Caption API comparison
Burned-in caption APIs, by price per minute
Video in, captioned MP4 out. Here is what one captioned minute costs on each API, from each provider's own page.
Prices checked on November 3, 2026. US dollars, 1080p or lower, basic styles unless noted.
Price per captioned minute
| API | Per minute | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awesome Video Editor | $0.05 | Standard rate with the $5 pack. Down to $0.028 on Scale. Transcription included. Prepaid credits, packs never expire. Optional plans. | Pricing |
| ZapCap API | $0.10 | Per minute of rendered video. Volume credits available. Usage-based API credits. | zapcap.ai |
| caption.sh | $0.10 | Rounded up to the nearest minute. Max 10 min per video. Prepaid balance. | caption.sh |
| VEED Subtitles API (fal.ai) | $0.10–$0.40 | $0.10 base, 2× for dynamic styles, 2× above 1080p. Translation +$0.20/min. Billed through fal.ai. | fal.ai |
| Submagic API | $0.10–$0.23 | Monthly minute packs, added on top of a paid plan (from $19/member/mo). Subscription plus monthly packs. | submagic.co |
Our price, every option
caption_video is 5 credits per audio minute, transcription included. 1 credit = 1 cent.
- $5 pack (500 credits)
- $0.050/min
- $20 pack (2,200 credits)
- $0.046/min
- $50 pack (6,000 credits)
- $0.042/min
- Creator $9/mo (1,200 credits)
- $0.038/min
- Pro $29/mo (4,500 credits)
- $0.032/min
- Scale $99/mo (18,000 credits)
- $0.028/min
Yearly plans cost 10× the monthly price for 12 months of credits.
What you get
- —34 built-in animated presets (word-by-word highlight, karaoke, pop words, editorial) plus your own custom presets.
- —REST API with OpenAPI, a hosted MCP server, and llms.txt, all on one key and one balance.
- —One call: caption_video transcribes, optionally translates, burns, and returns MP4, SRT, VTT and a JSON transcript.
- —Agents can create a key without an account. New keys can claim a small free trial while it runs.
- —Server renders look the same as the web editor. Failed jobs are refunded automatically.
Questions
How much does a captioned minute cost with Awesome Video Editor?
caption_video costs 5 credits per audio minute (1 to transcribe, 4 to burn) and 1 credit is 1 cent, so $0.05 per minute with the $5 pack. Larger packs and plans bring it down to $0.028 per minute. Translation adds 2 credits per minute.
When were these competitor prices checked?
On November 3, 2026, on each provider's own pricing or API page, linked in the table. Prices change, so check the source before you buy.
Do I need a subscription?
No. Credit packs are one-time purchases that never expire. Monthly plans are optional and lower the per-minute price.
Can an AI agent use it directly?
Yes. Agents connect over MCP or REST, create a key with one call, and get a 402 with a checkout link when the balance is short. Nothing is charged until there are enough credits.
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Third-party names belong to their owners. Figures come from their public pages on the date above.