Watching a YouTube video with subs displayed is more comfortable even for native speakers and is pretty much necessary when the content is in a foreign language. This is why many content creators pay attention to including closed captions containing the entire spoken part of the video.

With a good subtitle extractor, you can download the subtitles to your computer. There are quite a few software products of this kind to choose from, and many of them have free versions. Any serious YouTuber should have at least one of those installed and ready to extract captions from an online clip.

With so intense competition, deciding which product is the best isn’t easy. This analysis of the best YouTube subtitle extractors is a good place to start your research and find out some relevant facts.

Also read: How to Convert YouTube to MOV? >

What is a YouTube subtitle extractor?

Any software application that can download closed captions from YouTube videos can be accurately described as a subtitle extractor. Of course, this doesn’t have to be the only function the software is capable of performing and typically isn’t. In addition to specialized extractors that include few other features, there are also broader video downloading and conversion suites that can extract captions from streaming videos but also have advanced editing or conversion capacities.

Given the different levels of complexity, it doesn’t surprise that some YouTube subtitle extractors are free to use while others require payment, as fully featured professional software that serves multiple roles is worth paying for. With this in mind, every user should be completely clear regarding the type of extractor tool he needs and which features are required.

Further Reading: How to Convert Horizontal Video to Vertical >

Top 10 YouTube Subtitle Extractors

Gemoo YouTube Transcript Generator

Software that works reliably and doesn’t take up too much space on your computer is always a good choice, and with Gemoo you can count on both of these things. Gemoo’s YouTube Transcript Generator has a built-in transcription function that can be used to extract subtitles from YouTube videos, and is definitely worth trying out in practice.

Gemoo YouTube Transcript Generator

Gemoo YouTube Transcript Generator

Essential functions:

Known limitations:

Pricing: Free to use

How to Extract Subtitles from YouTube Videos via Gemoo?

Step 1. Paste a YouTube link of the video you wish to convert to text. Click the Create button.

Step 2. Click the “Transcript” button to automatically transcribe the entire YouTube video into text. Or choose the Auto-transcribe button to extract subtitles from anywhere you like.

Convert YouTube video to text

Convert YouTube video to text

Step 3. Easily export the transcribed text to PDF, allowing you to share it effortlessly with others.

iTube Go

Made specifically to assist frequent streamers with essential tasks, this app is very practical and multifunctional. It supports downloading entire videos in high resolution along with the associated audio and subtitles. Since it supports bulk downloads, it provides video-focused businesses with a chance to scale up their operations without too much investment.

iTube Go Interface

iTube Go Interface

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Pricing: 1-month plan costs $9.95 per user, 1-year plan is offered for $24.95 per user, Lifetime plan can be purchased for $19.95, Family plan costs $39.95 for up to 5 computers

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Wondershare Uniconverter

As a part of a bigger media management suite, Wondershare Uniconverter is a mature product that performs some critically important tasks. This software offers almost unlimited possibilities for effortless conversion of online videos into any format that’s most convenient at the moment, along with a plethora of other useful tools.

Wondershare Uniconverter Interface

Wondershare Uniconverter Interface

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Pricing: Quarterly plan costs $29.99, Annual plan costs $49.99, Perpetual plan is offered for $55.99

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YouSubtitles

As opposed to other subtitle extractors that also perform other duties, YouSubtitles is narrowly focused on a single area. This online tool lets users quickly find and download captions for videos in different languages, which is often all they really need. Since no installation is necessary, barriers to adoption of this software are very low.

YouSubtitles Interface

YouSubtitles Interface

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Pricing: completely free

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Wisecut.video

You don’t have to be a master video creator to get excellent results with Wisecut because the latest AI tools are there to help you. Among other things, this software can automatically transcribe videos and deliver highly accurate subtitles. If your ambitions go beyond merely watching YouTube videos and extend to content creation, this is an app you should try out as soon as possible.

Wisecut.video Interface

Wisecut.video Interface

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Pricing: Users can choose between a Free plan, Starter plan that costs $10 per month, and Professional plan that is priced at $29 per month

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Savesubs

Widely regarded as one of the most straightforward tools you can use for subtitle extraction, this browser-based software doesn’t require the user to register an account. Virtually anyone can just paste a YouTube link to the website and receive the original captions within minutes. Instead of looking for the perfect extraction software, it may be wiser to pick Savesubs and get the job done quickly.

Savesubs Interface

Savesubs Interface

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Pricing: Completely free with no ads

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EasySub

The process of generating subtitles for YouTube videos is quite simple when you use EasySub, yet the end result is surprisingly accurate and well synced. This online subtitle generator can automatically render the speech from your video in a textual format, and you can instantly add subs to the original clip without leaving the app.

EasySub Interface

EasySub Interface

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Pricing: Free plan is available, Pay-as-you-go service is offered at $.02 per minute, while Pro plan costs $9 per month and Teams plan costs $26 per month

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Go Transcribe

Video transcripts generated by AI can replace the original subtitles that are in some cases absent from YouTube clips. Every video you watch can have great subtitles rendered by an advanced machine learning algorithm instead, so you won’t be at a loss. That’s why Go Transcribe is a valuable tool that content creators and frequent streaming users should become more familiar with.

Go Transcribe Interface

Go Transcribe Interface

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Pricing: After a 7-day free trial ends, users can opt for Pay-as-you-go model at $12 per hour, or purchase Standard package for $36 per month or Business package for $90 per month

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VidPaw Subtitle Downloader

Users have a choice when using VidPaw – to download the existing captions from YouTube or to automatically generate them in a language of their choice. Combined with extreme simplicity of use, this kind of multi-functionality puts this app in the rare company of elite subtitle extraction applications that are worth adopting.

VidPaw Subtitle Downloader

VidPaw Subtitle Downloader

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Pricing: completely free

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Subly

Thanks to advances in AI algorithms for translating speech to text, apps like Subly can generate excellent captions for YouTube videos. This platform is very easy to use and completely automates the process of subtitle generation. You can use it to grab captions from any YouTube video no matter whether they were provided by the author or not.

Subly Interface

Subly Interface

Essential features:

Known limitations:

Pricing: Free trial is offered (7 days), Business plan starts from $19, Teams plan starts from $147

User ratings:

Also read: Top 6 YouTube Shorts Subtitle Generators in 2024 > 

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Subtitle Extractor

What to do if the YouTube video I’m interested in doesn’t have closed captions?

If there are no subtitles to download or they are in a language you don’t understand, your best option might be to use audio-to-text software and make the captions yourself. Some of the latest AI tools are capable of quickly generating accurate transcripts of videos, which solves the problem.

Do I have to download the entire video if I want to save subtitles on my computer?

Since many online extractors allow you to download subtitles just by pasting a YouTube link, you don’t really need to have the entire video on your hard disc. However, keep in mind that some captioning tools require the file to be uploaded and avoid them if this is too much hassle for you.

How accurate are AI-based speech-to-text apps when extracting subtitles from videos?

The latest generation of AI tools is displaying impressive results when it comes to recognizing human speech and turning it into text. Still, if the level of audio quality is low or multiple speakers are talking simultaneously, the software might write down a wrong reply in the subtitles.

Final Words

Having access to the right YouTube subtitle extraction tool can really save your day. There are numerous products that fit the bill, some of which are available for free use and may not require you to leave any personal information. On the other end of the spectrum, there are advanced video suites that support subtitle download or generation as a part of the wider package. Which subtitle extractor is your favorite and which tool would you like to try next? Tell us all about it in the comments.

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