A free, on-device Submagic alternative

Submagic lives in the cloud and behind a subscription. Just Captions does the captioning on your iPhone instead — three videos a day free, no account, and on-device recognition is available. Same result, far less friction.

Add captions free Try it in your browser

Processed on device Captions in ~1 minute No card to start

Submagic is a slick web tool for trendy, animated captions and clip editing — but it uploads your video, needs an account, and gates the good stuff behind a paid plan. If your goal is simply clean, readable subtitles you can post in a minute, Just Captions gets you there without any of that. It runs locally on your phone, so there's nothing to upload and nothing to wait for.

Side by side

Just Captions vs. Submagic

	Just Captions	Submagic
Where it runs	On your device (iOS)	In the cloud (web)
Footage uploaded	Local in on-device mode; optional cloud recognition sends audio	Uploaded for processing
Works offline	On-device recognition after model download; AI features need internet	No
Account required	No	Yes
Price to start	3 videos/day; watermark included	Limited free, then subscription
Auto transcription	Yes	Yes
Caption style	15 styles; animated styles require Pro	Many animated templates
AI translate	33+ languages	Yes
Batch videos	Up to 20	Varies by plan

Competitor details are based on publicly available information and may change — check their site for the latest.

Why people switch

Skip the upload, keep the captions

What you gain

Privacy — clips never leave your phone
No upload time, no cloud render queue
Three videos a day free, no account, no card
Static styles and animated Pro captions, including Word Highlight

When Submagic fits better

You want highly animated, trend-driven caption templates
You edit in the browser on a desktop
You want B-roll and clip-from-long-video features

Different tools, different jobs. For private, no-fuss subtitles on your phone, Just Captions is the lighter choice.

FAQ

Switching questions

Is there a free alternative to Submagic?

Yes. Just Captions lets you caption up to three videos a day free, with a watermark and no account. It transcribes and burns in subtitles on your device, so on-device transcription keeps your video local unless you enable cloud recognition.

Does Just Captions process videos in the cloud like Submagic?

No. On-device transcription is available after the model download. Optional cloud recognition sends audio for processing; AI editing and translation send caption text. These online features need a connection.

Can I add captions on my phone instead of a browser?

Yes. Just Captions is a native iOS app, so you caption clips straight from your camera roll. There's also a free browser tool if you want to try it first.

Are the captions readable, not just flashy?

That's the point. Choose from 15 styles, including White box, Gray box, Neon, Cinema and animated Word Highlight. Seven static styles are free; animated styles require Pro, with one free Emoji export.

Start free. Upgrade for Pro features. That's it.

Three videos a day free, no card, on-device transcription available. Drop in a clip and watch the captions write themselves.

Download on theApp Store

Just Captions 2.6: three videos a day free, with a watermark. Choose from 15 styles: seven static styles are free; animated styles require Pro, with one free single-video Emoji export. Pro removes the watermark. On-device transcription is available after the model download. Optional cloud recognition sends audio for processing; AI editing and translation send caption text. These online features need a connection.

Compare options for your workflow: Captions app alternative, Submagic alternative, or CapCut alternative for captions.