Comparison

subMatik vs Only Captions

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

subMatik

This app transforms your iPhone into a subtitle creation studio. It automatically generates accurate, timed captions for any video or audio file directly on your device, supporting over 70 languages. You can also translate existing captions or burn them directly into your video for easy sharing.

Highlights
  • On-device AI transcription
  • 70+ language support
  • Context-aware translation
  • Vertical-friendly subtitle placement
  • Burn-in subtitles to video
  • SRT and MP4 export
Features
Read full description

subMatik turns your iPhone into a complete subtitle studio. Drop in any video — vertical Reels, horizontal interviews, podcast audio — and get clean, timed captions in seconds. Transcription, burn-in, and export run on-device; translation is on-device with Apple Translation, or via Google/DeepL if you choose. WHAT MAKES SUBMATIK DIFFERENT • 100% on-device transcription via the Whisper speech model (WhisperKit). Your audio never touches a server. • 70+ languages supported, including Turkish, Chinese (Simplified + Traditional), Japanese, Korean, Thai, Khmer, Lao, Burmese, and more. • Context-aware translation. Each segment is translated alongside its neighbors so idioms and homonyms come out right. • Vertical-friendly subtitle placement. The Position Picker has a 3×3 anchor grid + drag-to-tune fine adjustment over a real frame from your video — no guessing. • Reels mode. Chops cues into 1–5 word bursts that read fast on phone screens. • Burn subtitles into the video pixels. Export an MP4 with captions baked in, ready for Instagram / TikTok / YouTube Shorts. Save directly to Photos. • Re-translate any existing SRT into a new language without re-running Whisper. • Files-app integration. Right-click any video → "Open in subMatik" → ready to caption. • No account, no ads, no analytics dragnets. Optional anonymous crash telemetry via Apple MetricKit only. WHY ON-DEVICE MATTERS Modern Whisper models run entirely on your iPhone. There's no reason to upload your private conversations, family videos, work recordings, or proprietary content to someone else's server just to get subtitles. subMatik proves that the highest-quality transcription can be the most private one too. OUTPUT FORMATS • SRT (universal, supported everywhere) • Burned-in MP4 (subtitles in pixels, no separate file needed) PRO TIPS • "Upper third" position preset keeps subtitles clear of TikTok / Reels bottom UI. • Long-press any file in the queue to set a custom subtitle anchor just for that clip. • DeepL users: paste your API key in Settings for higher-quality translations on European languages. • On first launch you choose a Whisper model — from a fast ~150 MB option up to the highest-accuracy one. It downloads once (use Wi-Fi). After that, transcription is fully offline. REQUIRES iOS 26.0 OR LATER. Works on iPhone 11 and newer. Best experience on iPhone 14 Pro and newer. PRIVACY POLICY: https://catheadai.com/submatik/privacy

About

Only Captions

Features
Read full description

Turn any video into scroll-stopping content — instantly. Only Captions uses AI to auto-generate accurate, perfectly-timed captions and subtitles for your videos — no manual typing, no editing skills needed. Just upload your clip and watch AI do the work. WHY ONLY CAPTIONS • AI-powered auto captions & subtitles in seconds • High-accuracy transcription, multiple languages supported • Fully customizable fonts, colors, sizes & animated styles • One-tap export, ready for TikTok, Instagram Reels & YouTube Shorts • Works with talking-head, gaming, travel, tutorial & any video type • Fast, reliable AI transcription — no manual syncing required BUILT FOR CREATORS Whether you're a content creator, marketer, educator, or just someone who wants their videos to look professional, Only Captions makes adding subtitles effortless. Boost watch time, improve accessibility, and reach viewers who watch on mute — all with a few taps. HOW IT WORKS Upload your video Let AI auto-generate your captions Customize style, color & animation Export and share anywhere KEY FEATURES • Auto caption generation powered by AI • Edit every word with full manual control • Multiple caption styles and templates • Fast on-device processing • Simple, intuitive editor — no learning curve • Regular updates with new styles and features Download Only Captions today and turn your videos into engaging, accessible, scroll-stopping content — instantly. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

subMatik4 screens
Only Captions4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: subMatik at none against Only Captions's 3. subMatik also leads on ads (none vs shown). Only Captions's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Only Captions sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. subMatik asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

subMatik ships an update every 3 weeks, Only Captions every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
subMatik versus Only Captions: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametersubMatikOnly Captions
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB170 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSevki Bugra OzbekShikhar Mishra

In-app purchases

None

subMatik

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Only Captions

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Plan$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Promo$17.991 Year
  • Annual Plan3 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is subMatik free?
subMatik is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Only Captions free?
Only Captions is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do subMatik or Only Captions have ads?
Only Captions shows ads; subMatik does not.
Which is updated more often, subMatik or Only Captions?
subMatik ships an update every 3 weeks, and Only Captions every 5 days. Most recently, subMatik was updated on November 5, 2026 and Only Captions on November 6, 2026.

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