In short
One flat monthly price
XL8 charges $0.50 for each minute of transcription and $0.25 for each 1,000 translated characters. 1,500 minutes of transcription cost $750 before any translation. CaptionsHero Team is $149 a month with 1,500 AI minutes.
Team plans you can buy online
On XL8, multiple user accounts and collaboration belong to the Custom plan, which is Contact sales. CaptionsHero Team and Studio have published prices and start online.
Review on exact lines
XL8 lets editors flag a segment and share a view-only link. Its help center does not describe a request-changes or approval step. In CaptionsHero, reviewers comment on exact lines, request changes, and approve.
CaptionsHero vs XL8
| Feature | XL8 | CaptionsHero |
|---|---|---|
| Team workflow | ||
| Assign editors or reviewers per language | Assign members to a project | Yes |
| Feedback on exact subtitle lines | Flags on segments, shared by view-only link | Yes |
| Email notifications | When an assignee finishes a task | Yes |
| Progress view for open projects | Project list with a status filter | Yes |
| Pricing and access | ||
| Billing model | Per minute and per 1,000 characters | Flat monthly price per organization |
| Team plan | Custom plan: Contact sales | $149/mo flat, 8 seats |
| Free start | $10 credit, $90 more with a card | Free Solo plan, no card, 20 AI minutes |
| Start without talking to sales | Pay As You Go only | Yes |
| Editor and AI | ||
| AI transcription | Yes, 37 languages | Yes |
| AI translation | Yes, 45 to 50 languages | 82 languages |
| Subtitle QC rules | Validation guides per language | Netflix-style QC |
| Keyboard shortcuts | Customizable list | 50+ shortcuts |
| Security and integrations | ||
| SOC 2 report | SOC 2 Type II | No |
| Plugins for memoQ, Crowdin, and OOONA | Yes | No |
| Dubbing and live subtitles | Yes | No |
Why teams move from XL8
Cost does not follow your volume
On XL8, a busy month costs more because each minute and each 1,000 characters is billed. CaptionsHero is one flat price for your organization, with AI minutes included.
Approval is a step in the work
A language moves from draft to review to approved in one editor. The reviewer asks for changes on the exact line.
A team can start without a quote
XL8 places team accounts on a Custom plan, which starts with a sales contact. With CaptionsHero, you choose Team or Studio, see the price, and start online.
No more final_v3_REVIEWED.srt.
Stop passing files around. Edit, review, and approve in one place.
English
Draft312 cues · Saved 2026.10.07 3:41 PM
Spanish
Translating…Needs editorTranslating…312 cues · Saved 2026.10.07 3:42 PM
Korean
Translating…Needs editorTranslating…312 cues · Saved 2026.10.07 3:42 PM
Spanish
Needs editorDraft312 cues · Saved 2026.10.07 3:42 PM
Editor
Reviewer
los rostros.
“Rostros” reads stiff here. Try “caras”.
Daniel Cho · 2026.10.07 4:10 PM
Spanish
In reviewApproved312 cues · Saved 2026.10.07 4:32 PM
What it costs: CaptionsHero vs XL8
Monthly list prices in USD. XL8 bills for use, so its rows show transcription at $0.50 per minute, and its translation costs extra. In CaptionsHero, translation also uses AI minutes, at half the video length.
| Team size | XL8 | CaptionsHero |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $150 for 300 min, plus $0.25 per 1,000 translated characters | Free Solo plan, or $29 Solo Pro with 500 AI minutes |
| Team of 8 | $750 for 1,500 min, plus translation. Team accounts: Contact sales | $149 (Team) |
| Team of 20 | $2,500 for 5,000 min, plus translation. Team accounts: Contact sales | $399 (Studio) |
XL8 has no base fee, so low volume costs less. But team accounts are Contact sales, and its help center shows 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.
XL8 or CaptionsHero?
Choose XL8 if
- Your security review needs a SOC 2 Type II report or TPN Gold Shield.
- You need dubbing or live subtitles as well as recorded subtitles.
- You translate inside memoQ, Crowdin, OOONA, VoiceQ, or Box.
- You subtitle a few videos a month on your own and prefer to pay $0.50 a minute, with no team account.
Choose CaptionsHero if
- You want a published team price with no quote: $149 a month for 8 seats or $399 for 20. XL8 lists team accounts under its Custom plan only.
- You want a fixed monthly bill. On XL8, 1,500 minutes of transcription is $750 before translation; Team includes 1,500 AI minutes.
- Each language has a reviewer who comments on exact lines, requests changes, and approves. XL8 documents segment flags and a Complete status.
- You edit on a waveform timeline with Netflix-style QC and frame-accurate timing.
- Your videos and subtitles stay private, with no view-only links.
- You want a free plan that stays free, with no card and no credit balance.
Common questions
How much does XL8 MediaCAT cost?
Pay As You Go has no base fee. Transcription is $0.50 per minute. Translation is $0.25 per 1,000 characters. Team accounts are on a Custom plan, and you contact XL8 for a quote.
Is CaptionsHero cheaper than XL8?
At the volumes in our table, yes. For 300 minutes a month, XL8 transcription is $150 and CaptionsHero Solo Pro is $29. For 1,500 minutes, it is $750 and $149. For 5,000 minutes, it is $2,500 and $399. XL8 translation costs extra, and its team accounts are Contact sales. For one person, XL8 costs less under about 58 minutes a month, and its free credit ($10, or $100 with a card) covers about 200 minutes. CaptionsHero has no top-ups. When AI minutes run out, they return next month.
Is XL8 free?
XL8 has no monthly fee, but you pay for use. You get $10 of credit with an email and $90 more with a card. CaptionsHero Solo is free for one person, with private projects and 20 AI minutes.
Can I assign reviewers in XL8?
A 2023 news article said XL8 team members can be assigned to edit or review subtitles in specific languages. XL8's current help center describes assigning members to a project, with an Assigned or In Progress status. We found no request-changes or approval step in it.
Is XL8 SOC 2 certified?
Yes. XL8 lists SOC 2 Type II and TPN Gold Shield. CaptionsHero does not have a SOC 2 report.
Can I move my XL8 subtitles to CaptionsHero?
Yes. XL8's API docs list SRT, VTT, TTML, XIF, and JSON as subtitle output formats. Export SRT or VTT from XL8, then import it into CaptionsHero.
Ready to move on from XL8?
Bring your SRT files, invite your team, and start today.
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
- XL8 MediaCAT pricing and FAQ, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- XL8 MediaCAT pricing plan, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- MediaCAT on AWS Marketplace, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- XL8 about page (certifications, news), checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- XL8 APIs, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- XL8 API documentation (output formats), checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- XL8 integrations, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- MediaCAT Translate languages, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- XL8 Projects feature, 2023 (KoreaTechDesk), checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- MediaCAT improved project management, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- MediaCAT editing feedback and view-only mode, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- MediaCAT customizable validation guides, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- MediaCAT shortcut list, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
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