?
Karaoke Captions. Transcription and rendering run in your browser, so neither the video nor its audio leaves your device. The others transcribe on their servers.
Which caption app is cheapest?
Karaoke Captions Pro is $19 a year or $59 once, and the free tool already exports without a watermark. The cheapest no-watermark plans elsewhere cost roughly $77 to $180 a year.