A Captions app alternative that charges per video, not per month
Captions is a big app with a lot of AI inside: avatars, AI actors, generated videos and a chat editor. If all you need is your own talking clip turned into a clean Reel, Raw2Reel does that one job, and you pay for the videos you keep instead of a monthly plan of credits.
How Raw2Reel works
Upload the raw clip
From your phone or computer, as you filmed it.
Press Edit this video
Pauses and repeats are cut, captions go on word by word, music and b-roll are added.
Change it in plain words
Type "shorter intro" or tap a word to remove it, then save in Full HD.
| Captions | Raw2Reel | |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Monthly plan: Max $24.99 (500 credits), Frontier $69.99 (1,400 credits), larger Frontier plans up to $279.99 | Packs, no subscription: 10 videos for $59, 30 for $149 |
| What a video costs | Credits, used up at different rates by different AI features | One video from your pack, counted only when you save it |
| Unused balance | Credits come with each month of the plan | Videos stay in your pack until you use them |
| Main job | Many AI tools: AI edit styles, AI actors and digital twins, generated videos, clips from long videos | One: your talking clip in, a finished Reel, TikTok or Short out |
| Captions | Many caption styles | Word by word, 5 styles in your own colour, 90+ languages, translation into 7 |
| Where it runs | Mobile app and web | In the browser on iPhone, Android and computer, nothing to install |
| Free start | Free version with fewer features | 2 full videos free, no card, no watermark |
Captions prices from captions.ai/pricing (iOS plans, US dollars), checked 21 October 2026. Yearly plans are cheaper per month. Prices and features can change.
When Captions is the better choice
If you want AI actors, a digital twin of yourself, fully generated videos, or clips cut out of a long podcast, Captions does things Raw2Reel does not. If you make many videos every month and use those tools, a plan can be worth it. Stay with it.
When Raw2Reel is the better choice
If you film yourself talking and want each clip posted without editing it by hand, you don't need a plan full of credits. You buy 10 or 30 videos, use them when you post, and the price of a video is always the same. You never have to work out how many credits an edit will take.
What you get back
The pauses, ums and repeated takes are gone. Captions appear word by word and right to left for Arabic. Music sits under your voice, b-roll and gentle zooms keep the picture moving, and your own photos and clips are used first when you add them. Vertical 9:16, 4:5 or square, 1080p, no watermark.
Change it without a timeline
Every cut is visible in your transcript. Tap a word to bring it back or take it out, or type what you want in plain words, like "calmer music" or "no b-roll". The video updates by itself a moment later.
Try it on your next clip
There is nothing to move over. Upload your next raw clip to Raw2Reel, compare it with what you get today, and decide. The first 2 videos are free with every feature, so the test costs nothing.
More you can do with Raw2Reel
Questions
Is there a Captions app alternative without a subscription?
Yes. Raw2Reel sells videos in packs, 10 for $59 or 30 for $149, with no monthly plan and no credits. A video only counts when you save it.
Is there a free alternative to the Captions app?
Raw2Reel gives you 2 complete videos free, with every feature, no card and no watermark. After that you pay per video.
Does Raw2Reel have AI avatars like Captions?
No. Raw2Reel edits videos you film yourself. It does not make AI actors or generated videos.
Can Raw2Reel add captions in Arabic or other languages?
Yes. Over 90 languages are recognised automatically, Arabic is written right to left, and captions can be translated into 7 languages.
Do I need to install an app?
No. Raw2Reel works in the browser on your phone and computer. You can close the page while it edits; we email you when the video is ready.