Updated 2026-06-28

How to Add Captions to a Video Without a Watermark on iPhone

By the iPhone Captions editorial team · Updated 2026-06-28

Lots of 'free' caption apps and web tools let you caption a clip, then stamp a watermark across the export unless you subscribe. Here's how to get a clean, watermark-free captioned video on iPhone.

How do I add captions without a watermark on iPhone?

Use a tool that doesn't watermark the export. Apple's free Clips app adds no watermark. Subly is free to download and exports watermark-free after a one-time $4.99 in-app purchase (no subscription). CapCut exports clean if you delete its end-card. Avoid web tools that overlay a logo unless you pay monthly.

Where the watermark comes from

A watermark is the app's branding burned into your export — a logo, a handle, or an end-card clip. Free tiers use it as advertising and as pressure to upgrade. The fix is to use a tool whose normal export is clean, or whose watermark you can remove for a fair price.

Your watermark-free options on iPhone

Apple Clips — free, no watermark, captions videos you record. Limited styling and no SRT, but genuinely clean.
Subly — free to download; a one-time $4.99 in-app purchase removes the watermark and unlocks full-quality export; no subscription, no per-export credits.
CapCut — exports without a watermark if you delete the default end-card before exporting (it doesn't stamp the body of the video).
Web caption tools — many keep a logo on the export unless you subscribe monthly. Check the preview before you spend time editing.

Caption clean with Subly

Import and caption. Bring in your clip and auto-transcribe it on-device.
Unlock clean export. The one-time $4.99 in-app purchase removes the watermark and the resolution cap.
Export full quality. Save a watermark-free video at full resolution, with an optional SRT/VTT file.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best free caption app with no watermark on iPhone?

Apple's Clips app is free and adds no watermark, though it only captions videos you record and has limited styling. For more control without a subscription, Subly is free to download and a one-time $4.99 in-app purchase removes its watermark.

Does CapCut put a watermark on captioned videos?

CapCut doesn't watermark the body of the video, but it adds a default end-card with its logo. Delete that end clip before exporting and your video is clean.

Why do web caption tools add a watermark?

It's how free tiers advertise and push you to a monthly plan. Always check the export preview — if you see a logo, you'll usually need to subscribe to remove it.

Written for iPhone users. App features and iOS steps can change between versions — check the latest before you rely on them. How we test & our sources →