SoCaptions vs Canva

Canva is a browser design suite — presentations, social graphics, print, websites — with a video editor inside. Its caption generator (Text > Captions) transcribes speech, detects the spoken language and burns styled captions into the MP4 you download.

Side by side

Feature

Canva

SoCaptions

Primary purpose

Design suite; video and captions are one part of it

Captions only — word-level, styled, burned in or as SRT/VTT

Where it runs

Browser, desktop and mobile apps

Any browser, desktop or phone — no install

Caption languages

Spoken language auto-detected; translation into 100+ languages

99 languages, auto-detected (Whisper)

Caption styles

Caption style packs with Reveal, Highlight and other animations

13 editable styles, 11 fonts, spoken-word highlight

Subtitle files

No SRT or VTT download documented — captions are burned in

SRT and VTT, free on every plan

Price

Free plan; Pro US$144/year for one person, Business US$250/year per person

5 free minutes, then $5/month or $50/year for 100 minutes

Best for

Teams and creators who design everything in one place

Captioning videos that are already edited, at the lowest price

Strengths and trade-offs

Where Canva is stronger

One tool for thumbnails, social graphics, presentations and video
Millions of templates, stock videos and audio tracks
Captions can be translated into 100+ languages inside the editor
Free plan you can start on without a card

Canva trade-offs

No SRT or VTT download, so no closed-caption file for YouTube, LinkedIn or course platforms
Captions are one panel in a large editor, not a dedicated workflow
Pro is billed for the whole design suite even if you only need captions

Where SoCaptions is stronger

$5/month for 100 minutes of captions and 100 minutes of watermark-free MP4 export
SRT and VTT downloads on every plan, including free
All 13 caption styles and 11 fonts on every plan, each fully editable
Renders at the source resolution and frame rate

Which one to pick

Choose Canva if…

You already design in Canva and the video is one asset among many — thumbnails, carousels, slides — and burned-in captions are all you need.

Choose SoCaptions if…

You need captions and nothing else: styled MP4s for Shorts, Reels and TikTok, plus SRT or VTT files for YouTube and course platforms.

Canva is the better design suite. SoCaptions is the better captions tool — cheaper, and it gives you the subtitle file Canva doesn't.

Try SoCaptions free

Frequently asked

Can Canva export captions as an SRT file?

Canva's help pages describe no SRT or VTT download; its captions are burned into the MP4. If a platform wants a caption file, generate it in a captions tool — SoCaptions downloads SRT and VTT free on every plan.

How much is Canva Pro?

Canva's pricing page (checked 20 October 2026) lists Pro at US$144/year for one person and Business at US$250/year per person, before tax. The Free plan costs nothing.

Can I use Canva and SoCaptions together?

Yes. Edit the video in Canva without captions, download the MP4, then caption it in SoCaptions — or caption first and bring the captioned MP4 back into a Canva design.

Canva auto captions: how to add captions to a video in Canva