How do I add captions to a video?
Pick your clip in the tool above, create a free account with one-tap Google sign-in, and we upload and caption it automatically. Nothing to install. Here is the full flow, start to finish.
- 1. Pick your video. Drag in or choose an MP4, MOV, or WebM — free, with no account. Nothing is uploaded at this step; your clip is just readied for after sign-in.
- 2. Create your free account. One-tap Google sign-in — free. Your picked clip carries over automatically, so you never re-select it.
- 3. Auto-caption & export. We transcribe your clip automatically, then you pick a style — word-level emphasis, motion, and emoji applied for you — and export a captioned video for TikTok, Shorts, or Reels, or download a watermark-free SRT or VTT.
If you only need a subtitle file — for YouTube, a podcast, or a translation pass — the auto subtitle generator gives you an SRT that drops into Premiere, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve, or a YouTube upload without any conversion.
Captions vs subtitles — and why animated captions win the view
A subtitle file makes a video searchable and easy to follow. Animated captions make it watchable. For short-form video, the second one is what keeps a viewer through the first three seconds — the moment that decides whether your content gets watched at all.
Static white text dead-centre in the frame reads like a legal requirement. A caption with the right word enlarged, a touch of motion on entrance, an emoji on the beat, and a position off the dead centre reads like content made on purpose. That is the wedge here: most caption tools have moved upmarket into general AI video editing and let the caption craft slide. We went the other way and specialised in the part that holds attention — the captions themselves — rendered frame-for-frame matched to the leading paid tool, measured at zero divergence across 1,647 reference frames.
Browse the full set on the caption styles gallery to see a representative range rendered live, then flip to any of them in the editor without re-transcribing.
How accurate is the automatic transcription?
Accuracy depends on the language and the audio. Your audio is routed to the speech-to-text engine that handles its language best — 50+ languages — and we always show the words, so you can correct anything before exporting.
We do not claim a flashy round percentage. No tool transcribes accented, fast, or noisy speech perfectly, which is exactly why every word stays editable. The aim is to get you most of the way there automatically and make the last corrections trivial.
Add captions without After Effects
You do not need After Effects, keyframes, or a layer-based editor to add captions that move. Pick a style and the entrance animation, word-level emphasis, emoji placement, and timing are computed for you. What takes an editor an afternoon of keyframing happens in a few clicks.
The style you pick in the editor renders through the same engine as the final export — the same template CSS, the same timing — so what you approve is exactly what you ship. Each style is its own designer-authored geometry, not a recolor of one base, which is why the 40+ styles look genuinely distinct.
Free to start — sign in and we caption it
Pick your video free with no account, then create a free account with one-tap Google sign-in to generate. The free plan covers 3 free videos with a watermark on the exported video; downloaded SRT and VTT files stay watermark-free. Paid plans are a flat $19, $39, or $69 a month — no per-minute metering, no seat games.
Flat pricing means you always know the bill. See full pricing.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add captions to a video?
Pick your clip in the tool above (MP4, MOV or WebM), create a free account with one-tap Google sign-in, and FancyCaptions uploads it and transcribes it automatically. Then choose from 40+ animated styles and export a captioned video, or download a watermark-free SRT or VTT. There is nothing to install.
Can I add captions to a video for free?
Yes. Pick your video free with no account, then create a free account (one-tap Google sign-in) to generate. The free plan covers 3 free videos with a watermark on the exported video; downloaded SRT and VTT files stay watermark-free. Paid plans are a flat $19, $39, or $69 a month — no per-minute metering.
What is the difference between captions and subtitles?
In everyday use the terms overlap — both put spoken words on screen with timing. Subtitles usually mean a plain transcript of dialogue, often delivered as an SRT file. Captions on short-form video tend to mean the styled, animated text creators burn into the frame, with word-level emphasis and motion. This tool does both: a clean SRT, or animated captions exported into the video.
How do I add animated captions like TikTok and Reels creators use?
Once you're signed in, we transcribe your clip and you pick from 40+ animated styles in the editor. Each line gets word-by-word emphasis, an entrance animation, motion, and an off-centre position automatically — matched frame-for-frame to the leading paid caption tool. There are no keyframes, layers, or After Effects; you choose a style and export a video ready for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram Reels.
How accurate is the automatic transcription?
Accuracy depends on the language and audio quality. Your audio is routed to the speech-to-text engine that handles its language best — 50+ languages — and every word stays editable before you export.
What languages can I caption?
50+ languages, routed automatically to the speech-to-text engine that handles each one best. English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German and dozens of others transcribe cleanly, and every word stays editable before you export.
Do I need After Effects or video-editing skills?
No. There are no keyframes, layers, timelines, or After Effects to learn. Once you're signed in, we transcribe your clip; you pick a style and the emphasis, animation, and timing are applied for you — polished captions in minutes. If you can choose a style, you can produce captions that look like a professional editor made them.
Is my video uploaded, and when?
Nothing is uploaded until you're signed in. You pick your clip on this page with no account, and once you create a free account (one-tap Google sign-in) FancyCaptions uploads it and transcribes and captions it automatically. Your project then lives in your account, so you can re-open, edit, and re-export it.
Does the SRT or caption file have a watermark?
No. The downloaded SRT or VTT subtitle file is plain text with no watermark and no branding. Watermarks only apply to exported video on the free plan, and they disappear on any paid plan.
What video formats can I upload?
MP4, MOV, and WebM. Pick your clip free with no account on this page, then create a free account to generate and we upload and caption it automatically. The free plan covers 3 free videos; paid plans lift the volume at a flat monthly price.
Can I edit the captions after transcribing?
Yes. Once we transcribe your clip, open it in the editor to correct wording, set line breaks, add word-level emphasis and emoji, pick from 40+ animated styles, and export an SRT, VTT, or a fully captioned video.
What does it cost to export a captioned video?
The free plan exports 3 free videos with a watermark on the video. Paid plans are a flat $19, $39, or $69 a month with no watermark and no per-minute metering — so you always know the bill in advance.
Keep going
Add captions to your next video in minutes
Pick your clip above and we caption it automatically — export a video or a watermark-free SRT.