Subtitle Finder & Downloader: 5 Best Subtitle Search Engines
All modern media players support subtitles. To use an external subtitle file, its name must match the video’s name, except for the file extension.
For instance, if the video is called raymond.avi, the subtitle should be raymond.srt. Finding the correct subtitle can be tricky due to the various versions available.
Fortunately, some tools can simplify the process.
What are the best subtitle finder & downloader tools?
1. Sublight
Sublight is a free tool that helps manage subtitles with a modern interface. It searches and downloads subtitles from various sources, and it can also edit and synchronize them. After five years of development, it has gained over 100,000 active users.
How It Works:
Simply select the video file, and Sublight will attempt to identify the video title and release year. You can also search manually. Once you click “Search subtitles,” results will be shown, and you can download the correct file with a right-click. Sublight automatically renames and places the subtitle file in the same directory as the video.
Pros:
- Easy to use and intuitive.
- Can edit and synchronize subtitles.
- Works on Windows (both setup and portable versions).
Cons:
- May take a few tries to find the exact match, as it doesn’t use hash searching.
2. SubiT
SubiT is a straightforward tool designed for fast subtitle downloads. It allows you to search, download, extract, and rename subtitles with minimal effort.
How It Works:
Right-click on the video file and select SubiT, or manually load the file in the program. It automatically downloads the subtitle and closes when done. If multiple versions exist, they’ll appear in the “Versions” box.
Pros:
- Simple and quick subtitle download.
- Supports both Windows and Unix.
Cons:
- Default language is Hebrew; needs manual adjustment for other languages.
Read more:
3. ALLSubtitleSearcher
ALLSubtitleSearcher monitors subtitle availability and checks for updates automatically at set intervals. It only supports the OpenSubtitles.org database.
How It Works:
Right-click the video file and select ALLSubtitleSearcher, or manually add the title in the program. The tool automatically downloads the subtitle and extracts it, though it keeps the original file name.
Pros:
- Automatically checks for new subtitles at intervals.
- Can search from within the program.
Cons:
- Limited to OpenSubtitles.org.
- File name remains unchanged after download.
4. SubDownloader
SubDownloader is free for Mac OS X and Linux but requires a €15 purchase for the Windows version after a 15-day trial. It uses file hashing to ensure exact subtitle matches.
How It Works:
Search for individual videos or entire folders. SubDownloader will find 100% matching subtitles based on the video file hash.
Pros:
- Guarantees perfect subtitle match.
- Batch search available.
Cons:
- Limited to available hash-matched subtitles, sometimes missing matches.
5. Subs Grabber
Subs Grabber is a shareware that costs €15 after a 30-day free trial. It pulls subtitles from 10 different databases and retrieves movie details and posters.
How It Works:
Search for subtitles from multiple databases. While it pulls information from a variety of sources, it lacks the automation features present in other tools.
Pros:
- Retrieves subtitles from multiple databases.
- Includes movie posters and details.
Cons:
- Limited to one subtitle search at a time.
- Doesn’t automatically unpack or rename subtitles.
Final Notes
We’ve also tested tools like Oscar, Subtitles, OpenSubtitleSearch, and SubCrawler, but they didn’t make the list due to reliability issues. In our experience, Sublight is reliable for most searches. However, if you need a precise match quickly, SubDownloader is the go-to tool, and you can fall back on Sublight when needed.
You the man Raymond, you the man, hope you are still at it.
Sublight : Dead project.
SubiT : Doesn’t find anything at all. Dead project.
ALLSubtitleSearcher : Crappy UI, very small amount of results, no sync…
Great article ! Very useful…
gosubtitle.com is a great site to transcribe subtitle for any movie.
Hi All, for ease of use and great ui, you can also use this open source project
github.com/atulgpt/SubtitleDownloader
It supports folder recursive search as well as drag n drop
Usually I will download the subtitles from srt720.com. This site is one of the largest subtitles databases provider. You can easily find subtitles for the most popular and latest movies and TV films.
SUBIT look very good to me but right now it is only working with addic7ed provider only. Happy with it
Anything for mac?
I use 1sub.org for get new subtitles …
Sublight – was awesome but isn’t free anymore
ALLSubtitleSearcher – next best thing
SubIT – doesn’t work very accurately for me
@Kari Rautiainen…thanks for the link…the batch search/download feature in Open Subdownloader is quite good.
Hey,
I just created a very simple program that fetches matching subtitles from Opensubtitles.org, which works really well. There are versions for Mac and Windows. You can also easily select which language you want the subtitles in. I made a website for it here repsacc.github.io
Please comment on the site at the very bottom to give me feedback :)
Do you still have your tool?
Thanks dude..its very useful information…i downloaded first 4 softwares and i think subdownloader is pretty good and also small software
Here’s a better version compared to SubDownloader. It’s Open Subdownloader and it’s free and newer: launchpad.net/opensubdownloader
The best subtitles search and download engine for movies at subteller.com
thanks for sharing. It does really help a lot. really !
hard-to-get right subtitle faced me for a long time!
I found your article, then its easily solved.
thanks dude!
thanks
thanks so much! i chose Oscar and it worked just fine..
Hi there, chanced on your blog, looking for subtitle meta-search.
By the way – there’s a little utility listed in the software section of opensubtitles.org, I think it’s called TimeAdjuster, it’s an executable (no need to install) and it’s really easy to use to sync a given subs file with your particular movie (I suppose as long as the CD count is right). There’s a picture tutorial on the site as well.
I was amazed how easily that worked, previously I had to used various sub editing software, it was complicated.
Check it out.
Tried again and now it works. Thank you!
That’s why your blog is my no. 1!
I had a problem with the Equilibrium movie, I couldn’t find a subtitle matching the movie frames but I finally did with the program you recommended, thanks a lot, this is the third time you help me with some issues in my computer
great Raymond
I can’t say anything but , Thank you man
Raymond,
Let me express my admiration for your work and for the constant quality and usefulness of the posts in your blog. I will eagerly try the software you mention as this problem is been bugging me for years now.
Anyway, if these software don’t find the right subtitle for your AVI or if you just happen to have the only subtitles there is on the Internet for this unique and hard to find movie, SubtitleWorkshop from URUSoft is an excellent and complete tool to manually sync them to the movie.
Yet another great tip from your blog. Thanks again Raymond.