YouTube Subtitle Downloader
Free YouTube subtitle downloader: paste a public link, pick a caption track and save SRT, VTT or plain text. No sign-in, with a 10 links per day cap.
This YouTube subtitle downloader saves the captions of a public video as a file you can edit, translate elsewhere or load into a video editor. Paste a youtube.com or youtu.be link, choose one of the caption tracks the video offers, and download SRT, VTT or plain text. It is free, needs no account, and reads only the captions, so nothing is transcribed and no credits are used.
What the YouTube subtitle downloader returns
After you paste a link, the tool lists every caption track published for that video. Tracks written by the uploader are shown by language name; automatic captions generated by YouTube are labelled as auto-generated. Pick a track and the timed cues appear in a preview list. SRT suits most desktop editors and media players, VTT is the web standard used by HTML video players, and TXT keeps only the words for reading or searching. The cue timing is copied from YouTube rather than estimated.
Manual captions versus auto-generated tracks
Uploader captions are usually reviewed by a person and follow the spoken words closely, including names and punctuation. Auto-generated tracks come from speech recognition, so they can miss punctuation, mishear product names or split sentences at odd points. When both exist the tool selects the manual track in the spoken language first. Switching to another track is free and does not use another lookup. If a video has no captions at all, the transcript downloader can create one with AI transcription instead.
Limits, fair use and rights
Caption lookups share the YouTube quota of this site: up to 10 links per IP address per day across the subtitle, transcript, summary, MP3 and MP4 tools. Videos up to four hours can be read for captions. Live streams, private uploads and members-only videos are not supported. Captions belong to the video owner, so save them for study, accessibility or editing work you are entitled to do, and credit the source when you quote them.
YouTube Subtitle Downloader: four steps
Paste the video link
Copy the address of a public YouTube video from the address bar or the Share button and paste it. Shorts and youtu.be links work too.
Load the caption tracks
Select Get subtitles. The tool lists the manual and auto-generated tracks the video offers and previews the default track.
Choose a track
Pick another language or the auto-generated version from the list if you need it. Switching tracks does not count as another link.
Download a format
Save SRT for editors and players, VTT for web video, or TXT for reading. Open the file once to check timing and characters.
Captions only, no transcription
This tool reads captions that already exist on YouTube and builds the files in your browser. It is free and needs no account. Each new link counts toward the shared limit of 10 YouTube links per IP address per day. Live streams and private or members-only videos cannot be read.
YouTube Subtitle Downloader FAQ
Is the YouTube subtitle downloader free?
Yes. Reading existing captions costs no credits and needs no sign-in. Each new link counts toward the shared limit of 10 YouTube links per IP address per day.
Which subtitle formats can I download?
SRT with numbered cues, WebVTT for web players, and plain TXT without timing. All three are built in your browser from the same cue list.
Can I download auto-generated captions?
Yes, when YouTube publishes them for the video. They are marked as auto-generated in the track list so you can compare them with a manual track.
Why does a video show no caption tracks?
The uploader may not have added captions and YouTube may not have generated any, for example for music-only videos or new uploads. Use the transcript downloader to transcribe it with AI.
Does the tool translate subtitles?
No. It returns the tracks YouTube already provides. If the uploader published a translated track, it appears in the list under its language.