Alternatives · CapCut
Captions for $5 a month, without CapCut Pro
Free CapCut accounts now hit an upgrade prompt on auto captions, and CapCut does not say where the limit sits. Pro costs $19.99/mo on the web, and more through the app stores. ReelCaption costs $5/mo and only does captions. Your first 2 clips of up to 60 seconds need no account. After that, a free Google sign-in gives you 5 minutes a month.
ReelCaption vs CapCut
| ReelCaption | CapCut | |
|---|---|---|
| Price for captions | 5 min a month free, then $5/mo for 100 min | $19.99/mo for Pro on the web, and more through the app stores |
| What you pay for | Captions only | A full editor, with captions as one feature |
| Free plan | 5 min of captions a month, no watermark, no card | Full editing, but auto captions hit an upgrade prompt. Exports reportedly capped at between 3 and 6 a week as of September 2026 |
| Where it runs | Your browser, nothing to install | Phone, desktop and web editor |
| Trying it | 2 clips of up to 60s with no account | Create a CapCut account first |
| Your footage | Stays on your device; only the audio is sent | Opened in the CapCut app or uploaded to its web editor |
| Captions | Word-by-word highlight, 16 fonts, glass and metallic finishes | Auto captions and caption templates inside the editor |
| Best for | People who edit elsewhere and only need captions | People who want to edit everything in one app |
Why creators switch
- Captions cost $5/mo here. CapCut Pro costs $19.99/mo on the web, and more through the app stores.
- You can caption 2 clips before you sign up for anything.
- You keep editing where you already edit and add captions here at the end.
- Nothing to install. It opens in your browser.
- Your video never leaves your device. Only the audio is sent for transcription.
- The free plan covers 5 minutes a month with no watermark.
When CapCut is the better pick
- You need a full editor: cuts, transitions, effects and music in one place.
- You edit on your phone. ReelCaption has no mobile app.
- You want ready-made templates. ReelCaption has presets for captions only.
- You already pay for CapCut Pro, so its captions cost you nothing extra.
FAQ
- Are CapCut auto captions still free?
- Not reliably. Free accounts reach an upgrade prompt, and CapCut does not publish where the cap sits. Pro is $19.99/mo on the web, and more through the app stores.
- Is ReelCaption a good CapCut alternative?
- Yes, if captions are what you need. You drop in a finished clip, fix any word, pick a style and export. It does not replace CapCut as an editor.
- Do I need a full editor just to add captions?
- No. ReelCaption exports a captioned MP4, or an .srt or .vtt file you can upload with the video.
- Is my video uploaded anywhere?
- No. The video stays in your browser. ReelCaption sends only the audio track, about 1 MB a minute, to Groq, which runs OpenAI’s Whisper model to transcribe it. ReelCaption does not store the audio.
- How much does ReelCaption cost compared with CapCut?
- ReelCaption is free for 5 minutes a month, then $5/mo for 100 minutes. CapCut Pro is $19.99/mo on the web, and more through the app stores and includes the whole editor.
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