Summary
- Good subtitle translation software changes the words and nothing else: every cue keeps its start and end time, and SRT stays SRT.
- Translate from a corrected source file, check each language separately, then fix line length and reading speed, because translated lines often run longer.
- VideoText Translate Subtitles covers 104 target languages, keeps every cue's timing and points out lines that look untranslated or mixed-language.
- Translate your SRT or VTT in Translate Subtitles, with a free daily allowance and no card.
Most people looking for subtitle translation software have already tried the obvious route: paste the text into a translator and rebuild the file. That's where timing breaks, cue numbers go missing and the file stops importing. A subtitle translator has to treat the file as timed cues, not as a block of text.
This guide is for creators, localization teams and agencies choosing subtitle translation software in 2027. It sets out what to check in any tool and how VideoText handles each step.
Translate an SRT now: upload it to Translate Subtitles, choose a language and download a file with every timestamp unchanged.
What to check in subtitle translation software
| Check |
Why it matters |
What to look for |
| Timing kept |
Re-timing every language by hand is where most of the work goes |
Every cue keeps its original start and end time |
| Format kept |
Players and upload pages expect the format they asked for |
SRT in, SRT out; VTT in, VTT out |
| Problem lines flagged |
You can't read every line of a language you don't speak |
Untranslated or mixed-language lines pointed out |
| Editing before download |
Names and terms need correcting |
Line-by-line editing of the translated file |
| Readability after translation |
Translations run longer than the source |
A line-length and reading-speed check after translating |
| Languages covered |
Clients ask for more than the main few |
The target languages you actually need |
Step 1: Start from a corrected source file
Every error in the source subtitles is copied into every language. Correct the source first, and check its timing and layout before you translate: run it through the free SRT validator, then repair what it finds in Fix Subtitles.
No subtitle file yet? Generate one from the video in Video to Subtitles. It can also add a translated lane with the same timing, which lists all 104 target languages, and you download each language as its own file. For non-English source recordings, see multilingual transcription of foreign-language video.
Step 2: Translate the SRT file with timing kept
Translate Subtitles takes an SRT or VTT file up to 20 MB, or a TXT, DOCX or JSON document, or pasted text:
- Upload the file.
- Choose the language. There are 104 target languages for subtitle translation. Translate one language per run, and run it again for each extra language.
- Check the translation. Review the translated cues next to their original timings. Lines that look untranslated or mixed-language are pointed out.
- Download. You get a translated SRT or VTT, or styled VTT or ASS.
What stays exactly the same: every cue keeps its original start and end time, and SRT stays SRT and VTT stays VTT. On Pro you can correct any translated line before downloading.
Step 3: Check each language separately
A file that passed every check in one language can fail in another. For each translated file:
- Have someone who reads the language check it, at least the names, numbers and anything on screen for long.
- Check the flagged lines first. Untranslated or mixed-language lines are the quickest wins.
- Keep a glossary per client of names and terms that must not be translated, and check them every time.
Step 4: Fix readability after translation
Translated lines often run longer than the source, so line length and reading speed can fail even though timing is unchanged. Run each translated file through Fix Subtitles. It re-wraps text onto at most two lines of 42 characters and gives cues faster than 20 characters per second more time where the next cue allows it, up to 10 seconds per cue. It doesn't change the wording. If your client's spec sets different limits, follow the spec. Our CPL and CPS benchmarks by style guide show how specs differ.
Fix the translated file: run it through Fix Subtitles to re-wrap long lines and give fast cues more time, without changing the translation.
Step 5: Deliver files, or burn each language in
Most platforms take a separate subtitle file per language. Where captions have to be in the picture, Burn Subtitles burns each language into its own MP4. For Arabic, Indic and CJK captions, Subtitle Style Studio uses script-aware fallback, and you approve a real rendered frame before export.
How the options compare
| Approach |
Timing |
Format |
Problem lines |
Readability check |
| Translate the text in a general translator, paste back into cues |
Easy to break |
You rebuild the file |
No |
Separate step |
| Re-type translations into a subtitle editor |
Kept if you're careful |
Kept |
No |
Separate step |
| A subtitle translator that keeps cues (Translate Subtitles) |
Kept on every cue |
Kept |
Flagged |
Fix Subtitles afterwards |
For what translation costs per minute in different setups, see how much subtitle translation costs per minute. For keeping sync in depth, see translating subtitles without losing timing sync.
What it costs
There is a free plan with a daily translation allowance and two downloads per job, with no card needed. Free SRT and VTT downloads include two short VideoText watermark cues, one at the start and one after the last cue. Pro is $14.99/month or $120/year, adds editing of translated lines, and removes the watermark. See pricing.
FAQ
How do I translate subtitles without losing timing?
Use a translator that works cue by cue. In Translate Subtitles every cue keeps its original start and end time; only the text changes. Then check line length and reading speed, since translations run longer.
How many languages can I translate subtitles into?
104 target languages, one per run.
Can I translate a VTT and keep it as VTT?
Yes. VTT in gives VTT out, and SRT in gives SRT out.
Should I fix the file after translating?
Usually, yes. Translated lines often run longer and can exceed line length or reading speed.
Next step
Take one corrected subtitle file and translate it in Translate Subtitles, then run the result through Fix Subtitles. Free gives you a daily translation allowance with two downloads per job; Pro adds editing of translated lines and removes the watermark cues, for $14.99/month or $120/year. This guide is part of Best subtitle software in 2027 and Subtitle and transcription tools: the 2027 guide.
Sources: VideoText Translate Subtitles, Video to Subtitles, Fix Subtitles, SRT validator, Burn Subtitles, Subtitle Style Studio and pricing pages, https://videotext.io/translate-subtitles, https://videotext.io/video-to-subtitles, https://videotext.io/fix-subtitles, https://videotext.io/tools/subtitle-validator, https://videotext.io/burn-subtitles, https://videotext.io/subtitle-style-studio and https://videotext.io/pricing (checked October 25, 2026; rechecked October 28, 2026).