A free subtitle downloader compared with a transcript tool that also handles uncaptioned video.
Try JotVox free →DownSub is a long-running free subtitle downloader. Paste a video link and it returns the subtitle files that already exist. Its listings name YouTube alongside sites such as Viki, Viu and WeTV, plus a member area for heavier use.
JotVox starts in the same place. Paste a link and if the video already has captions, JotVox pulls them for free with no sign-up. The difference is what happens when there are no captions: JotVox can transcribe the audio with AI at 98%+ accuracy across 99 languages, which uses credits.
One honest caveat: DownSub's site blocks automated access, so several rows below are marked as not verified. Check its own site before relying on any detail.
| JotVox | DownSub | |
|---|---|---|
| Core job | Captions plus AI transcription | Subtitle file downloading |
| Platforms | 19+ including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Bilibili, Xiaohongshu, Weibo | YouTube and other video sites named in its listings (Viki, Viu, WeTV) |
| Works with no captions | Yes, AI transcribes the audio | Not verified |
| Free tier | Caption grabbing is free, no sign-up | Described as free |
| How it charges | Credits from $4.99 or plans from $9/month | Not verified |
| Exports | TXT, SRT, VTT, MP3 | Not verified |
| AI summaries | Takeaways, chapters, quotes, timelines | Not verified |
| Best fit | Any video, captioned or not | Quick subtitle files from supported sites |
Subtitle downloaders only work when subtitles exist. That covers a lot of YouTube, but short-form clips, livestream replays and plenty of non-English video ship with nothing to download.
JotVox handles both cases in one flow. If captions are there, you get them free. If not, AI transcription runs on the audio instead. See getting text from a video with no captions.
JotVox covers 19+ platforms, and the set leans further into social and regional video than most subtitle tools. Alongside YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, it handles Bilibili, Xiaohongshu, Weibo and Tencent Video.
DownSub's listings point at a different mix, including drama and streaming sites like Viki and Viu. If those are the sites you work with, that matters more than anything else here. The full JotVox platform list is public, so the overlap is easy to check.
If all you need is the existing subtitle file for a video on a site DownSub supports, it is hard to beat a tool built for exactly that. It is free, and plenty of people have it bookmarked for a reason.
It also reaches sites JotVox does not. Drama and streaming platforms such as Viki and Viu are not on the JotVox list. If you subtitle foreign-language series, DownSub is the right tab.
Not exactly. For YouTube and the other platforms both tools reach, JotVox does the same job and adds AI transcription when captions are missing. But DownSub's listings include drama and streaming sites that JotVox does not cover. If those sites are your main use, keep DownSub and check the JotVox platform list first.
No, not for grabbing captions. If a video already has captions, you paste the link and get the text with no sign-up and no cost. An account is only needed for AI transcription and AI summaries, which run on credits. Signing up gives you three free credits plus one free AI transcription a day after you verify your email.
JotVox exports TXT, SRT, VTT and MP3. TXT suits notes and blog drafts. SRT and VTT are timed subtitle formats for video editors and web players. MP3 gives you the audio on its own. Our guide to SRT, VTT and TXT explains which to pick.
JotVox transcribes the audio instead. AI transcription reports 98%+ accuracy across 99 languages and uses one credit per action. That is the main practical difference from a pure subtitle downloader, which depends on a subtitle file already existing for the video you paste in.
Pick DownSub if you want free subtitle files from the sites it supports, especially the drama and streaming platforms outside the JotVox list. It does that one job directly.
Pick JotVox if you work across social video and podcasts and keep running into clips with no captions, or if you want summaries and MP3 exports from the same paste-a-link flow.