Closed Captions vs. Subtitles: Key Differences and When to Use Each

Accessible video content is no longer optional - it’s essential. Closed captions and subtitles play a crucial role in improving accessibility, comprehension, and audience reach. Yet many creators still ask: What is the difference between closed captions and subtitles? And when should you use each?

This guide explains the key differences between closed captions vs subtitles, the role of open captions vs closed captions, and how to choose the right option for your content.

What Are Closed Captions and Subtitles?

Although often confused, closed captions and subtitles serve different purposes.

What Are Closed Captions? 

Closed captions are designed primarily for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers. They include:

• Spoken dialogue
• Speaker identification
• Non-speech audio cues such as
• [music playing]
• [door creaks]
• [applause]

Closed captions can be turned on or off by the viewer and are widely used to meet accessibility regulations such as the ADA and WCAG.

What Are Subtitles? 

Subtitles are created mainly for language translation and comprehension. They:

• Display only spoken dialogue
• Do not include sound effects or background audio
• Help viewers understand content in a different language

Subtitles are ideal for reaching international and multilingual audiences.

Open Captions vs Closed Captions: What’s the Difference? 

Another common comparison is open captions vs closed captions.

Closed Captions

• Can be toggled on or off
• Flexible for user preferences
• Required for accessibility compliance on many platforms

Open Captions

• Permanently embedded (“burned in”)
• Cannot be turned off
• Always visible on any device or platform

Open captions are best when: 

• Videos autoplay silently (social media feeds)
• Platforms don’t support caption toggling
• Content is viewed in noisy public spaces

Closed Captions vs Subtitles: Key Differences Explained

Feature	Closed Captions	Subtitles
Primary Purpose	Accessibility for hearing-impaired viewers	Language translation
Includes Sound Effects	Yes	No
Speaker Identification	Yes	No
User Control	On / Off	Usually On / Off
Compliance Use	Required for accessibility laws	Not compliance-focused

 

When Should You Use Closed Captions vs Subtitles? 

Use Closed Captions When: 

• Accessibility compliance is required (ADA, WCAG)
• Your audience includes deaf or hard-of-hearing users
• You want to improve engagement, retention, and SEO

Closed captions improve:

• Watch time
• User experience
• Search visibility

Use Subtitles When: 

• Targeting international audiences
• Translating content into multiple languages
• Creating multilingual marketing or training videos

Subtitles help:

• Expand global reach
• Improve comprehension
• Increase content sharing

Use Open Captions When: 

• Videos autoplay without sound (social platforms)
• Devices or platforms lack caption support
• You want guaranteed text visibility

Why Captions and Subtitles Matter for SEO and Engagement? 

Both captions and subtitles:

• Improve video SEO (search engines index text)
• Increase viewer retention
• Enhance accessibility and compliance
• Support AI and voice search discovery

Properly optimized captions help your content appear in:

• Featured snippets
• Voice search results
• AI-generated summaries

Conclusion

Understanding the difference between closed captions and subtitles helps you choose the right solution for accessibility, compliance, and global reach.

• Choose closed captions for accessibility and legal compliance
• Choose subtitles for translation and international audiences
• Choose open captions when visibility must be guaranteed

By selecting the right captioning method, you ensure your content is inclusive, discoverable, and engaging.

At myTranscriptionPlace, we provide professional closed captioning and subtitling services designed to improve accessibility, compliance, and viewer engagement. From live captioning to multilingual subtitles, we help your content reach everyone.

Best Translation Service

English to Indonesian Translation | English to Spanish Translation | English to Italian Translation | English to Russian Translation | English to Danish Translation | English to Vietnamese Translation | English to Japanese Translation | English to Finnish Translation | English to Dutch Translation | English to Arabic Translation | English to Norwegian Translation | English to Greek Translation.

FAQs

1. What is the main difference between closed captions and subtitles?

Closed captions include dialogue plus non-speech audio cues for accessibility, while subtitles display only spoken dialogue and are mainly used for language translation.

2. Are closed captions helpful for people without hearing loss?

Yes. Closed captions help in noisy environments, improve comprehension, support language learners, and allow viewers to watch videos without sound.

3. Do subtitles include music and sound effects?

No. Subtitles generally show only spoken dialogue and do not include descriptions of music, sound effects, or background noises.

4. Can closed captions and subtitles be turned off?

Closed captions can be turned on or off by viewers. Subtitles are also usually optional, but open captions are permanently visible and cannot be turned off.

5. Which is better for accessibility: subtitles or closed captions?

Closed captions are better for accessibility because they include dialogue, sound effects, and speaker identification, making content fully accessible for hearing-impaired users.