AI Subtitle Generator vs. Manual Transcription: Cost, Speed & Accuracy Compared
5/28/2025
|Team CapsAI

Choosing between an AI subtitle generator and human transcription comes down to your budget, turnaround needs, and quality requirements. Here’s how they stack up in three key areas:
- Capsai Auto Subtitle Generator
Cost: free unlimited usage
Speed: generates subtitles in seconds
Accuracy: around 90 - 95% for clear audio, with in-browser editing to correct errors
Best for: creators who need fast, cost-free, multilingual (Hindi, Hinglish, English) subtitles with minimal setup
Link: https://capsai.co/auto-subtitle-generator - Rev.com Human Transcription & Subtitle Service
Cost: $1.50 per audio minute
Speed: 4–6 hour turnaround for most orders
Accuracy: 99%+ thanks to trained human editors
Best for: high-stakes content (legal, medical, educational) where near-perfect transcription is essential
Link: https://www.rev.com - Descript AI + Human Proofreading
Cost: free tier for short files; from $12/month for Pro plans; human editing billed separately
Speed: AI draft in minutes, human review in 1–2 hours
Accuracy: AI draft ~85–90%, improved to 98–99% after human review
Best for: teams that want a balance of speed and precision, with collaborative editing features
Link: https://www.descript.com - Otter.ai Automatic Transcription
Cost: free for 600 minutes/month; paid plans from $10/month for longer limits
Speed: near real-time for live meetings; file uploads processed in minutes
Accuracy: ~85–90% on clear recordings; speaker identification is included
Best for: meeting transcripts, webinars, and internal video where rapid turnaround is more important than perfect accuracy
Link: https://otter.ai - GoTranscript Human-Powered Captioning
Cost: $0.90 per audio minute
Speed: 12–24 hour turnaround
Accuracy: 98–100% when delivered by professional linguists
Best for: detailed captioning projects requiring precise time-codes and multiple language options
Link: https://gotranscript.com - DIY Manual Transcription (In-House or Freelance)
Cost: varies widely - typically $0.50 to $2 per audio minute
Speed: depends on transcriber availability; usually 5–10× real-time (e.g., a 10-minute video takes 50–100 minutes to transcribe)
Accuracy: 95–100% if done by experienced transcribers, but quality can vary
Best for: small projects where you can manage transcribers directly and need full control over style and formatting - Hybrid Workflow: AI Draft + Human Review
Cost: minimal (AI draft free or low-cost, then human review at reduced minutes)
Speed: draft in seconds, review in 1–3 hours
Accuracy: 95–99% with lower overall cost than full manual transcription
Best for: creators who want fast turnaround, good accuracy, and reduced spending
Choosing between an AI subtitle generator and human transcription comes down to your budget, turnaround needs, and quality requirements. Here’s how they stack up in three key areas:
- Capsai Auto Subtitle Generator
Cost: free unlimited usage
Speed: generates subtitles in seconds
Accuracy: around 90 - 95% for clear audio, with in-browser editing to correct errors
Best for: creators who need fast, cost-free, multilingual (Hindi, Hinglish, English) subtitles with minimal setup
Link: https://capsai.co/auto-subtitle-generator - Rev.com Human Transcription & Subtitle Service
Cost: $1.50 per audio minute
Speed: 4–6 hour turnaround for most orders
Accuracy: 99%+ thanks to trained human editors
Best for: high-stakes content (legal, medical, educational) where near-perfect transcription is essential
Link: https://www.rev.com - Descript AI + Human Proofreading
Cost: free tier for short files; from $12/month for Pro plans; human editing billed separately
Speed: AI draft in minutes, human review in 1–2 hours
Accuracy: AI draft ~85–90%, improved to 98–99% after human review
Best for: teams that want a balance of speed and precision, with collaborative editing features
Link: https://www.descript.com - Otter.ai Automatic Transcription
Cost: free for 600 minutes/month; paid plans from $10/month for longer limits
Speed: near real-time for live meetings; file uploads processed in minutes
Accuracy: ~85–90% on clear recordings; speaker identification is included
Best for: meeting transcripts, webinars, and internal video where rapid turnaround is more important than perfect accuracy
Link: https://otter.ai - GoTranscript Human-Powered Captioning
Cost: $0.90 per audio minute
Speed: 12–24 hour turnaround
Accuracy: 98–100% when delivered by professional linguists
Best for: detailed captioning projects requiring precise time-codes and multiple language options
Link: https://gotranscript.com - DIY Manual Transcription (In-House or Freelance)
Cost: varies widely - typically $0.50 to $2 per audio minute
Speed: depends on transcriber availability; usually 5–10× real-time (e.g., a 10-minute video takes 50–100 minutes to transcribe)
Accuracy: 95–100% if done by experienced transcribers, but quality can vary
Best for: small projects where you can manage transcribers directly and need full control over style and formatting - Hybrid Workflow: AI Draft + Human Review
Cost: minimal (AI draft free or low-cost, then human review at reduced minutes)
Speed: draft in seconds, review in 1–3 hours
Accuracy: 95–99% with lower overall cost than full manual transcription
Best for: creators who want fast turnaround, good accuracy, and reduced spending