Best YouTube Subtitle Editors (Free & Premium)

The best YouTube subtitle editor depends on your needs: YouTube Studio is best for basic editing directly on the platform. Aegisub is the best free desktop editor for power users. Descript is best for AI-assisted subtitle creation. Kapwing offers the best browser-based editing experience. We tested 8 editors to help you choose.

Quick Comparison

Best Free Subtitle Editors

1. YouTube Studio (Built-in Editor)

YouTube Studio includes a built-in subtitle editor that works directly on your uploaded videos.

Features:

• Edit auto-generated captions in place
• Adjust timing with visual timeline
• Add new caption entries
• Preview changes before publishing
• No software to install

Pros:

• ✅ Free and always available
• ✅ Changes apply directly to YouTube
• ✅ Simple interface
• ✅ Works on any computer

Cons:

• ❌ Limited editing features
• ❌ Can't add styling (colors, fonts)
• ❌ No batch editing
• ❌ Requires YouTube account

How to access:

1. 1.Go to studio.youtube.com
2. 2.Click Subtitles in sidebar
3. 3.Select video → click on caption track
4. 4.Edit in the built-in editor

2. Aegisub (Desktop - Free)

Aegisub is the industry-standard free subtitle editor used by fansubbers and professionals worldwide.

Features:

• Advanced timing tools (audio waveform display)
• Style editor (fonts, colors, positioning)
• Karaoke timing for songs
• Translation assistant
• Spell check and QC tools
• Script import/export

Pros:

• ✅ Completely free, open source
• ✅ Extremely powerful features
• ✅ Precise timing control
• ✅ ASS/SSA styling support
• ✅ Active community

Cons:

• ❌ Steep learning curve
• ❌ Interface feels dated
• ❌ Overkill for simple edits
• ❌ No auto-transcription

Best use cases:

• Anime fan translations
• Music video lyrics
• Precise timing work
• Styled subtitles

3. Subtitle Edit (Windows - Free)

Subtitle Edit is a comprehensive Windows subtitle editor with excellent format support.

Features:

• Visual timeline editing
• Auto-adjust sync (shift all timecodes)
• Merge/split subtitle files
• Spell checking
• Format conversion (30+ formats)
• OCR from video (for hardcoded subs)
• Network sync for collaborative editing

Pros:

• ✅ Free and feature-rich
• ✅ Excellent format support
• ✅ Sync adjustment tools
• ✅ Batch processing
• ✅ Regular updates

Cons:

• ❌ Windows only
• ❌ Interface can be overwhelming
• ❌ No cloud sync

4. Jubler (Cross-platform - Free)

Jubler is a cross-platform subtitle editor that works on Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Features:

• Visual timeline
• Style editing
• Translation mode
• Spell check
• Preview with video

Pros:

• ✅ Works on Mac, Windows, Linux
• ✅ Clean interface
• ✅ Good format support
• ✅ Free and open source

Cons:

• ❌ Fewer features than Aegisub/Subtitle Edit
• ❌ Requires Java
• ❌ Less active development

Best Premium Subtitle Editors

5. Descript ($12/month)

Descript revolutionizes subtitle creation with AI transcription and text-based video editing.

Features:

• Automatic transcription (95%+ accuracy)
• Edit video by editing transcript
• Speaker detection
• Filler word removal
• Export as SRT, VTT
• Overdub (AI voice cloning)
• Screen recording

Pros:

• ✅ Best AI transcription
• ✅ Edit video by editing text
• ✅ Speaker labels automatic
• ✅ All-in-one tool

Cons:

• ❌ Monthly subscription required
• ❌ Learning curve for video editing
• ❌ Requires good internet

Pricing:

• Free: 1 hour transcription
• Creator: $12/month (10 hours)
• Pro: $24/month (30 hours)

6. Kapwing (Free tier + Premium)

Kapwing offers a full video editor in the browser with excellent subtitle tools.

Features:

• Auto-generate subtitles (AI)
• Manual subtitle editing
• Style customization (fonts, colors, position)
• Burn subtitles into video
• SRT/VTT export
• Collaborative editing

Pros:

• ✅ No software installation
• ✅ Free tier available
• ✅ Modern, intuitive interface
• ✅ Team collaboration

Cons:

• ❌ Requires internet
• ❌ Free tier has watermark
• ❌ Upload/processing time

Pricing:

• Free: Basic features, watermark
• Pro: $16/month (no watermark)
• Business: $50/month (team features)

7. VEED.io (Free tier + Premium)

VEED.io focuses on simple, fast subtitle generation and styling.

Features:

• One-click auto-subtitles
• Multiple style templates
• Animated text effects
• Custom fonts and colors
• SRT export
• Translation

Pros:

• ✅ Very easy to use
• ✅ Great style templates
• ✅ Fast processing
• ✅ No learning curve

Cons:

• ❌ Free tier limits
• ❌ Less precise timing control
• ❌ Simpler than dedicated editors

Pricing:

• Free: Basic features
• Basic: $12/month
• Pro: $24/month

8. Adobe Premiere Pro ($22.99/month)

Premiere Pro includes comprehensive subtitle/caption tools for professionals.

Features:

• Native caption panel
• Import/export SRT, VTT
• Style templates
• Speech-to-text transcription
• Burn-in or export as separate track
• Full video editing integration

Pros:

• ✅ Industry-standard video editor
• ✅ Professional caption tools
• ✅ AI transcription included
• ✅ Complete control

Cons:

• ❌ Expensive for subtitles only
• ❌ Steep learning curve
• ❌ Subscription required

Feature Comparison Matrix

Choosing the Right Editor

Choose YouTube Studio When:

• You need quick fixes to existing captions
• You're not comfortable with external software
• Changes are minor (typos, small timing adjustments)

Choose Aegisub When:

• You need precise timing control
• You want styled subtitles (colors, fonts, positioning)
• You're doing fansubs or professional work
• You need karaoke timing

Choose Subtitle Edit When:

• You're on Windows and want comprehensive features
• You need to batch process multiple files
• You need format conversion (SRT ↔ VTT ↔ ASS)
• You want to fix sync issues across entire files

Choose Descript When:

• You want AI to do the transcription
• You prefer editing video through text
• You create lots of video content
• You want speaker detection

Choose Kapwing/VEED When:

• You prefer browser-based tools
• You want quick auto-subtitles with styling
• You don't want to install software
• You need occasional subtitle work

Common Subtitle Editing Tasks

Task 1: Fix Timing (Sync Issues)

Solution by editor:

Task 2: Merge Two Subtitle Files

Best tools:

• Subtitle Edit: Edit → Append subtitle file
• Aegisub: File → Open subtitles, manually adjust

Task 3: Add Styling (Colors, Fonts)

Best tools:

• Aegisub: Full ASS/SSA styling support
• Kapwing/VEED: Visual style templates
• Note: YouTube only displays basic styling

Task 4: Convert Between Formats

Best tools:

• Subtitle Edit: File → Save As → Choose format
• Online converters for simple conversions

Tips for Better Subtitle Editing

Timing Best Practices

• Start time: When speaker begins word
• End time: 0.5-1 second after speaker finishes
• Minimum display: 1 second
• Maximum display: 7 seconds
• Reading speed: ~150-180 words/minute

Text Best Practices

• Maximum 42 characters per line
• Maximum 2 lines per caption
• Use proper punctuation
• Identify speakers in multi-person content
• Include sound descriptions for accessibility

Quality Control Checklist

✅ Watch entire video with subtitles

✅ Check timing at scene changes

✅ Verify proper nouns/names

✅ Review technical terms

✅ Check punctuation consistency

✅ Test on different devices

• Quick fixes: YouTube Studio
• Free power editing: Aegisub or Subtitle Edit
• AI transcription: Descript
• Browser-based: Kapwing or VEED.io
• Professional video: Adobe Premiere Pro

For most YouTube creators, start with YouTube Studio for basic edits. When you need more power, try the free options (Aegisub/Subtitle Edit) before investing in premium tools.

Download YouTube Subtitles to Edit with NoteLM.ai →

Related Resources:

• How to Add Subtitles to YouTube Videos
• Download YouTube Subtitles as SRT
• How to Fix YouTube Subtitle Timing Issues