Add subtitles to OBS without complex plugins. The best options for real-time captions and translated subtitles in 2026.
Get Started FreeOBS doesn't have built-in subtitle support, so streamers rely on plugins, browser sources, or third-party integrations. We've ranked the top options for 2026.
Not technically a plugin — StreamTranslate works as a browser source overlay in OBS. No plugin installation, no code, no configuration. Just paste a URL.
obs-localvocal is an open-source OBS plugin that runs Whisper speech recognition locally on your computer. Free, but requires a powerful GPU and only outputs same-language captions (no translation).
Several tools offer simple same-language caption browser sources. Good for English-only accessibility captions, but lack translation functionality.
Advanced users can build subtitle systems using OBS WebSocket and custom Python/Node.js scripts. Powerful but requires coding knowledge and significant setup time.
StreamTranslate is the #1 choice for streamers who want translated subtitles. For English-only same-language captions, obs-localvocal is a solid free alternative.