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7 Best DownSub Alternatives in 2026 (Free & Paid, Compared)
The best DownSub alternatives in 2026, compared on free limits, supported sites, export formats and price, with a clear verdict on which tool fits which job.
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The best DownSub alternative depends on what you download. For YouTube transcripts you want to read, edit or send, YTTranscript is the closest swap: paste a URL, get clean text, export TXT, DOCX, PDF or SRT, with 2 free transcripts a day and no signup. For subtitle files from sites like Viki or Dailymotion, SaveSubs is the nearest free equivalent. For bulk or scripted downloads, yt-dlp is free and open source. And if you need Viki, WeTV or iQIYI subtitles regularly, DownSub itself is still hard to beat, especially with Premium at $5/month.
DownSub is a free subtitle downloader for YouTube and 50+ other video sites. It exports SRT, VTT and TXT without an account, and its Premium plan adds playlist downloads, AI translation into 100+ languages, AI summaries and an API. Here's how the alternatives compare.
Quick comparison table
| Tool | Free tier | Paid option | Sites | Exports | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DownSub (baseline) | Single subtitle downloads, no account | Premium $5/mo | YouTube + 50 more | SRT, VTT, TXT | Streaming-site subtitles |
| YTTranscript | 2 transcripts/day, no signup | One-time packs from $9 | YouTube | TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT | Readable YouTube transcripts |
| SaveSubs | Free, donation-supported | None | YouTube, Viki, Facebook, Dailymotion, more | SRT and more | Free multi-site subtitles |
| yt-dlp | Free, open source | None | Thousands of sites | SRT, VTT | Bulk and scripted downloads |
| YouTube "Show transcript" | Free | None | YouTube | Copy and paste only | One-off reading |
| youtube-transcript.io | 25 tokens/month | From $9.99/mo | YouTube | TXT, SRT, VTT, CSV | Bulk playlists and API |
| NoteGPT | Free transcript generator, no login | Paid AI plans | YouTube, plus uploads | TXT | Transcript plus AI summary |
| Tactiq | Free YouTube tool, no sign-up | Paid meeting plans | YouTube | TXT | Existing Tactiq users |
Prices as of September 2026. Check each vendor before you buy.
Why people look for DownSub alternatives
DownSub does its core job well, so the reasons to switch are usually specific:
- You want a document, not subtitle cues. SRT and VTT files are split into short timed lines, built for video players. Reading, quoting or feeding a transcript to AI works better as clean paragraphs.
- The feature you need is behind Premium. Playlist downloads, AI translation and summaries are paid features.
- You only use YouTube. If you never touch Viki or WeTV, a YouTube-focused tool can give you a simpler workflow and better export options.
1. YTTranscript: best for readable YouTube transcripts
YTTranscript turns a YouTube URL into clean text in seconds, with or without timestamps, and exports TXT, DOCX, PDF or SRT. You get 2 free transcripts a day without an account. Beyond that, one-time packs start at $9 for 100 transcripts and credits never expire. It can also AI-generate a transcript when a video has no captions (about 10 credits). The trade-off: it's YouTube-only. See how to download a YouTube transcript or YouTube transcript to PDF.
2. SaveSubs: best free multi-site subtitle downloader
SaveSubs downloads, converts and edits subtitles from YouTube, Viki, Facebook, Dailymotion and other sites, and says it is free and always will be (it runs on donations). It's the closest like-for-like DownSub replacement when you need subtitle files from more than YouTube.
3. yt-dlp: best for bulk and scripting
The open-source command-line tool yt-dlp can download subtitles without downloading the video, for example yt-dlp --write-subs --write-auto-subs --sub-langs en --skip-download URL. It supports thousands of sites, handles whole playlists and costs nothing, but it has no interface. Our yt-dlp vs transcript tools guide covers when the setup is worth it.
4. YouTube's built-in transcript: best for one-offs
On any captioned video, expand the description and select Show transcript, on desktop or in the mobile app. It's free and instant, but there's no download button: you copy and paste. Details in how to copy a YouTube transcript.
5. youtube-transcript.io: best for bulk YouTube and API access
youtube-transcript.io includes 25 free tokens a month, then subscriptions from $9.99/month for 1,000 transcripts, with bulk playlist jobs, an API and TXT, SRT, VTT or CSV exports. Full breakdown in YTTranscript vs youtube-transcript.io.
6. NoteGPT: best for a transcript plus an AI summary
NoteGPT's free YouTube transcript generator needs no login, copies or downloads TXT with or without timestamps, and can AI-generate transcripts for videos that lack them. It's built around AI summaries and notes, with paid plans for heavier AI use. Compare in YTTranscript vs NoteGPT.
7. Tactiq: best if you already use Tactiq
Tactiq's free YouTube transcript tool lets you view, copy and download transcript text without entering an email. Tactiq's main product is a meeting transcription extension for Google Meet, Zoom, Teams and Webex, so the YouTube tool is a handy extra rather than a full subtitle workflow. See YTTranscript vs Tactiq.
The verdict
- YouTube transcripts you'll read, quote or send as documents: YTTranscript.
- Free subtitle files from Viki, Facebook or Dailymotion: SaveSubs.
- Hundreds of videos, or automation: yt-dlp (free) or youtube-transcript.io (subscription with an API).
- A single quick read: YouTube's built-in transcript.
- Transcript and AI summary together: NoteGPT.
- Regular Viki, WeTV or iQIYI subtitles: stay on DownSub. Its 50+ site coverage is its real advantage, and Premium is inexpensive.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to DownSub? For YouTube, YTTranscript (2 free transcripts a day with no signup) or YouTube's own Show transcript panel. For subtitles from other sites like Viki or Dailymotion, SaveSubs is free and donation-supported. For bulk downloads, the open-source yt-dlp is free and has no usage caps.
Is DownSub free? Yes for single subtitle downloads: paste a video URL, pick a language and format (SRT, VTT or TXT), and download without an account. DownSub Premium costs $5/month after a 3-day trial and adds playlist downloads, AI translation into 100+ languages, AI summaries and API access.
Which DownSub alternative works for Viki, WeTV or iQIYI? Few match DownSub here. SaveSubs supports Viki and several other sites, and yt-dlp supports thousands of sites from the command line, though coverage varies by service. YTTranscript, youtube-transcript.io, NoteGPT and Tactiq focus on YouTube.
Can I get a YouTube transcript as a Word or PDF file instead of SRT? Yes. YTTranscript exports TXT, DOCX and PDF as well as SRT. DownSub, SaveSubs and yt-dlp focus on subtitle formats like SRT and VTT, which you would need to clean up before they read like a document.
Which DownSub alternative can transcribe videos without captions? YTTranscript can AI-generate a transcript for a caption-less video (about 10 credits), and NoteGPT offers AI transcription too. DownSub Premium can also convert video or audio to subtitles. SaveSubs, yt-dlp, youtube-transcript.io and YouTube's own panel only return captions that already exist.
Need the words, not a subtitle file? Get a clean YouTube transcript at YTTranscript.app →
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