Trancy alternative: WatchTranslate or Trancy for foreign videos?
Trancy is a study tool: it shows bilingual captions on YouTube and several streaming and course sites, saves words and drills them with flashcards. If what you need is subtitles on whatever you are watching, including Bilibili, X, your own files and videos with no captions, WatchTranslate listens to the audio and writes them as you watch.
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Trancy and WatchTranslate side by side
Only what each tool's own pages say, checked on the date shown in the sources.
| No captions on the video | Sites and devices | Study and keep | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WatchTranslate | Listens to the speech and writes subtitles as you watch, on YouTube, X, Bilibili and other video sites[1] | Chrome / Edge on a computer, local files in the browser, and Android and iPhone apps for web videos and phone files[2, 3] | Original and translation on screen together; export the subtitles as SRT or VTT[4] |
| Trancy | AI subtitles for videos without captions: a Premium feature on YouTube[5] | Desktop extension for YouTube and streaming sites such as Netflix and Disney+; iOS and Android apps centred on learning from YouTube[6] | Saves words with the sentence they came from; flashcard practice is free, and the free plan keeps up to 100 words[7] |
| YouTube auto-translate | Needs a caption track on the video first[8] | YouTube only, in YouTube's own player[8] | Free and built in[8] |
WatchTranslate wrote this page. We are not affiliated with Trancy or YouTube; names belong to their owners.
A study tool and a watching tool
People who search for a Trancy alternative usually hit one of three walls: the show they want is not on YouTube or a big streaming service, the video has no captions to start from, or they want to keep watching on a phone browser or a file they downloaded. Trancy and WatchTranslate overlap on the basics, two lines on screen while you watch, but they are built for different jobs.
WatchTranslate: subtitles for whatever you are watching
When a video already has captions, WatchTranslate translates them. When it has none, it listens to the people speaking and writes the original sentence and your language a few seconds behind the picture. That works on YouTube, on X posts, on Bilibili and on other video sites, which matters for learners of Chinese, Korean or Turkish whose material rarely lives on Netflix.
Files on your computer play in the browser's local player without being uploaded. On a phone, the Android and iPhone apps open web videos in their own browser and translate videos saved on the phone. You can show the original, the translation or both, and export the result as SRT or VTT to study later in any player. Sign-up gives 20 free minutes; after that you pay per minute in points, and a video someone already translated into the same language usually costs nothing.
Trancy: built around vocabulary and practice
Trancy's strength is everything around the subtitles. Its manual describes looking up words while you watch, saving them with their pronunciation, meaning and example sentence, and reviewing them with flashcards, which are free. On YouTube, Premium adds AI Subtitle for videos without captions; on Netflix, Disney+, Udemy, Coursera, TED, edX and HBO Max it works with the captions those sites provide.
The iOS and Android apps focus on learning from YouTube, with bilingual subtitles, summaries and speaking practice. If you study mainly from YouTube and streaming shows that already have captions, and you want a word deck built in, Trancy is designed for exactly that.
Using both
They are separate extensions, so you do not have to pick one forever. A common split is Trancy for Netflix evenings and vocabulary review, and WatchTranslate for Bilibili, X clips, downloaded lectures and anything with no captions. If both draw subtitles on the same video, switch one off for that tab.
What we tried
On a computer with the current extension, signed out of Vimeo: open a Spanish lecture, click the WatchTranslate icon in the toolbar and click Translate this video.
- Works
Spanish architecture lecture on Vimeo · English line by line
“Hola, buenas tardes.” came through as “Hello, good afternoon.” on the Vimeo player, with the Spanish underneath.
Tested 10 Nov 2026 · extension 0.5.755 · Chrome · signed out of Vimeo
Watch on your phone
Scan to get the app
Already use Trancy? Keep it for your word deck and add WatchTranslate for the videos it does not cover.
About Trancy and WatchTranslate
Is WatchTranslate a Trancy alternative?
For watching, yes. Both put the original and your language on screen. WatchTranslate also covers X, Bilibili, other video sites and local files, and it makes subtitles from the audio when there are none. It has no built-in flashcard deck.
Does Trancy make subtitles for videos without captions?
Trancy's own FAQ says its AI Subtitle is YouTube-only and a Premium feature. On its other supported sites it uses the captions the site already has.
Which one works on Bilibili or X?
WatchTranslate works on both, and on other video sites such as Vimeo, where we tested a Spanish lecture. Trancy's supported-site list does not name Bilibili or X.
Can I study vocabulary with WatchTranslate?
Not inside the tool. You can show both lines, pause on a sentence, and export the subtitles as SRT or VTT to review in another app or player.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. The Android and iPhone apps have a built-in browser for web videos and can translate videos stored on the phone.
Can I translate a video file I downloaded?
Yes. Open WatchTranslate's local player in the browser and pick the file; it plays and translates there without being uploaded.
How much does WatchTranslate cost?
Signing up gives 20 free points, about 20 minutes, with no card. After that you pay per minute in points, and a video someone already translated into your language usually costs nothing.
How accurate are subtitles made from the audio?
Clear speech works best. Loud music, heavy accents or several people talking at once lower accuracy, and you can always hear the original to check.
Can I keep using Trancy?
Yes. They are separate extensions. Turn one off on a tab if both draw subtitles on the same video.
Keep reading
Choosing a tool
Learning from video
- Bilingual subtitlesThe original and your language together
- YouTube video has no subtitles
- Export subtitles
Beyond YouTube
More: All guides · Supported sites
Sources (checked on the date shown)
- watchtranslate.com/supported-sites ·
- watchtranslate.com/guides/watch-local-video-without-subtitles ·
- watchtranslate.com/app/download ·
- watchtranslate.com/guides/export-video-with-subtitles ·
- manual.trancy.org/en/billing-and-plans/premium ·
- manual.trancy.org/en/get-started/download-mobile-app ·
- manual.trancy.org/en/get-started/use-learning-deck/practice-words ·
- support.google.com/youtube/answer/6373554?hl=en ·