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Wave Subs Review

Wave Subs is an AI tool that recognizes dialogue in videos, generates SRT/ASS subtitles, and translates them into various languages, operating locally and offline.

shipped Sep 7, 2026marketingfree
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Wave Subs — product screenshot

Why it matters

1Wave Subs is completely free to use and open source.
2The tool operates locally on macOS and Windows, ensuring user privacy without internet connection.
3It supports auto-translation into 29 different languages.
4Developed by Jiesi Ma, Wave Subs is bootstrapped and available on GitHub.

About Wave Subs

Business Model
Open Source
Funding
Bootstrapped
Platforms
macOS, Windows
Target Audience
Video content creators and translators

Leadership

Jiesi Ma
GitHubOpen Source

Screenshots

overview

What is Wave Subs?

Wave Subs is a video subtitle generation and translation tool developed by Jiesi Ma that enables video content creators and translators to recognize dialogue in videos and generate SRT/ASS subtitles. It operates locally on macOS and Windows computers without requiring an internet connection, ensuring user privacy and offering auto-translation into 29 languages.

features

Key Features of Wave Subs

Wave Subs provides a suite of features designed for efficient and private subtitle generation and translation, leveraging local processing capabilities.

  • Recognizes dialogue in videos using AI.
  • Generates subtitles in SRT and ASS formats.
  • Translates generated subtitles into 29 different languages automatically.
  • Operates entirely locally on the user's computer.
  • Functions completely offline, requiring no internet connection.
  • Ensures user privacy by not requiring accounts or video uploads.
  • The software is fully open source, with its codebase available on GitHub.

use cases

Who Should Use Wave Subs?

Wave Subs is primarily designed for individuals and professionals who require a private, offline solution for video subtitling and translation.

  • Video Content Creators: For generating accurate subtitles for their video content without relying on online services.
  • Translators: To quickly translate video dialogue into multiple languages for localization efforts.
  • Educators and Students: For creating accessible video content or studying foreign language videos with translated subtitles.
  • Privacy-Conscious Users: Individuals who prioritize keeping their video content and data off cloud servers.

how to use

How to Use Wave Subs

To use Wave Subs, users download and install the application on their macOS or Windows computer, then import their video files for processing.

  • 1Download the Wave Subs application from the official website (wavesubs.com/en/) or GitHub repository (github.com/jason-jm/wavesubs).
  • 2Install the application on a macOS or Windows operating system.
  • 3Launch Wave Subs on your local machine.
  • 4Import the desired video file into the application.
  • 5Utilize the AI to recognize dialogue and generate SRT/ASS subtitles.
  • 6Optionally, select one of the 29 supported languages for automatic subtitle translation.

pricing

Wave Subs Pricing & Plans

Wave Subs is offered completely free of charge. As an open-source project, all features and functionalities are accessible without any payment or subscription.

  • Free: All features included, no cost.

Pros

  • +Completely free to use with no hidden costs.
  • +Operates entirely offline, ensuring maximum user privacy.
  • +Fully open source, allowing for transparency and community contributions.
  • +Supports auto-translation into 29 different languages.
  • +Generates industry-standard SRT/ASS subtitle formats.
  • +No user accounts or video uploads required.

Cons

  • −Limited to local desktop use (macOS, Windows) with no web or mobile versions.
  • −Feature set is focused solely on subtitle generation and translation, lacking broader video editing or AI voiceover capabilities found in some competitors.
  • −Relies on local machine processing power, which may vary in performance.
  • −No direct integrations with video editing software mentioned.
  • −Support and updates are community-driven due to its open-source nature, which might be less predictable than commercial products.

Similar Tools

Wave Subs vs Competitors

Wave Subs distinguishes itself in the subtitle generation and translation market through its offline operation, open-source nature, and commitment to user privacy, contrasting with many online-first or proprietary solutions.

1

Maestra AI

Offers AI-powered automatic subtitle generation, translation, and styling for videos, similar to Wave Subs.

Visit→
2

Descript

Provides AI-driven automatic transcription and captioning integrated with video editing, serving a similar content creation audience.

View on Stork→
3

VEED.io

Online video editor with AI auto-captioning, styling, and translation features, directly comparable for video content creators.

Visit→
4

HappyScribe

Specializes in AI-powered automatic transcription and subtitle generation for various media, offering high accuracy and multiple languages.

Visit→
5

Kapwing

Online video editor with AI auto-captioning, customizable styles, and collaborative features for content creation.

View on Stork→

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GitHubgithub.com/jason-jm/wavesubs

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