Transcription: 99% of Rev.ai
Turns the soundtrack into text
Runs in:
Fits on:
· needs ~1.6 GB · Free to download · License: MIT
Add subtitles to a video
Auto-captions in your language or another.
The tools below run on your computer. Most of them are free, and the local work stays on your machine.
Works offline · Free options
These tools write the caption file. Nothing on this list burns the words into the video.
Your computer
Describe your computer
Pick the closest line. Office PC and Mini PC are estimates. Linux and a home server stay in the list. We guess the specs, then hide models that would not fit. The guess stays cautious.
4 results
Most tools here are free.
Audio & Music whisper.cpp
The small engine behind many transcription apps, including on Windows and Linux.
Installer only · Some setup · Free
LibreTranslate
A private translation app that can run the NLLB translator on your machine.
Installer only · Some setup · Free
Writing Not on the chat board
Translates the captions afterward
Runs in:Fits on:· needs ~2.5 GB · Free to download · License: CC-BY-NC 4.0
HONEST COMPARISON
Local or cloud: Add subtitles to a video?
Reviewed Oct 2026
- Privacy: Local winsThe video file stays with you
- Cost: Local winsUnlimited minutes
- Quality: TieWhisper's words match most auto-captions
- Ease: Cloud winsStyling and translation are one upload
Local AI
Whisper can make a subtitle file locally from the video's audio.
- The video stays on disk
- SRT files work in any editor
- No minute cap
Where it falls short
- Timing still needs a pass by eye
- Speaker colors and styles are manual
Cloud & apps
Online editors burn captions in, translate them and style them without a local install.
- DDescriptDesktop appFreemiumPopular choice
Fix a wrong word in the transcript and the caption follows.
Best for: EditsPodcasts
- VVEEDAppFreemium
Upload, auto-caption, translate and export from the browser.
Best for: Social videoStyles
The video is uploaded
- YYouTube captionsCloud AIFree
Automatic captions if the video is already on YouTube.
Best for: Videos you publish
The video is on YouTube
Our take
Make the subtitle file locally, especially for private footage. Use a cloud editor when you want styled, translated captions in one step.
Choose local if…
- The footage is private
- You only need an SRT
Choose cloud if…
- You want styled captions
- You also want a translation
How to do it in 3 steps
- Open the model page and pick any app under Runs in, for example MacWhisper or whisper.cpp. Each app page links to that maker's own guide.
- Open the Whisper large-v3 turbo page and check the traffic light for a few kinds of computer.
- Follow that official guide. This site does not add its own install steps.
Questions
- Does this upload my files?
- The local tools on this page don't upload your files. The cloud options in the comparison do.
- What does it cost?
- Most options are free. A few apps are a one-time purchase, and a few models need a computer with more memory.
- What if it will not fit?
- Use Check my computer, or turn on the lighter memory filters. A red light on the model page means the file is too big.
Not into local AI? Try these instead
Ordinary apps for audio & music. These are normal links to the maker's site.
REAPER
A digital audio workstation for recording and mixing.
REAPERAudacity
A free editor for cutting and cleaning recordings.
AudacityAbleton Live
A music studio for recording, arranging, and performing.
Ableton Live