Free tool
Free AI Video Caption Generator for TikTok, Reels, Shorts & YouTube
OneDrop turns the speech in your video into accurate, animated captions in seconds, then hands you full editorial control before you export. It's free, no watermark, no account: your video never leaves your device; only compressed audio is processed, then deleted.
From raw clip to captioned video in four steps
- 01
Drop in your video
MP4, MOV or WEBM straight from your camera roll or editor export. Nothing to install, the studio opens in your browser tab.
- 02
AI writes the captions
Speech recognition with word-level timing transcribes your audio in seconds and flags the words it is unsure about, so you know exactly where to check.
- 03
Style it for the feed
27 animated caption styles, karaoke highlight, pop-in, keyword boxes, metal chrome, chat bubbles and more, tuned for vertical video. Adjust fonts, colors and position.
- 04
Export and post
Burn captions into an MP4 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, or grab SRT, VTT and TXT files for YouTube, LinkedIn and your own players.
What the free plan includes
- AI transcription with word-level timing
- 3 caption styles on the free plan, 27 in total
- Inline word editing, click any word to fix it
- Burned-in MP4 export for social feeds
- SRT, VTT and TXT subtitle exports
- No watermark, ever
- No account required
- Private by design, video stays on your device; on-device mode available on capable devices
Built for the feeds you post on
TikTok, Reels and Shorts autoplay muted and bury the edges of your frame under interface chrome, so the captions need to be burned in, bold and positioned in the safe zone. The editor shows exactly what your viewers will see.
YouTube long-form, courses and LinkedIn work better with subtitle files viewers can toggle, the same project exports a clean SRT or VTT without re-captioning anything.
Going deeper: the caption style guide, how to add subtitles in seconds and the five-minute transcript review routine.
Questions about the free caption generator
What is the best free AI video caption generator?
The best free generator is the one that fits your workflow. OneDrop runs in your browser: drop in a video, the video file never leaves your device, only compressed audio is transcribed and deleted right after, you edit and style the captions, then export MP4, SRT, VTT or TXT with no watermark and no account.
How long does it take to caption a video with AI?
Transcription of a short video takes seconds, and the full loop, drop, generate, review, style, export, takes a few minutes. Most of that time is the recommended review pass, not the AI.
Is the caption generator really free?
Yes. The free plan includes 3 built-in caption styles (Classic, Pop and Minimal Clean), exports without a watermark and no account. It covers 2 minutes of audio per day (resets at 00:00 UTC) with videos up to 2 minutes each. Pro ($13/mo) unlocks 6 exclusive styles (2 insane + 4 clean builds) with unlimited fonts; Studio unlocks all 27.
Does the video get uploaded to a server?
No. The video file never leaves your device, only compressed audio is sent to the transcription provider and deleted right after processing, and caption rendering runs in your browser. You can verify this with the browser's network tools.
More answers in the full FAQ.
Caption your first video, free, right now
Open the studio, drop a clip, and you'll have styled captions before your coffee cools. When you outgrow the free limits, Pro and Studio are waiting, the free tier is the product, not a trial.
Start free today