Twinsubs
Transcrybe alternative for Mac: bilingual subtitles made on your own Mac
Transcrybe runs on your Mac like Twinsubs, and its strength is live translation: it listens to the microphone or a chosen app, can show several target languages at once, has a 60-minute free trial and then a one-time $29.99 licence. Twinsubs adds the other half, turning video and audio files into bilingual SRT. If live captions are all you need, Transcrybe is the more focused tool; if you also make subtitle files for videos, use Twinsubs.
Where they differ
| Item | Twinsubs | Transcrybe |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Mac app (on the Mac App Store) | Mac app |
| Where it runs | On your Mac, nothing uploaded | On your Mac; the site says audio stays on the Mac with no servers |
| Price | Free for the first 10 minutes of each video and 10 minutes of live translation per day; one-time purchase removes the limits | 60-minute free trial, then $29.99 one-time lifetime licence |
| Bilingual subtitles | Yes, translation above the original (order can be swapped) | Yes (translated captions, several target languages on one screen) |
| Live translation | Yes, the sound playing on your Mac; works offline once the language packs are downloaded | Yes, its core feature |
| Export SRT | Yes, a bilingual file and a target-only file | Not verified (the site does not mention subtitle files) |
“Not verified” means the official page has no clear statement, or the answer sits in dynamic content we could not read; it does not mean the feature is missing. We did not sign up for any account or try any paid feature.
When to choose Transcrybe
- You only want live translation. The site presents it as live translated subtitles for any audio, with a clear scope and a clear price.
- You want several target languages on screen together. The site says it can show more than one target language at the same time.
- You want to tune how captions look. The site lists size, colour, placement and rolling captions, and a choice between the microphone, one app or all app audio.
When to choose Twinsubs
- You have video or audio files. Drop them into Twinsubs and you get a bilingual SRT and a target-only SRT; the Transcrybe site does not mention file subtitles.
- You need the subtitles inside an editor. Twinsubs writes standard SRT for CapCut and Final Cut Pro.
- You want a Chinese video turned into properly punctuated Chinese subtitles. When the source and target languages are in the same family, Twinsubs writes a single-language file.
Limits of Twinsubs, stated up front
- System requirement: macOS 26 or later, Apple silicon.
- It outputs SRT only: no subtitle burn-in, no built-in editor, no speaker separation, no ASS, and it cannot import an existing SRT and translate it.
- Machine recognition and translation make mistakes; with heavy accents, loud music or many specialist terms, check the result against the video.
- Which language pairs work depends on Apple's on-device translation; there are 12 source languages and 20 target languages.
Moving from Transcrybe
Both apps run on the Mac and can sit side by side: use either for live meetings and streams, and use Twinsubs when you need a subtitle file. To carry your live-translation habit over, choose All Sounds or one app as the source, pick the target language, and the caption floats over the picture; the live record can be saved as txt or SRT.
A few notes
Testimonials on the Transcrybe site mention a product called Subtitle Me; the site does not say whether it is the same product, so we draw no conclusion. The absence of file subtitles on the site does not mean the app lacks them, only that the page does not say.
How to check this yourself
- Read the other product's pricing pagePrices, plans and free allowances change; trust the page on the day you buy.
- Run the same clip through bothPick a clip with an accent and some technical terms; it tells you more than a spec sheet. The free version of Twinsubs covers the first 10 minutes of each video.
- Check the export formatConfirm you can export SRT and that your usual editor imports it without errors.
- Check where the data goesRead the other product's privacy policy to see whether video or audio is uploaded. Ours is the privacy policy.
Sources (verified 2026-10-16)
- Transcrybe website · 2026-10-16
“Not verified” means the official page has no clear statement, or the answer sits in dynamic content we could not read; it does not mean the feature is missing. We did not sign up for any account or try any paid feature.
FAQ
How much does Transcrybe cost?
The site says a free 60-minute trial, then a one-time lifetime licence at $29.99. Twinsubs has 10 minutes of live translation a day for free, and the one-time purchase covers both file subtitles and live translation.
Do both apps work offline?
The Transcrybe site says audio stays on the Mac and there are no servers; it does not separately state offline use. Twinsubs works offline once the speech model and translation language packs have been downloaded, which we tested on a real Mac with the network off on 2026-10-12.
How reliable is the information on this page?
Every fact carries an official source and a verification date (2026-10-16), and anything we could not find is marked not verified. Prices and features change, so check the other product's own site before you buy; if you spot a mistake, write to twinsub@gatheon.com and we will correct it after checking.
Updated 2026-10-23. Back to the Twinsubs home page