SRT vs. VTT: Which Subtitle Format Should You Use?

If you've exported captions from a transcription tool, you've probably seen both options and picked one without knowing why it mattered. Most of the time it doesn't — but sometimes it does, and it's worth knowing which case you're in.

What they have in common

Both SRT (SubRip) and VTT (WebVTT) do the same basic job: they pair a block of text with a start and end timestamp, so a video player knows what to show and when. Both are plain text files you can open and edit in any text editor, and both are widely supported by modern video platforms and editing software.

Where they differ

• Origin and styling: SRT is the older format, built for basic subtitle text only. VTT is newer, built for the web, and supports light styling and positioning cues (like moving a caption so it doesn't cover an on-screen speaker).
• File header: every VTT file starts with a literal WEBVTT line; SRT files don't have a header at all.
• Timestamp format: SRT uses a comma before milliseconds (00:01:23,456); VTT uses a period (00:01:23.456). It's a small difference, but it's why the two aren't simply interchangeable by renaming the file extension.
• Where they're expected: VTT is the format HTML5 <video> and most web players expect natively. SRT is more common as an upload format for platforms like YouTube and social video, and as the default export from many editing tools.

How to choose

If you're not sure, this covers most cases:

• Publishing to your own website or web app → VTT.
• Uploading to YouTube, social platforms, or handing off to a video editor → SRT.
• Not sure, or need both → export both. They're generated from the same transcript, so there's no extra transcription work either way.

Exporting captions from Transkio

Every Transkio plan, including the free plan, can export both formats — srt and vtt exports aren't gated behind a paid tier. Transcribe your file with Transkio's subtitle generator, or start from an audio-only file using the MP3 to SRT or MP3 to VTT tools, and download whichever format your platform expects.

AI-generated transcripts may contain errors — please review before relying on them. Skim the captions against the video once before publishing, especially around scene changes where a caption's timing can drift by a beat.