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Subtitle and caption tools for Mac

To make subtitles or captions on a Mac, for a video file or a recorded meeting, decide whether you want them generated from speech or will write and time them yourself, then check where transcription runs and what it costs. The apps below document subtitles on macOS. Apps in this guide: Aegisub, Aiko, Audacity, CapCut, Descript, Riverside, Vibe, 腾讯会议.

Conditions checked

  • macOS
  • Subtitles

Before you choose

Automatic subtitles still need checking; accuracy isn't tested here. Some apps transcribe in the cloud, which sends the audio to a service.

Documented conditions compared

Each cell reflects the catalog's current qualified sources for this platform. Not documented means unknown, not unsupported. Notes and sources are on each app below.

AppTranscriptionLocal processingTranscribes ChineseFree
Aegisub Not documentedNot documentedNot documentedDocumented
Aiko DocumentedDocumentedDocumentedOne-time purchase
Audacity DocumentedDocumentedNot documentedDocumented
CapCut Paid tier onlyNot documentedNot documentedFree, important features paid
Descript DocumentedNot documentedNot supported per sourceSubscription · Free, important features paid
Riverside DocumentedNot documentedNot documentedSubscription
Vibe DocumentedDocumentedNot documentedDocumented
腾讯会议 Paid tier onlyNot documentedNot documentedFree, important features paid

Products with evidence for these conditions

Listed alphabetically, with no paid placement. Inclusion establishes these documented conditions, not a hands-on endorsement or a guarantee of fit.

  • Aegisub

    macOS

    macOS · Subtitles · Free

  • Aiko

    macOS

    macOS · Subtitles · Transcription · Local processing · Transcribes Chinese

  • Audacity

    macOS

    macOS · Subtitles · Transcription · Local processing · Free

    • The OpenVINO Whisper transcription plugin's output can be exported as a subtitle file via Audacity's Export Labels feature.
    • Requires separately installing the free OpenVINO AI plugin, which uses OpenAI's Whisper model locally; as of verification the plugin isn't yet compatible with the latest Audacity release and needs Audacity 3.7.4.
    • This statement is about the optional OpenVINO AI effects (including Whisper transcription), not a general claim about core editing: they run on the machine with no internet connection required.

  • CapCut

    macOS

    macOS · Subtitles · Transcription

    • This is a single App Store listing covering iPhone, iPad, and Mac (macOS 10.14+); no capcut.com page names a separate native Mac desktop build, so this may be the iPad app running on Mac rather than a distinct native client.
    • Manually adding subtitles/captions is part of the free (Standard) plan; the automatic speech-recognition caption generator is Pro-only (see the transcribe claim).
    • CapCut is a general video editor; this record only covers its auto-caption generator, which an official CapCut resource page states is exclusive to Pro users, turning spoken audio into synchronized text automatically.
    • Transcription: Paid tier only
    • Free cloud storage was discontinued in August 2024, so the free (Standard) plan currently has no cloud storage of its own.
    • Paid features: Auto caption generator; Motion tracking; Background remover; Noise reduction; Pro video templates & exclusive effects; Premium stock resources; About 1TB of cloud storage; Collaboration & team features

  • Descript

    macOS

    macOS · Subtitles · Transcription

    • Hobbyist, Creator, and Business are monthly subscriptions; the vendor's page only prints the discounted per-month rate for annual billing, not the actual annual total, so this catalog does not record purchase prices for Descript.

  • Riverside

    macOS

    macOS · Subtitles · Transcription

    • Riverside no longer offers a free plan, only a 14-day free trial of a paid plan. The pricing page shows a Pro plan charge of $35/month when Monthly billing is selected, but the actual yearly total is not printed in visible text even after selecting Yearly billing, so this catalog does not record purchase prices for Riverside.

  • Vibe

    macOS

    macOS · Subtitles · Transcription · Local processing · Free

  • 腾讯会议

    macOS

    macOS · Subtitles · Transcription

    • The comparison page lists meeting captions as a time-limited trial on the free tier, with unlimited duration only from Professional and above.
    • Subtitles: Paid tier only
    • The comparison table lists real-time transcription as a time-limited trial on the free tier, the same treatment it gives meeting captions; Professional and above currently include it free of charge as an ongoing promotion, without a stated time limit.
    • Transcription: Paid tier only
    • The free tier caps meetings at 40 minutes when 3 or more people join.
    • Paid features: Unlimited-duration meetings for up to 100 people; 100GB of cloud recording storage; Screen sharing up to original quality at 30fps; Unlimited smart recordings; Up to 4 co-hosts per meeting; Unlimited-duration meeting captions and real-time transcription; Verified identity badge shown to others

Sources for the apps above were checked between 2026-09-26 and 2026-09-29.

Common questions

Which apps can make subtitles from speech automatically?

Transcription, as recorded here: Aegisub — Not documented; Aiko, Descript, Riverside, Vibe — Documented; Audacity — Documented (Requires separately installing the free OpenVINO AI plugin, which uses OpenAI's Whisper model locally; as of verification the plugin isn't yet compatible with the latest Audacity release and needs Audacity 3.7.4); CapCut — Paid tier only (CapCut is a general video editor; this record only covers its auto-caption generator, which an official CapCut resource page states is exclusive to Pro users, turning spoken audio into synchronized text automatically); 腾讯会议 — Paid tier only (The comparison table lists real-time transcription as a time-limited trial on the free tier, the same treatment it gives meeting captions; Professional and above currently include it free of charge as an ongoing promotion, without a stated time limit). Those that document transcription. A subtitle editor without it lets you write and time subtitles by hand.

Can I make subtitles without uploading the video?

Local processing, as recorded here: Aegisub, CapCut, Descript, Riverside, 腾讯会议 — Not documented; Aiko, Vibe — Documented; Audacity — Documented (This statement is about the optional OpenVINO AI effects (including Whisper transcription), not a general claim about core editing: they run on the machine with no internet connection required). Only where local processing is documented. If it isn't, treat it as unknown; a cloud feature sends the audio to a service.

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