Free Video Caption Generator
Captions lift watch time on every platform, and on the feeds where sound is off by default they are the only thing carrying your words.
This generates them from the speech in your video, on your own machine, and lets you fix anything it misheard before you commit.
How it works
Choose your video
Nothing is uploaded - the file is read locally.
Captions are written for you
Every word is timed, then grouped into readable lines.
Style and download
Dark bar, outline or shadow - then burn in or export.
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FAQ
What is the difference between captions and subtitles?
In strict usage captions carry the speech plus relevant sound for viewers who cannot hear, while subtitles carry just the dialogue, often translated. In everyday use on social platforms the words are used interchangeably, and this tool does the same job either way - it writes the spoken words with timings.
Can I fix a word it got wrong?
Yes, every line is an editable text box before you burn or export. Timings stay as recognised; only the words change.
Does burning in reduce the quality?
Slightly - burning captions into the picture requires re-encoding the video, which we do at a high quality setting. If you want zero re-encoding, download the SRT instead and let the player display it.
Is there a length limit?
Ten minutes for now. Recognition runs on your own machine, and past that the wait stops being reasonable. Trim the video first if it is longer.
Does it work without an account?
Yes. No sign-up, no credits, no watermark, and no limit on how many videos you caption.
Need to make the video, not just edit it?
Zappy generates video, images, voiceovers and music from a text prompt - 25 free credits every day, no software to install.
Open the studio