The complete 2026 guide to OBS subtitles. Three methods compared — including the OBS captions plugin, LocalVocal, and StreamTranslate. Here's which one actually works.
Start Free TrialOBS Studio doesn't have built-in subtitle/caption functionality by default. Over the years, several approaches have emerged — each with different requirements, accuracy levels, and reliability. Here's an honest comparison.
This is a third-party plugin for OBS that uses Google's Web Speech API for speech-to-text. It's free, works on Windows and Mac, and adds a caption source directly in OBS. The downsides: it requires a Google Chrome browser running in the background, is English-only, has inconsistent accuracy especially in noisy environments, and has had maintenance gaps over the years. It works, but it's not polished.
LocalVocal is a newer OBS plugin that runs OpenAI's Whisper model locally on your GPU for speech-to-text. The advantages: it works completely offline, no API costs, and Whisper has excellent accuracy. The major downside: it requires a powerful NVIDIA GPU (RTX 20-series or newer), adds significant GPU load (which can impact gaming performance), and the latency is 2-5 seconds (not truly real-time). Good for streamers with powerful PCs who prioritize privacy; not ideal for gaming streamers who need GPU headroom.
StreamTranslate is a cloud-based service that provides captions via OBS Browser Source URL. No GPU required. Supports 50+ languages and real-time translation. Sub-500ms latency. Powered by Deepgram Nova-2 — the most accurate STT engine available. Works on any OBS-capable computer. Free trial, then $9.99/month.
Go to streamtranslate.live/setup and create your free trial account. This generates your unique browser source URL.
Open OBS, select the scene you want to add subtitles to. You'll add a new source to this scene.
In the Sources panel at the bottom left of OBS, click the + (add) button. Select "Browser" from the dropdown menu. Name it something recognizable, like "StreamTranslate Captions."
In the Browser Source settings dialog, paste your StreamTranslate browser source URL into the URL field. Set Width to 1920 and Height to 1080 (or your stream resolution). Check "Shutdown source when not visible."
In the OBS preview window, drag your Browser Source to the position where you want captions. Typically the bottom third or bottom fifth of the frame. Resize if needed.
Click "Start Recording" (not streaming) in OBS, speak for 30 seconds, and watch for captions appearing in your scene. Verify accuracy and positioning before your actual stream.
Click "Start Streaming." StreamTranslate captions appear in real time as you speak. Every viewer on every platform sees them without any viewer-side action.
The obs-captions-plugin relies on a browser running in the background and Google's free Speech API, which has usage limits and inconsistent reliability. LocalVocal is excellent but requires a high-end GPU and introduces 2-5 seconds of latency — making captions feel disconnected from speech. StreamTranslate uses dedicated cloud infrastructure and Deepgram Nova-2, delivering sub-500ms latency without any GPU overhead, on any computer, with support for 50+ languages.
For streamers who want professional-quality subtitles without technical headaches: StreamTranslate is the answer in 2026.
Captions not appearing: Check that your microphone is set as the default audio input in OBS and that StreamTranslate has permission to access your audio. Refresh the browser source by right-clicking it and selecting "Interact" or "Refresh."
High latency captions: Check your internet connection. StreamTranslate requires a stable upload connection. Wired ethernet is preferable to Wi-Fi for lowest latency.
Poor accuracy: Check microphone position, reduce background noise, and ensure your voice is the loudest audio source in your OBS mix. See our guide on improving caption accuracy.
StreamTranslate via Browser Source is the recommended method. It requires no GPU, works on any computer, has sub-500ms latency, supports 50+ languages, and is powered by Deepgram Nova-2 for high accuracy. Free trial available.
LocalVocal works offline and is free but requires a powerful NVIDIA GPU, adds 2-5 seconds of latency, and lacks translation support. StreamTranslate has lower latency, no GPU requirement, and includes translation into 50+ languages.
OBS Studio doesn't have native subtitle functionality. You need either a plugin (like LocalVocal or obs-captions-plugin) or a browser source service like StreamTranslate.
Check that your microphone is the active audio input in OBS. Right-click your StreamTranslate Browser Source and select Refresh. Ensure StreamTranslate has audio access permissions in your browser source settings.
Yes. StreamTranslate supports 50+ language translations. Configure your target language in the StreamTranslate dashboard, and the captions displayed in OBS will be in that language.
Yes. When you add StreamTranslate as a Browser Source in OBS, the captions are part of your video output. Every viewer on every platform sees them automatically — no viewer-side action required.