Every method below turns speech into timed text, lets you correct it, and puts it on the video. What differs is where the video has to live while you work, and whether the subtitles end up drawn onto the picture or kept in a file next to it. Where a tool has its own guide on this site, we link to it instead of repeating the details.
5 ways to add subtitles, and what each costs
1. In your browser, with nothing to install
This is the route we built, so take the recommendation with that in mind. It's for the common case where the video is already finished and you just want subtitles on it.
- Open our free subtitle generator and drop in an MP4, MOV or WebM file up to 30 minutes long.
- Pick the spoken language or leave it on auto-detect. Your browser sends a small audio track for transcription. The video itself stays on your device.
- Play it back. Click any line to fix a word, or type a new start or end time. You can also split a long line or merge two short ones.
- Pick a style (Karaoke, Classic, Boxed or Bold pop) and adjust the size and position.
- Export an MP4 with the subtitles burned in, or download SRT or VTT.
Already have an SRT or VTT? Drop it in together with the video and the tool skips transcription and goes straight to styling. Use this route when you don't want an account, an app or a watermark. Skip it if you need translation or speaker labels, which it doesn't do.
2. YouTube Studio
- Sign in at studio.youtube.com and choose Subtitles in the left menu.
- Select the video, click Add language and pick one.
- Under Subtitles, click Add, then choose Upload file, Auto-sync or Type manually.
YouTube also writes automatic captions for many languages after upload. They're a decent draft and a poor final version, so read our guide to fixing YouTube's automatic captions before you trust them. The catch with this method is that the subtitles live on YouTube only. Download the video and they're gone. Steps are from YouTube Help.
3. CapCut
In the desktop app, drag your clip onto the timeline, open Text, choose Auto captions, pick the language and start recognition. The phone app and CapCut Online have the same feature. You then edit the lines and style them like any other text. If you already edit in CapCut, just use this. One caution: CapCut's own Standard vs Pro comparison (August 2026) lists the auto caption generator as a Pro tool, so on some accounts it may ask you to upgrade. Our CapCut captions guide covers the phone steps and what to do when captions don't appear.
4. Canva
Add the video to a Canva design, open Text in the side panel, then Dynamic text, Captions and Generate captions. Canva detects the language, puts the captions on the timeline and offers a set of style packs. It makes the most sense when the video is already a Canva design, like a promo built from a template. See how to add captions in Canva for editing and missing-button fixes.
5. Desktop software: HandBrake, DaVinci Resolve or Premiere Pro
HandBrake is free and open source, and it's the simplest way to burn an existing SRT into a video offline. Open the video, go to the Subtitles tab, import the SRT from the Tracks menu, tick Burn In on that track and start the encode. It doesn't transcribe anything, so you need the SRT first.
DaVinci Resolve's free version lets you type subtitles on a subtitle track or import an SRT. Its automatic Create Subtitles from Audio command has been limited to the paid Studio edition, so check which one you have before counting on it. Premiere Pro isn't free at all, but if you already pay for it, its Speech to Text transcribes the sequence and turns the transcript into captions in a few clicks. Our Premiere Pro captions walkthrough has the full steps.
The methods compared
| Method | Cost | Writes the subtitles for you? | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browser tool (ours) | Free, no account | Yes | Burned-in MP4, SRT or VTT | A finished video file |
| YouTube Studio | Free | Yes, for supported languages | Subtitles on YouTube only | Videos that live on YouTube |
| CapCut | Free app; auto captions may need Pro | Yes | Video with captions on it | Videos you edit in CapCut |
| Canva | Free and paid plans | Yes | Video with captions on it | Canva designs and templates |
| HandBrake | Free | No, needs an SRT | Burned-in or switchable track | Offline burn-in |
| DaVinci Resolve | Free, Studio is paid | Studio edition | Burned-in or SRT | People already editing in Resolve |
| Premiere Pro | Subscription | Yes | Burned-in or SRT | People already paying for Adobe |
Burned in or a separate file?
This decision matters more than the tool. Burned-in subtitles are part of the picture, so they show up everywhere and can't be turned off. A separate file (SRT or VTT) sits next to the video, so viewers can switch it on or off, but it only works where the player supports subtitles.
Short version: burn them in for TikTok, Reels, Shorts, WhatsApp and anywhere that autoplays on mute. Upload a file for YouTube, Vimeo and course platforms. Plenty of people do both from the same transcript. The trade-offs are laid out in open vs closed captions.
What's the best free app to add subtitles to a video?
The one you're already in. If the video is open in CapCut, Canva or Premiere, use their captions and don't export to another tool just for subtitles. If the video only goes to YouTube, use YouTube Studio and upload a checked SRT rather than leaving the automatic track.
If you have a finished file and no editor, a browser tool is quicker than installing one. That's the gap we built auto captions for. Whatever you use, read the text before you publish. Names, brand terms and numbers ("fifteen" vs "fifty") are where every speech model slips.