YouTube Transcript API Alternatives: Supadata, TranscriptAPI and More (2026)
Four YouTube transcript APIs compared on free tier, entry price, volume plans, rate limits, videos without captions and extras, from each provider's own site, checked October 12 to 15, 2026.
BY GETYOUTUBETRANSCRIPT · PUBLISHED OCTOBER 24, 2026
Quick answer
Facts below come from each tool's own site or store listing, checked October 12 to 15, 2026. We make GetYouTubeTranscript, so it is marked and described by the same criteria as the rest. Where a price or limit is not published, we say so.
| Tool | Best for | Pricing | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GetYouTubeTranscriptour tool | Best for YouTube-only volume, batch jobs and AI frameworks | 100 free credits on signup (no card). $5/month for 1,000 credits, $54/year, higher-volume plans at $19, $49, and $99/month for 7,500 to 60,000 credits. Top-ups $1.50 to $2.50 per 1,000. 200 to 600 requests per minute. Failed requests are never charged. | YouTube only, and a video with no captions returns an error instead of an AI transcript (no credit is charged). |
| Supadata | Best for more than YouTube | Free plan: 100 credits a month at 1 request per second. The cheapest paid plan is $5/month billed annually ($60/year) for 300 credits; about $47/month buys 30,000 credits. Extra credits via auto recharge from $10 per 1,000. AI transcripts cost 2 credits per minute of video. Checked October 12, 2026. | Fewer credits per dollar on the entry plans, and no Chrome extension was listed. |
| TranscriptAPI | Leanest YouTube-only API | 100 free credits on signup (no card). $5/month for 1,000 credits or $54/year. Top-ups $1.50 to $2.50 per 1,000. 200 to 300 requests per minute. | No higher-volume plans were listed, no AI-framework packages (cURL, Python and JavaScript examples only), no free web tool or Chrome extension, no AI summary or chat, and billing is per successful request. |
| youtubetranscript.dev | Best for videos without captions | 100 free credits a month. The cheapest paid plan is $9/month for 1,200 credits, or pay as you go at $99 for 9,900 credits that never expire. AI speech-to-text costs 5 credits per 10 minutes. | More per credit than the $5, 1,000-credit plans elsewhere here, only 5 playlist and 3 channel bulk jobs a month on Basic, no higher-volume plans listed, and no Chrome extension listed. |
GetYouTubeTranscript
Best for YouTube-only volume, batch jobs and AI frameworks · our tool
A REST API and a hosted MCP server: transcript, search, playlist and channel endpoints, and a batch API of up to 100 videos per call. Python, Node.js, LangChain, LlamaIndex, CrewAI and Haystack packages, n8n, Zapier and Activepieces integrations, and a free web tool and Chrome extension on the same account.
Pricing: 100 free credits on signup (no card). $5/month for 1,000 credits, $54/year, higher-volume plans at $19, $49, and $99/month for 7,500 to 60,000 credits. Top-ups $1.50 to $2.50 per 1,000. 200 to 600 requests per minute. Failed requests are never charged.
Limitation: YouTube only, and a video with no captions returns an error instead of an AI transcript (no credit is charged).
Try GetYouTubeTranscriptSupadata
Best for more than YouTube
One API key for YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook and web pages, with an MCP server and Python and JavaScript SDKs. It can make an AI transcript for videos that have no captions.
Pricing: Free plan: 100 credits a month at 1 request per second. The cheapest paid plan is $5/month billed annually ($60/year) for 300 credits; about $47/month buys 30,000 credits. Extra credits via auto recharge from $10 per 1,000. AI transcripts cost 2 credits per minute of video. Checked October 12, 2026.
Limitation: Fewer credits per dollar on the entry plans, and no Chrome extension was listed.
Visit SupadataTranscriptAPI
Leanest YouTube-only API
A REST API for YouTube transcripts with search, channel and playlist endpoints and an MCP server, plus free endpoints for caption languages, latest uploads and handle lookup. Checked on transcriptapi.com on October 15, 2026.
Pricing: 100 free credits on signup (no card). $5/month for 1,000 credits or $54/year. Top-ups $1.50 to $2.50 per 1,000. 200 to 300 requests per minute.
Limitation: No higher-volume plans were listed, no AI-framework packages (cURL, Python and JavaScript examples only), no free web tool or Chrome extension, no AI summary or chat, and billing is per successful request.
Visit TranscriptAPIyoutubetranscript.dev
Best for videos without captions
A REST API with an MCP server and a free web tool. It makes AI speech-to-text transcripts for videos without captions, translates into 100+ languages, runs bulk jobs of up to 500 videos, and adds study tools such as flashcards and quizzes. Checked on its site on October 14, 2026.
Pricing: 100 free credits a month. The cheapest paid plan is $9/month for 1,200 credits, or pay as you go at $99 for 9,900 credits that never expire. AI speech-to-text costs 5 credits per 10 minutes.
Limitation: More per credit than the $5, 1,000-credit plans elsewhere here, only 5 playlist and 3 channel bulk jobs a month on Basic, no higher-volume plans listed, and no Chrome extension listed.
Visit youtubetranscript.devWhich should you choose?
Pick Supadata if you need TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook or web pages as well, or AI transcripts for videos with no captions. Pick TranscriptAPI for a lean YouTube-only API at a similar entry price. Pick youtubetranscript.dev if videos without captions, bulk jobs or study tools matter most. Pick GetYouTubeTranscript if your videos have captions and you care about volume plans, batch jobs and ready-made packages for AI frameworks. The table above has each tool's price and its main limit; the sections give the detail.
Try GetYouTubeTranscriptFrequently asked questions
Which YouTube transcript API is cheapest to start?
GetYouTubeTranscript and TranscriptAPI both start at $5 a month for 1,000 credits. Supadata starts at $5 a month billed annually for 300 credits, and youtubetranscript.dev at $9 for 1,200. All four have a free tier.
Which one transcribes videos with no captions?
Supadata (2 credits per minute) and youtubetranscript.dev (5 credits per 10 minutes) make AI transcripts for videos without captions. GetYouTubeTranscript reads existing captions only, so those videos return an error and no credit is charged.
Do they all have an MCP server?
Yes. Supadata, TranscriptAPI, youtubetranscript.dev and GetYouTubeTranscript each list an MCP server for AI assistants.
Are the prices current?
They are what each provider's own site showed between October 12 and 15, 2026. Prices and limits change, so confirm on the provider's pricing page before you buy.
