Subtitles

9 Best Free and Open Source Subtitle Editors

A subtitle editor is a type of computer software that lets users create and edit subtitles. These subtitles are superimposed over, and synchronized with, video. Subtitles can literally make the difference between being immersed in a movie or only watching the screen, trying to keep up with developments. Good subtitling does not distract but actually enhances viewing pleasure, and even native speakers can find subtitles useful, not only where the individual is hearing-impaired.

A subtitle is a text representation of the dialog, narration, music, or sound effects in a video file. Subtitles are available in multiple formats.

Mangled subtitles can anger viewers. Fortunately, there is a good range of open source software that lets you make subtitles with Linux. These editors help you preview how the subtitles appear on the video, and listen to the dialog. Additionally, they offer the ability to make entering and editing text easy, with good control over text formatting and positioning.

We make the following recommendations captured in a legendary LinuxLinks-style ratings chart. Only free and open source software is eligible for inclusion.

Ratings chart for the best free and open source subtitle editors

The software featured in this article also offer an easy way to perform a number of different editing jobs, besides adding and removing subtitles. They each boast a good feature set, and are all released under an open source license.

Let’s explore each of the applications.

Subtitle Editors
Subtitle EditVersatile and feature-laden editor for video subtitles
GaupolEditor for text-based subtitle files
AegisubHighly customizable tool for creating and modifying subtitles
Subtitle ComposerEditor that supports basic and advanced operations
Subtitle EditorGTK+2 tool to edit subtitles
SubtitldEdit, transcribe and create subtitles
JublerAuthor new subtitles - convert, transform, correct and refine
Gnome SubtitlesVideo subtitling for the GNOME desktop
subeditCommand-line editor written in Bash
Best Free and Open Source SoftwareRead our complete collection of recommended free and open source software. Our curated compilation covers all categories of software.

The software collection forms part of our series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. There are hundreds of in-depth reviews, open source alternatives to proprietary software from large corporations like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk.

There are also fun things to try, hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more.
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Please read our Comment FAQ before posting a comment.

1 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Polmor
Polmor
8 months ago

Gaupol is my choice app.