How to add captions to a video, free
You do not need an app, an account, or a subscription to caption a video. AI Caption Cut does it in the browser, on your own device, in about four steps — and your video never leaves your machine.
Or open the full editor to style the captions and burn them into the video.
Step 1 — Add your video
Open the site and choose your video. It is read straight from your disk — not uploaded — so there is no wait and no file-size limit. Nothing is sent to a server at any point.
Step 2 — Generate the captions
Pick the spoken language and generate. Speech-to-text transcribes the audio on your device with word-level timing, so captions sync to the words. Fix any word with a tap.
Step 3 — Style them
Choose from 30+ templates — trending word-by-word pops, cinematic, boxed highlights — then adjust font, size, colour, position and a per-word accent font so it matches your content.
Step 4 — Export
Export a captioned MP4, or a subtitle file (.srt / .vtt). Free exports are 480p with a small watermark and are unlimited; a one-off payment removes the watermark on that video at full 1080p.
The reason is architectural, not generous. Cloud caption tools rent GPUs by the minute, so every minute of your video costs them money — which is why their plans meter you by video length, upload size or credits. AI Caption Cut renders on your own device, so a longer video costs us nothing. There is no meter to run.
Questions
What is the easiest way to add captions to a video?
Open AI Caption Cut in a browser, add your video, and captions generate automatically on your device. Style them and export an MP4 or SRT. No install, no account, and nothing is uploaded.
Can I add captions without uploading my video?
Yes — that is the whole point. Your video is read from your disk and captioned in your browser, never uploaded to a server.
Is it free to add captions?
AI Caption Cut is free to use, with unlimited exports at 480p carrying a small watermark. Removing the watermark is a one-off payment for that one video — 720p, or full 1080p at 60fps — or an Unlimited Pass that covers every export for thirty days. Subtitle files are free either way. It is charged in your own currency at checkout, and there is no subscription and no account.
Do I need to install anything or create an account?
No. It runs in any modern browser with no install and no sign-up. It can optionally be added to your home screen like an app, and works offline after the first load.
Related free tools
Try it on your own video
Nothing to install, no account, and your video never leaves your device. Unlimited free exports, and a one-off payment when you want the watermark gone.
Caption my video — free