ViewGum vs Captions
Captions is an AI video editor that auto-captions and edits talking-head video and generates avatar and AI twin videos. ViewGum is a short-form video editor that makes a finished vertical short from a typed topic, with a script and voiceover, or from one talking-head take.
Facts about Captions checked October 20, 2026, from its own public pages
ViewGum is an AI short-form video editor for creators who want to grow and earn on YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels and Facebook Reels. It turns a topic or a talking-head take into a finished short: faceless explainers, cartoon shorts and talking-head edits, with script, voice, captions and music.
ViewGum is best for
- Make monetizable YouTube Shorts with AI
- Faceless cartoon shorts for TikTok
- Edit a talking-head take into a Short
- Faceless explainer shorts for Instagram Reels
- Turn a topic into a finished short with captions and voice
At a glance
- Captions auto-captions video with stylized fonts, and its subtitles cover 100+ languages.
- Captions generates new avatars or a digital twin called AI Twin; ViewGum has no AI avatars.
- Captions AI Edit runs up to 1 minute on web and desktop and 2 minutes on iOS, per its feature availability page.
- Captions lists Max at $24.99 a month for 500 credits; its pricing page shows iOS plans only (checked October 20, 2026).
- Both edit by chat: Captions through its chat-based editor, ViewGum through plain words in chat.
Side by side
| Row | ViewGum | Captions |
|---|---|---|
| What it makes | A finished vertical short: script, voiceover or your own take, pictures, captions, music and sound | Fully edited videos from your footage, plus generated avatar and digital twin videos1 |
| Starts from | A typed topic, or one talking-head take you upload | Not listed publicly |
| Editing | Ask for changes in plain words in chat, swap a part, or pick another style | AI Edit (curated styles, chat-based 'Text to edit'), plus a Manual Editor on iOS and desktop (not web).2 |
| Vertical sizing | One 9:16 export that fits TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels | AI Edit: 9:16 and 16:9 on iOS and web; Manual Editor: 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 and 4:5 on iOS and desktop3 |
| Length | 15 to 90 seconds for a faceless short | AI Edit up to 1 minute on web and desktop and 2 minutes on iOS; Manual Editor up to 10 minutes3 |
| Captions | Burned in, timed to each spoken word, kept inside one safe zone that clears all four apps' buttons | Auto-captions with stylized fonts; subtitles in 100+ languages; multi-language captions; SRT download.1 |
| Voice | AI voiceover on faceless shorts; your own voice on talking-head edits | AI voiceover, voice clone in supported languages, and AI dubbing into nearly 30 languages (release notes)4 |
| Presenters | Your own on-camera take | Generate new avatars or make a digital twin (AI Twin); AI Creator talking-head avatars from a script.1 |
| Posting | MP4 export with post copy written for each platform; no direct posting | TikTok publishing through Social Studio (October 2024 release notes); other direct posting not listed4 |
| Free tier | No free plan; welcome bonus credits once, plus a small daily sign-in bonus | Yes: basic editing only; AI features need a subscription.2 |
| Watermark | No ViewGum watermark | Their own pages differ on whether free exports carry a Captions watermark5 |
| Price from | Bonus credits to start, then Creator at $19.00 a month | Free, $0 a month (No AI usage credits; trimming, transitions, basic tools and 1 caption template)2 |
| API | No public REST API; software uses the MCP server | Release notes say the Captions API is available to developers (June 2024)4 |
| Agent (MCP) access | An MCP server at https://viewgum.com/mcp for paid plans | Not listed publicly |
Two ways to make a short
| Step | ViewGum | Captions |
|---|---|---|
| Script | Script: included with ViewGum.A script built for a short: a hook, a build and a payoff | Script: not listed publicly for Captions.Not listed publicly |
| Voice | Voice: included with ViewGum.An AI voiceover, or your own voice on a talking-head edit | Voice: included with Captions.AI voiceover and voice clone4 |
| Pictures or video | Pictures or video: included with ViewGum.A picture or animation for each scene | Pictures or video: included with Captions.Generated avatar and digital twin videos1 |
| Captions | Captions: included with ViewGum.Timed to each word, inside one safe zone that clears all four apps | Captions: included with Captions.Auto-captions, subtitles in 100+ languages1 |
| Music and sound | Music and sound: included with ViewGum.Music and sound effects mixed under the voice | Music and sound: included with Captions.Generates royalty-free music or sound effects1 |
| Vertical export | Vertical export: included with ViewGum.One 9:16 export that fits all four apps, metadata stripped | Vertical export: included with Captions.AI Edit exports 9:163 |
| Change a part by asking | Change a part by asking: included with ViewGum.Ask in chat and ViewGum changes that part of the short | Change a part by asking: included with Captions.Chat-based 'Text to edit' in AI Edit2 |
| Price before it runs | Price before it runs: included with ViewGum.Quoted in credits first and charged exactly the quote | Price before it runs: not listed publicly for Captions.Not listed publicly |
The main difference
Captions edits video you bring and can generate avatar videos. It adds captions, applies AI Edit styles and takes chat-based edit requests, with a Manual Editor on iOS and desktop. ViewGum makes the short itself. It starts from a typed topic or one talking-head take, writes a script for a short with a hook in the first seconds, and puts a picture or animation under each scene on faceless shorts. It times one-line captions to each word and writes the post copy for each platform.
Made for monetizable content
- An original script written for your topic, not a template.
- Your own voice on a talking-head edit, or an AI voiceover on a faceless short.
- Visuals made for each scene, in a Cutout, Paper or Cartoon look, so the short is transformed, not reposted.
- Guidance on labeling AI content: How to label AI videos
Each platform decides what it pays for, and nothing here promises views or earnings. The rules in plain words: Can you monetize AI shorts?
Pricing
Captions
| Plan | Monthly | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | No AI usage credits; trimming, transitions, basic tools and 1 caption template |
| Max | $24.99 | 500 credits a month; AI Edit styles, AI videos, digital twins and the chat editor |
| Frontier | $69.99 | 1,400 credits a month |
| Frontier 2x | $139.99 | 2,800 credits a month |
| Frontier 4x | $279.99 | 5,600 credits a month |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom; bulk credit discounts |
Prices are for iOS plans, as the pricing page states. Yearly prices are not listed publicly. A Basic tier appears only in the help center, and its pages differ on free credits, so neither is listed.
Source: Captions pricing, checked October 20, 2026
ViewGum
| Plan | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Free | No free plan; welcome bonus credits once, plus a small daily sign-in bonus |
| Creator | $19.00 |
| Pro | $49.00 |
| Studio | $149.00 |
Credits are shared across shorts, edits and exports. Every paid action is quoted first and charged exactly the quote.
Who should pick which
Pick Captions if
- You want AI avatars, or a digital twin of yourself, to present your video.
- You want subtitles in 100+ languages and AI dubbing into nearly 30 languages.
- You want a manual editor on iOS or desktop beside the AI edit.
Pick ViewGum if
- You want the script written for you, not only captions and effects on a take.
- You make faceless shorts from a typed topic in a Cutout, Paper or Cartoon look, or as a drawn format.
- You want the credit price of each paid action before it runs, charged exactly.
Questions
Is ViewGum or Captions better for YouTube Shorts?
It depends on what you start with. Captions edits and captions video you bring and can generate avatar videos. ViewGum makes a finished Short from a topic or a talking-head take.
Does Captions have a free plan?
Yes, with limits. Captions' pricing page says the free plan includes basic tools like trimming, transitions and some media library assets, and AI features need a subscription (checked October 20, 2026). Its pages differ on whether free exports carry a watermark.
How much does Captions cost?
Captions lists Max at $24.99 a month for 500 credits and Frontier at $69.99 for 1,400 credits, with Frontier 2x at $139.99 and Frontier 4x at $279.99, per its pricing page in October 2026. The page says its prices reflect iOS plans only.
Does Captions add captions?
Yes. Captions auto-captions video with stylized fonts, offers subtitles in 100+ languages and lets you download an SRT file. ViewGum burns in captions timed to each spoken word, 1 to 6 words at a time, inside one safe zone that clears all four apps.
Does Captions have an API or an MCP server?
Captions lists an API for developers in its release notes and no MCP server on its public pages (checked October 20, 2026). ViewGum has an MCP server at https://viewgum.com/mcp for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other MCP clients, and no public REST API.
Can I edit the video after Captions makes it?
Yes. Captions' AI Edit takes chat-based edit requests, and iOS and desktop have a Manual Editor. ViewGum also edits by chat, quotes each change in credits and charges exactly the quote.
Sources
Facts about Captions come from its own public pages, checked October 20, 2026. Prices change, so check Captions's own pricing before you buy. All comparisons as data: compare.json
- www.captions.ai
- www.captions.ai/pricing
- captions.ai/help/docs/feature-availability
- captions.ai/help/updates/desktop
- captions.ai/help/docs/subscriptions
ViewGum's own pages
Make a short you can post
Start from a topic or your own take. ViewGum writes it, voices it, captions it and hands you one vertical export, then you change it by asking.
Sign in with Google. New accounts get bonus credits to start.