TranscriptYTTranscriptAPI.com Alternative: TranscriptYT vs. TranscriptAPI.com
TranscriptAPI.com and TranscriptYT both start from the same problem, public YouTube captions, and both now offer channel, playlist, and search endpoints alongside transcripts. The differences are in formats, extras, and price.
| TranscriptYT | TranscriptAPI.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Core focus | Transcripts, plus search, playlist, and channel listings | Transcripts plus channel/playlist/search endpoints |
| Output formats | JSON, text, SRT, VTT, CSV, Markdown | JSON, plus text-based formats |
| Free trial | 100 credits, one time | 100 credits, one time |
| Entry price | $3/mo for 1,000 credits | $5/mo for 1,000 credits ($4.50 billed yearly) |
| Extra credits | Top-ups on any plan, from $1.75 per 1,000 on Scale | Subscribers only, $2.50 per 1,000 ($1.50 on yearly) |
| 50,000 a month | $79 (Scale) | About $127.50 monthly, or $78 on yearly |
When TranscriptAPI.com is the better fit
If you already pay yearly up front and use around 10,000 transcripts a month, their yearly plan with $1.50 top-ups comes out cheaper (about $18 against our $24).
When TranscriptYT is the better fit
If you want to start small or pay monthly: $3 a month for 1,000, and $79 for 50,000 against about $127.50 on their monthly billing. You also get SRT, VTT, CSV, and Markdown output, translation into 150+ languages, AI transcription when a video has no captions, and an MCP server.
The short version
Both cover transcripts, search, and playlists. Paying monthly or starting small, TranscriptYT costs less and returns more formats; committed to a yearly plan at mid volume, TranscriptAPI.com can be cheaper.
Try TranscriptYT free