Can I open-source Captions?
NOT REALLY · nothing credible yetNo credible open-source replacement for Captions yet — Whisper and LiveKit are the closest escape hatches, but they don't cross the moat. People still pay for Captions because customers pay for output quality, production speed, licensed voices, consent workflows, and a provider that carries the operational risk. The recurring cost buys model licensing, consent records, impersonation risk, watermarking, GPU queues, media storage, abuse response, and rapid model changes, not just the visible interface.
People still pay for Captions because customers pay for output quality, production speed, licensed voices, consent workflows, and a provider that carries the operational risk. The recurring cost buys model licensing, consent records, impersonation risk, watermarking, GPU queues, media storage, abuse response, and rapid model changes, not just the visible interface.
xproprietary editing models, mobile capture, avatars, cloud rendering, and creator workflow
xfrontier voice or avatar model
xlicensed voice catalog
xreal-time rendering fleet
xmoderation, consent verification, and enterprise rights
These projects already replace it, free.
WWhisperState-of-the-art speech-to-text you can run locally — the engine behind most transcription startups.open source↗CChatterboxOpen-source text-to-speech and voice cloning — a strong local alternative to ElevenLabs.open source↗LLiveKitRealtime audio/video/data infrastructure over WebRTC for calls, rooms, and AI voice agents.open source↗What each one is, in full: Whisper · Chatterbox · LiveKit
no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Captions pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| free | $0 | $0 | 0 AI-usage credits; 1 caption template; basic editing/captions in 100+ languages. |
| max | $24.99 | — | 500 AI credits/month. |
| scale 1x | $69.99 | — | 1,400 AI credits/month. |
| scale 2x | $139.99 | — | 2,800 AI credits/month. |
| scale 4x | $279.99 | — | 5,600 AI credits/month. |
| enterprise | custom | — | Custom seats, credit volume, and bulk discount. |
free tier0 AI credits; 1 caption template; basic editing/captions in 100+ languages
billingmonthly + annual; annual plans are prepaid for 12 months, but exact effective prices are not publicly exposed
hidden costsUnused paid credits roll over only until the balance reaches 3× the monthly allowance. Upgrades are prorated; downgrades apply at cycle end. Web/Android pricing can differ from the published iOS figures.
verified 2026-08-12 · source ↗
Can I open-source Captions?
Not really. Captions's value is not the code: Recheck price before merge. No credible open-source replacement exists yet.
How much does Captions cost?
Captions costs about $24.99/month (Max, checked 2026-08-12), which is $299.88 per year.
What do I lose by replacing Captions?
Honestly: proprietary editing models, mobile capture, avatars, cloud rendering, and creator workflow; frontier voice or avatar model; licensed voice catalog; real-time rendering fleet; moderation, consent verification, and enterprise rights. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Captions?
Yes: Whisper (State-of-the-art speech-to-text you can run locally — the engine behind most transcription startups.) Chatterbox (Open-source text-to-speech and voice cloning — a strong local alternative to ElevenLabs.) LiveKit (Realtime audio/video/data infrastructure over WebRTC for calls, rooms, and AI voice agents.)