Subtitle generators for the Mac: what is free, what exports SRT, and what each needs

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To generate subtitles on a Mac for free, use MacWhisper's free version or MacParakeet. Both transcribe a video on the Mac and export .srt and .vtt files with timings. TypeWhisper exports SRT and WebVTT too, Aiko does it for a one-time price, and Final Cut Pro generates captions inside an edit, in U.S. English only.

I built YapToText, a free dictation app for the Mac, and I will say it plainly: YapToText does not make subtitles. It turns a file into plain text with no timings. So this page is about the apps that do, each from its maker's own pages, with the date I read them.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreThis app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.

On this page: 9 sections
  1. The five, side by side
  2. MacWhisper, free
  3. MacParakeet, free and open source
  4. TypeWhisper, open source
  5. Aiko, paid once
  6. Final Cut Pro, for a video you are editing
  7. If you only need the words
  8. The short version
  9. Questions

The five, side by side

MacWhisper checked October 3 and 5, 2026. Aiko checked October 6. MacParakeet, TypeWhisper and Final Cut Pro checked October 11, 2026. Each on its maker's own pages.

AppPriceSubtitle formatsNeeds
MacWhisperFree version. Pro is €64 once.srt and .vtt in the free versionA Mac, Intel included
MacParakeetFree, open sourceSRT and VTT, among eight export formatsApple silicon, macOS 14.2 or later
TypeWhisperFree core, open sourceSRT and WebVTTmacOS 14 or later
AikoPaid once, after a 14-day trialSubtitles, plus JSON and CSVApple silicon with at least 16 GB, for the current Mac version
Final Cut ProApple's video editorCaptions in iTT, convertible to SRTApple silicon. U.S. English only

MacWhisper, free

MacWhisper's free version transcribes audio and video files on the Mac with local models and exports plain text as .txt and subtitles as .srt and .vtt, with timings. Its site lists 100 languages. Pro, at €64 once, adds batch transcription, speaker recognition, YouTube links and more export formats. The MacWhisper pricing page has the full split, and the batch transcription guide covers many files at once.

MacParakeet, free and open source

MacParakeet is free under GPL-3.0 with no paid tier. Drop an audio or video file, or paste a link, and it transcribes on the Mac. Its site lists eight export formats, SRT and VTT among them, and speaker diarization. It needs Apple silicon and macOS 14.2 or later. Parakeet, its default engine, covers 25 European languages, and an optional WhisperKit engine brings the total to 98. The MacParakeet page covers its privacy policy and telemetry setting.

TypeWhisper, open source

TypeWhisper's README lists batch file transcription with drag and drop, and export as SRT or WebVTT with timestamps, among its transcription features. It needs macOS 14 or later and runs on Intel as well as Apple silicon. The TypeWhisper guide covers install and setup.

Aiko, paid once

Aiko transcribes audio and video files on the device and exports subtitles, JSON and CSV. It is bought once, with a 14-day trial through TestFlight. The current Mac version needs Apple silicon with at least 16 GB and macOS 26 or later. The Aiko page has the details.

Final Cut Pro, for a video you are editing

If the video is already in Final Cut Pro, Generate Captions makes closed captions in the timeline from the speech in your clips.

  1. Select one or more clips in the timeline.
  2. Choose Edit, Generate Captions, Closed Captions, or press Shift Command C.
  3. Final Cut Pro transcribes each clip and connects the captions to it, in a captions lane at the top of the timeline.
  4. To get a file, choose File, Export Closed Captions.

Apple's limits: it needs a Mac with Apple silicon and works in U.S. English only. The first time, Final Cut Pro downloads a language model, which needs a connection once. The captions are created in the iTT format, and Apple's guide explains how to convert them to another format such as SRT. Apple also suggests Voice Isolation and Noise Removal when background noise or music hurts the timing.

If you only need the words

Subtitles are text with timings. If you want the text alone, for show notes, a blog post or a quote, you do not need a subtitle file. YapToText's Transcribe a file card takes any audio or video file macOS can decode and gives plain text, free, on an Apple silicon Mac. Transcribe video to text on a Mac covers that, and Live Captions on a Mac covers captions that appear live on screen and are not saved.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreThis app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.

The short version

  • Free, any Mac. MacWhisper's free version.
  • Free and open source, Apple silicon. MacParakeet.
  • Open source, Intel too. TypeWhisper.
  • Inside an edit, English. Final Cut Pro's Generate Captions.
  • Words only. YapToText.

If one of these apps changes what it exports, open an issue on GitHub and I will update this page. Every one gets read.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreThis app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.

About the author. Ryleigh Newman is a developer whose hands make typing difficult and who dictates every day with YapToText, the app this site describes. Facts about other apps come from their own sites, with the date they were read. More about the project.

Sources

Questions

What is a free subtitle generator for Mac?

MacWhisper's free version and MacParakeet both export .srt and .vtt subtitles from a video, transcribed on the Mac.

Can Final Cut Pro generate subtitles automatically?

Yes. Generate Captions creates closed captions from speech, on a Mac with Apple silicon, in U.S. English only, by Apple's guide.

Does YapToText make subtitles?

No. It turns an audio or video file into plain text, with no timings and no subtitle file.

Which subtitle app works on an Intel Mac?

MacWhisper and TypeWhisper both list Intel support. MacParakeet and Final Cut Pro's Generate Captions need Apple silicon.