Captions, not an editor
You are not editing the recording through its transcript. You are captioning a video that is already cut.
Descript alternative
A Descript alternative for when you only need captions.
Descript is an audio and video editor built around editing a transcript, with captions as one feature. CaptionFX is a captioning tool: it generates captions, lets you edit every word over the playing video, styles them and exports a captioned MP4, charged per export rather than by subscription.
Short answer
Descript edits audio and video by editing the transcript, and captions are one feature of that editor, sold on subscription plans. CaptionFX does captions only, charged per export in credits with no subscription. Choose Descript if you want to edit the recording itself; choose CaptionFX if the edit is done and captions remain.
Last updated
Burned-in MP4 output
The product is a captioned video, with captions drawn into the frames and a preview that matches the export.
Per export, not per month
Credits do not expire and there is no monthly allowance. The first eligible project, up to five minutes, exports free.
When is Descript the better choice?
Descript's pitch is editing audio and video by editing text: its page describes deleting, copying and pasting in the transcript to edit the media, with multitrack audio editing, video editing and filler-word detection. If the transcript is how you want to cut the recording, Descript does something CaptionFX does not.
It also covers translation. Descript's page says it can translate a transcript, captions or audio into 30+ languages. CaptionFX translates captions only, into more than 25 languages, and does not dub or regenerate speech.
Where does CaptionFX fit instead?
When the edit is finished and the remaining job is a captioned video. CaptionFX generates time-aligned captions, lets you correct each word over the playing video, offers 26 caption animations and detailed styling, and renders an MP4 whose captions match the preview.
Descript's transcription page gives a language count of 25 in one place and 30+ in another, and it does not name Hindi on that page. CaptionFX transcribes Hindi, English, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Chinese. If your language matters, test it on both with your own audio.
How does the pricing model differ?
Descript's page lists a free plan that exports 720p with a watermark and paid plans that export without one, so it is a subscription model with monthly allowances. CaptionFX has no subscription: an export costs credits per minute of video, credits do not expire, and the first eligible project, up to five minutes, exports clean.
We do not reprint Descript's prices, because the page itself shows more than one figure per plan and they change; check descript.com for the current ones.
How should you decide?
Choose Descript if you want to cut, rearrange and polish the recording by editing its transcript, or you need its audio tools and translation of audio.
Choose CaptionFX if you already have the finished video, you only want captions, and you would rather pay per export. Run the same real clip through both and compare accuracy, correction time and the exported file.
How it works
- Decide what the job isEditing the recording and captioning a finished video are different jobs with different tools.
- Use your own clipNames, jargon and noise are what separate tools, not clean demo audio.
- Compare the draftsRead both transcripts before correcting either, especially if your language is less common.
- Check the exportOpen the downloaded file and look at watermarks, resolution and caption rendering.
- Match billing to usageCount what you actually captioned last month.
Questions people ask
What is the main difference between CaptionFX and Descript?
Descript is an audio and video editor that works by editing a transcript, with captions as one feature. CaptionFX is a captioning tool that exports a captioned MP4, charged per export rather than by subscription.
Can CaptionFX edit my video by editing the transcript like Descript?
Partly. You can cut or bleep individual words and the captions re-time around them, but CaptionFX is not a general editor with multitrack audio, and it does not regenerate speech.
Is CaptionFX cheaper than Descript?
It depends on how you work. Paying per export suits occasional captioning; a subscription can suit someone who edits in Descript every week. Check both current prices directly.
Does CaptionFX support Hindi?
Yes. Hindi is one of eight spoken languages CaptionFX transcribes, and clean Hindi audio reaches roughly 85-90% of words correct. Descript's transcription page does not name Hindi, so test your language on both.
Does CaptionFX put a watermark on exports?
No. The first eligible project, up to five minutes, and every paid clean export are watermark-free. Descript's page lists a free plan with a watermarked 720p export.