Guide
How to Use Captions Tool
From upload to exported video — in three simple steps.
Create a free account
Enter your email address and click Send magic link. We'll email you a one-click sign-in link — no password needed. Click the link to land straight in the app. Your account is free and no credit card is needed to get started.
Upload a video & generate captions
On the main screen, click Upload video and select an MP4, MOV, WebM, or MKV file (max 500 MB, max 5 minutes). Captions Tool extracts the audio and sends it to Whisper for AI transcription. Within seconds, every word appears in the caption timeline with precise timestamps. You can play the preview, click any word to edit it, and adjust timing directly in the timeline.
Upgrade to Pro & export
When you're happy with the captions, click Export. If you're on the free plan your videos will have watermarks. Pro costs 2.5 USD/month and is billed securely via Stripe. After subscribing, hit Export and download your video with captions permanently burned in — ready to post anywhere.
View pricingWhy choose Captions Tool
Small team, fast moving
We're a small team without layers of bureaucracy, so new features and fixes ship in days, not quarters.
We use it ourselves
Captions Tool is built by creators, for creators. We caption our own videos with it daily, so we build the features we actually need.
Your feedback ships
Got an idea or found something missing? Email us at support@captionstool.com — we read every single message and love building requested features.
Frequently Asked Questions
What video formats are supported?
You can upload MP4, MOV, WebM, and MKV files up to 500 MB and up to 5 minutes long.
How accurate is the transcription?
Transcription is powered by OpenAI Whisper, which achieves high accuracy on clear speech in a wide range of languages. Background noise, heavy accents, or overlapping speakers may reduce accuracy. You can always edit any word directly in the timeline after processing.
Can I use Captions Tool for free?
Yes. Uploading, transcribing, and editing captions in the timeline are completely free. You can export your videos for free, but they will include a watermark. Upgrading to the Pro tier removes the watermark.
How do I cancel my subscription?
Click on your profile in the top right corner to open your account menu, and click the "Cancel Subscription" button. Your subscription will be cancelled immediately, and you will keep your Pro access until the end of your billing period.
Is my video stored on your servers?
No permanent storage is used. Videos are temporarily uploaded to our secure cloud storage (Cloudflare R2) solely for processing and generating your captions, and are automatically and permanently deleted within a maximum of 24 hours.
What languages does Captions Tool support?
Whisper supports transcription in dozens of languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Danish, and many more. Just upload your video — the language is detected automatically.
Can I edit the captions before exporting?
Absolutely. Every word is editable in the caption timeline. You can change text, adjust timing, split or merge lines, and preview the result live before exporting.
Can I use Captions Tool for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube?
Yes. Captions Tool is designed for short-form creator workflows, including TikTok videos, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and full YouTube uploads. You can generate subtitles, edit timing word-by-word, and export videos with burned-in captions ready to publish.
How long does an export take?
Exports are processed in a background queue. Most videos complete within a minute or two depending on video length and current server load. You can leave the page — the export will continue and a download link will be ready when you return.
What if the service is unavailable?
Captions Tool relies on several third-party providers (including OpenAI for transcription, Supabase for authentication, Hetzner for hosting, and Google Cloud for rendering workloads). Occasionally these providers may experience outages that are outside our control. If you encounter an issue, please contact us at support@captionstool.com and we will do our best to resolve it as quickly as possible.