Smartcat
vs
CaptionsHero

The Smartcat alternative for subtitle teams

Smartcat is a translation platform for documents, websites, courses, and video. CaptionsHero is built for teams that assign, review, and approve every language.

Start freeSee pricing

Smartcat facts checked on 2026.10.13. Sources

In short

  • Made for subtitles

    Smartcat sells one AI translation platform for many kinds of content. CaptionsHero does one job: subtitles, with a waveform timeline and Netflix-style QC checks.

  • Flat monthly prices

    Smartcat lists annual prices and bills by Smartwords used. CaptionsHero plans cost $29, $149, or $399 a month, and each plan includes AI minutes.

  • A steep next step

    Smartcat Adapt starts at $1,200 a year. The next plan, Accelerate, starts at $24,000 a year. It adds the Reviewer Coworker and Marketplace experts. CaptionsHero goes from $149 to $399 a month.

CaptionsHero vs Smartcat

FeatureSmartcatCaptionsHero
Team workflow
Assign people and set a deadline per stageYesYes
Comments on a single subtitle lineIn the text editor. The subtitle guide does not mention them.Yes
Email notificationsYesYes
Pricing and access
Entry paid planFrom $1,200/year, billed annually$29/mo, or $149/mo for 8 seats
How you are billedSmartwords used. Unlimited users.Flat price per organization
Free optionFree plan and a 15-day trialFree Solo plan with 20 AI minutes, used once
Public APIAnticipate and Autonomous plansStudio plan
Editor and AI
Source text beside the translationYesYes
Subtitle quality checksReading speed (CPS) for each cueNetflix-style QC
AI translation languages280+82
Subtitle file formatsSRT, VTT, ASS, SBVSRT and VTT

Why teams move from Smartcat

  1. One tool for one job

    Smartcat also handles documents, websites, and courses. CaptionsHero has no other content type, so every screen is about subtitles.

  2. A price you can plan

    You pay a flat amount each month. No word counts decide your bill, and no annual contract is needed.

  3. Approval is part of the workflow

    An editor and a reviewer own each language. The reviewer comments on lines, asks for changes, and approves before delivery.

No more final_v3_REVIEWED.srt.

Stop passing files around. Edit, review, and approve in one place.

🇬🇧

English

Draft

312 cues · Saved 2026.10.07 3:41 PM

🇪🇸

Spanish

Translating…Needs editor

Translating…312 cues · Saved 2026.10.07 3:42 PM

🇰🇷

Korean

Translating…Needs editor

Translating…312 cues · Saved 2026.10.07 3:42 PM

What it costs: CaptionsHero vs Smartcat

List prices. Smartcat bills by Smartwords, so your volume decides the plan.

Team sizeSmartcatCaptionsHero
1 personFree plan, or from $1,200/year (Adapt)Free, or $29/mo with 500 AI minutes
Team of 8From $1,200/year (Adapt), unlimited users$149/mo (Team)
Team of 20From $1,200/year (Adapt), or from $24,000/year (Accelerate)$399/mo (Studio)

For teams, Smartcat Adapt is cheaper: from $1,200 a year for unlimited users. But it is billed yearly by Smartwords, the next plan starts at $24,000 a year, and its subtitle guides show no review and approve workflow. CaptionsHero includes it, with email notifications, AI minutes for transcription and translation, a REST API, and Cloudflare Stream and YouTube integration.

Smartcat or CaptionsHero?

Choose Smartcat if

  • You translate documents, websites, and courses as well as video, and you want one platform on an annual contract.
  • You need AI voice-over in 35 locales, or you hire linguists from a marketplace of 500,000+.
  • Your company needs a SOC 2 or ISO 27001 statement.
  • You have far more than 20 users, and 100,000 Smartwords a year is enough.

Choose CaptionsHero if

  • You caption video every day and want a waveform, Netflix-style QC, and frame-accurate timing, where Smartcat's subtitle editor guide describes a CPS check only.
  • You pay month to month: $29, $149, or $399, with no annual contract and no Smartwords to count.
  • Each language needs a reviewer who can request changes and approve, and Smartcat documents no request-changes step.
  • Your next step up is $399 a month, not a jump from $1,200 to $24,000 a year.
  • You want comments on the exact subtitle cue, where Smartcat documents comments for its text editor.
  • Your videos and subtitles stay private, with no public pages or share links.

Common questions

Is CaptionsHero cheaper than Smartcat?

For one person, yes. Solo Pro costs $29 a month and Smartcat Adapt starts at $1,200 a year. For teams, no. Adapt covers unlimited users, and CaptionsHero Team costs $149 a month for 8 seats. Smartcat bills by Smartwords, so a large video volume can need a bigger plan.

Is Smartcat free to use?

Partly. Smartcat has a free plan and a 15-day trial with 15,000 Smartwords. Video, website, and course AI coworkers need a paid plan.

Does Smartcat charge per user?

No. Smartcat plans include unlimited users. You pay for the Smartwords you use.

Can I move my Smartcat subtitles to CaptionsHero?

Yes. Export your subtitles from the Smartcat Subtitle Editor as SRT or VTT, then import the file into CaptionsHero.

Does CaptionsHero have a free plan?

Yes. The Solo plan is free for one person. It has private projects and 20 AI minutes, used once.

Ready to move on from Smartcat?

Bring your SRT files, invite your team, and start today.

Start freeTry the editor

Free forever plan. No card required. No sales call.

  • Every language gets a translator and a reviewer
  • Feedback on the exact line, not in an email thread
  • Only the approved version ships
  • See who's holding up which language
  • AI drafts in 82 languages, or bring your SRT
  • Private, in the browser, nothing to install

Sources

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