7 Best Subtitle Software to Reduce Manual Work

For years, Adobe Premiere Pro has been my trusted video editing software. As a longtime Adobe ambassador, I’ve relied on its features to enhance my workflow. Its combination of AI-driven transcription and manual captioning makes it a versatile option for handling subtitles across various projects.

I recently used it to add subtitles to a tutorial video, and the AI-powered captions were surprisingly precise, even with technical terms. The editing process was smooth, thanks to the Essential Graphics panel, which allowed me to adjust fonts, placement, and timing for optimal readability.

Premiere Pro is a top-tier professional tool, but its high cost makes it less ideal for beginners or one-time projects. However, its built-in subtitle generation, editing, and export features streamline the process, eliminating the need for extra software.

Price: Free trial, from $22.99/month

My colleague loves Movavi Video Editor for its ease of use, so I gave it a try for adding subtitles. After uploading my video, I explored the Titles tab and was pleasantly surprised by the wide range of styles, from simple to animated. Positioning text was a breeze: just drag a title onto the timeline and customize the font, size, and color as needed.

What impressed me most was how effortlessly I could place subtitles anywhere on the screen and perfectly sync them with the video. Movavi’s user-friendly design is a major advantage, especially for someone like me who doesn’t have time to navigate complicated editing software.

I’ve noticed a couple of minor drawbacks. The free version offers full access for only seven days before restrictions apply. Additionally, while adding basic subtitles is quick and easy, fine-tuning animated styles takes a bit more time. Overall, I found Movavi to be an excellent choice for beginners.

Price: Free trial, from $8.95/month

I wasn’t expecting much from a free subtitle editor, but Nikse Subtitle Edit truly surprised me. I needed precise synchronization between subtitles and dialogue for a project, so I decided to try out its waveform audio visualizer.

I also tried the Whisper AI-powered speech recognition. While not perfect, it delivered a solid base, saving me from full manual transcription, with only slight tweaks needed. Beyond timing adjustments, Subtitle Edit stood out with its advanced tools. Its built-in spell checker (powered by LibreOffice dictionaries) proved invaluable for catching those annoying little caption errors.

The only downside I ran into was the need to install third-party codecs for live video previews, but the setup was fast and seamlessly integrated into the app. I was disappointed to find that there’s no macOS version, but as a free subtitle software for Windows and Linux, it’s probably one of the best I’ve used.

Price: Completely free

I had tried Kapwing’s free video editor, a couple of times in the past, but this was my first experience using its subtitle features. I wanted to test how effective its AI transcription was and how easy it was to tweak subtitles manually. After uploading a brief interview clip, I let the AI auto-generate the subtitles, and the accuracy was impressive, requiring only a few small corrections.

Editing the text was smooth and intuitive. I could simply click on the captions in the timeline, adjust the wording, and see the updates immediately in the video preview. Customizing the font, color, and background of the subtitles was effortless, allowing me to create professional-looking captions in just a few clicks.

I collaborated on this project with a teammate, and we were both able to edit in real-time without the hassle of downloading or re-uploading files. One limitation, however, is that while Kapwing lets you burn subtitles into the video for free, downloading an SRT file requires a paid upgrade. Additionally, this software for adding subtitles to video only supports SRT files.

Price: Free version, from $16/month

After seeing Typito recommended on Reddit multiple times, I decided to try it out. As an online tool, I expected a straightforward interface, and it didn’t disappoint. Uploading my video was fast, and I experimented with both auto-generated subtitles and manual SRT uploads. The AI transcription was fairly accurate, though I still needed to adjust some timings and correct a few words.

The editing timeline made it easy to move captions exactly where I wanted. I also liked how I could change the font, colors, and position right in the preview window, making my subtitles look clean with little effort.

Typito only supports SRT files, so you’ll need to convert other formats separately. It also doesn’t have a desktop version, which means no offline editing. Still, it offers a good balance between automation and manual control, making it a great option for quick, professional-looking subtitles.

Price: Free version, from $15/month

This is the second open-source subtitle editor I’ve tried, and it is definitely worth mentioning. While Jubler’s interface isn’t the most refined, its functionality impressed me. It supports a variety of subtitle formats, including some rare ones I haven’t come across in other free subtitling software.

I used it to adjust the timing of an SRT file, and even though the interface felt a bit old, it was easy to use. The spell-check feature was helpful, especially for longer subtitles.

A key selling point of Jubler is its built-in translation mode. I tested it by translating subtitles from English to Spanish, and while it didn’t fully automate the translation, it made the manual process easier by displaying the text side-by-side. However, syncing the subtitles was a bit tricky since the video preview feature didn’t always load correctly.

Price: Completely free

AegiSub is a popular free subtitle editor, particularly favored by anime enthusiasts like myself. It had been recommended to me multiple times, so I decided to try it out alongside animation software for anime. Immediately, I realized that AegiSub isn’t suited for quick social media videos, but is rather a more intricate editing tool intended for personal or professional projects.

Aegisub offers great styling options, letting you fully customize fonts, colors, placement, and effects. I tried the subtitle style manager and could make custom subtitles with different colors and shadows, and they looked really good in the preview.

However, there are some downsides. The interface feels old, and on high-resolution screens, some buttons and menus appear too small and hard to use. It also doesn’t support as many subtitle formats as newer software. But if you require advanced styling, the subtitle editor software is a great option.

Price: Completely free