Captio AI vs Google Translate
Captio AI and Google Translate compared for reading and translating a conversation: captions, Live translate, offline use, who is talking and price.
Facts checked on each company's own pages. How we compare
The short answer
Use Google Translate if you mainly need translation: it is free, Live translate covers 73 languages, typed text up to 249, and it translates text offline, and conversations offline on a Pixel 9, 10 or 11. Use Captio AI if you want to read a conversation as live captions, see who is talking, and keep the recording; it captions and translates in 60+ languages, free with 100 free credits a day.
Choose Google Translate if
you mainly need translation, want it free, also want typed text or text in photos translated, or have a Pixel 9, 10 or 11 and may lose signal.
Choose Captio AI if
you want captions of a conversation as it happens, follow a group, want to see who is talking, or want to keep recordings and turn them into notes.
Captio AI vs Google Translate, feature by feature
Tap any fact to see the details and the page it comes from.
| Feature | Captio AICaptio AI | Google TranslateGoogle |
|---|---|---|
| Works onThe phone you already have decides what you can use. | Captio AIYes: iPhone, iPad, AndroidOn the App Store (also listed for Apple silicon Macs and Apple Vision) and on Google Play since October 2026. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing | Google TranslateYes: Android, iPhone, iPadTranscribe and Live translate are in the app for Android phones and tablets and for iPhone and iPad. Google Translate also has a website, but Google's help pages describe these speech modes only in the app. Sources: Transcribe in Google Translate (Android phone & tablet) (Google), Transcribe in Google Translate (iPhone & iPad) (Google), Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google), Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google), Download & use Google Translate (Android and iPhone & iPa… (Google), Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing |
| NeedsOlder phones are often left out of built-in features. | Captio AIYes: iOS 15.1 or laterThe App Store lists iOS 15.1 or later for iPhone. Source: Apple App Store listing | Google TranslateYes: iOS 18 or later; Android not statedThe US App Store listing needs iOS 18.0 or later (iPadOS 18.0 on iPad). The Google Play listing doesn't state a minimum Android version; offline live translation needs a Pixel 9, 10 or 11. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing, Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google) |
| Captions people in the roomSpeech picked up by the phone's microphone, for face-to-face conversations. | Captio AIYes, from the phone's microphoneSpeech in the room appears as text while the person is still talking. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI) | Google TranslatePartly: Shows speech as text, made for translatingTranscribe shows a running translation of someone speaking, such as a lecture, and can show the original words too; Live translate has a Text only mode and a Face to face split screen. Google doesn't describe either as captions in the same language. Sources: Transcribe in Google Translate (Android phone & tablet) (Google), Transcribe in Google Translate (iPhone & iPad) (Google), Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google), Now you can transcribe speech with Google Translate (Mar… (Google (The Keyword blog)) |
| Live translationFor a conversation in a language you don't read. | Captio AIYes, live, two-way modeLive translation next to the original captions, with a two-way mode where each person reads the other in their own language. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Translator (Captio AI) | Google TranslateYes, Live translate and TranscribeLive translate translates a back-and-forth conversation out loud and on screen in more than 70 languages. Transcribe keeps translating one person speaking another language, in near real time. Sources: Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google), New AI-powered live translation and language learning too… (Google (The Keyword blog)), Apple App Store listing |
| Languages for live captionsThe number of spoken languages it can caption live. | Captio AIYes: 60+ languagesCaptions and translation in 60+ languages, including speech that switches languages mid-sentence. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI) | Google TranslateYes: 73 (Live translate), 8 (Transcribe)Google's Live translate help page lists 73 languages (its blog says more than 70), and the Google Play listing says Transcribe supports 8. Typed text translates between up to 249 languages, says the App Store listing; the older Play listing says 108 and a help page says over 200. Sources: Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google), New AI-powered live translation and language learning too… (Google (The Keyword blog)), Google Play listing, Now you can transcribe speech with Google Translate (Mar… (Google (The Keyword blog)), Apple App Store listing, Download & use Google Translate (Android and iPhone & iPa… (Google) |
| Live captions without internetPlanes, basements, hospitals and trips abroad often have no signal. | Captio AIPartly: Records offline, captions laterLive captions need internet. Without a connection it keeps recording and transcribes automatically when the phone is back online. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI) | Google TranslatePartly: Pixel 9, 10, 11 only, 10 language pairsOffline live translation works only on Pixel 9, 10 and 11, in 10 language pairs with English. On any phone, downloaded languages translate text without internet (59 languages, Play listing); Google doesn't say whether Transcribe works offline. Sources: Download languages to use offline (Google), Google Play listing, Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google) |
| Shows who is talkingWithout it, a group conversation is one block of text. | Captio AIYes, live and saved; names on iPhoneSeparates speakers (Speaker 1, Speaker 2). On iPhone it can learn saved voices and show their names instead. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI) | Google TranslateNot statedGoogle doesn't describe labels for who is talking. Live translate notices when one language stops and the other starts, and Face to face mode gives each of two people half of the screen. Source: Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google) |
| Group conversationsAt a table or in a meeting, voices come from every side. | Captio AIPartly: One phone, speaker labelsOne phone captions the whole table and labels each speaker. Shared folders let several people add recordings to one place; live captions are not joined across phones. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI) | Google TranslateNot statedLive translate is a two-language conversation where people take turns. Google's 2020 Transcribe post said it works best in a quiet room with one person speaking at a time. Sources: Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google), Now you can transcribe speech with Google Translate (Mar… (Google (The Keyword blog)), Transcribe in Google Translate (Android phone & tablet) (Google) |
| Saves transcriptsTo read a lecture, appointment or meeting again later. | Captio AIYes, with audio, syncedRecordings are saved with their audio in a searchable library and synced to your account. | Google TranslatePartly: Transcribe can save transcriptsAfter Transcribe you can tap Save transcript and find it later in your saved transcripts. Google doesn't say how long they are kept, or describe saving Live translate sessions. Sources: Transcribe in Google Translate (Android phone & tablet) (Google), Transcribe in Google Translate (iPhone & iPad) (Google) |
| Export and shareTo send notes to yourself, a carer or a colleague. | Captio AIYes: Text, link, PDF, emailShare a transcript or summary as text, a link, a PDF, an email, or a prompt for an AI chat. Source: AI Summary (Captio AI) | Google TranslateYes: Copy or share transcript textYou can select, copy and share a transcript's text to other apps. No file formats such as PDF are mentioned. Sources: Transcribe in Google Translate (Android phone & tablet) (Google), Transcribe in Google Translate (iPhone & iPad) (Google) |
| Transcribes audio and video filesFor recordings and videos that have no captions. | Captio AIYes: Audio and video filesUpload audio or video and get a full transcript with speaker labels. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Audio Transcription (Captio AI) | Google TranslateNot statedThe App Store listing names text, camera, photo, dictation, conversation, transcribe and handwriting features, but not transcribing an audio or video file. Source: Apple App Store listing |
| AI summariesKey points and to-dos from a long transcript. | Captio AIYes: Summary, key points, to-dosTurns transcripts into summaries, key points, notes, to-dos and follow-up messages. Free plan: 3 summaries in total. Sources: Apple App Store listing, AI Summary (Captio AI) | Google TranslateNot statedNo AI summaries or notes for conversations are described in Google's help pages or store listings. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing |
| Add your own words and namesNames, medicines and jargon are the words captions miss most. | Captio AIYes, words and namesAdd names, medical terms or specialist words so they are recognised. Source: Live Captions (Captio AI) | Google TranslateNot statedGoogle doesn't describe adding your own words or names. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing |
| Text size and coloursCaptions have to be readable at arm's length, flat on a table. | Captio AIYes: Text size, colours, contrastText size, background colour and contrast can be adjusted. Source: Live Captions (Captio AI) | Google TranslateYes: Font size in Transcribe; dark themeTranscribe lets you change the font size in its settings. Android has a dark theme in the app; on iPhone the app follows the phone's Dark Mode. Sources: Transcribe in Google Translate (Android phone & tablet) (Google), Transcribe in Google Translate (iPhone & iPad) (Google), Download & use Google Translate (Android and iPhone & iPa… (Google), Now you can transcribe speech with Google Translate (Mar… (Google (The Keyword blog)) |
| Where speech is processedOn the phone or in the cloud, and whether audio is kept. | Captio AIYes: Cloud; audio not stored on its serversSpeech is processed by third-party speech recognition after you agree. Audio is not stored on Captio AI's servers; content is never sold or used to train AI models. Source: Captio AI privacy policy | Google TranslatePartly: History syncs if signed in; audio not statedSigned in, your translations save to your Google account and can be managed in My Activity; signed out, history stays on the phone, and Google Play says no data is shared with third parties. Google's Translate help pages don't say whether speech audio is stored or used to train models. Sources: Find & manage Translate history (Android and iPhone & iPa… (Google), Google Play privacy policy, Apple App Store listing |
| Account neededSome people want to open the app and start, with no sign-up. | Captio AIPartly: OptionalSign in with Apple or Google to sync, or skip and use it on one phone. Source: Captio AI privacy policy | Google TranslateNot needed; sign-in syncs historyYou can use the app signed out, with history kept only on the phone. Signing in saves your translations to the cloud. Source: Find & manage Translate history (Android and iPhone & iPa… (Google) |
| Free planWhat you can do without paying. | Captio AIYes: 100 free credits a day + 3 summariesFree every day: 100 free credits a day for live captions or transcription, and 3 AI summaries in total. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Captio AI for AI assistants (llms.txt) | Google TranslateYes: Free, no in-app purchases listedThe App Store lists the app as Free, and the Google Play listing shows no in-app purchases. Sources: Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing |
| Paid plansPrices as listed by the company, with the country and date. | Captio AIYes: US$14.99/month or US$79.99/yearCaptio AI Plus on the US App Store, October 2026. No free trial. Prices differ by country. Source: Apple App Store listing | Google TranslateNo paid planNeither store lists a paid plan or subscription for Google Translate (US listings, October 2026). Sources: Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing |
What actually sets them apart
Can Google Translate be used as live captions?
Partly. Google built Transcribe and Live translate to translate: Transcribe shows a running translation of a speaker and can show the original words, and Live translate has a Text only mode, but Google doesn't describe either as captions in the same language. Captio AI shows speech in the room as text while the person is still talking, and can translate it too.
Sources: Transcribe in Google Translate (Android phone & tablet) (Google), Transcribe in Google Translate (iPhone & iPad) (Google), Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google), Now you can transcribe speech with Google Translate (Mar… (Google (The Keyword blog)), Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI), Live Translator (Captio AI)
How many languages does each one translate?
Google Translate covers more. Its Live translate help page lists 73 languages, Transcribe supports 8, and typed text translates between up to 249. Captio AI captions and translates speech in 60+ languages, including speech that switches languages mid-sentence.
Sources: Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google), New AI-powered live translation and language learning too… (Google (The Keyword blog)), Google Play listing, Now you can transcribe speech with Google Translate (Mar… (Google (The Keyword blog)), Apple App Store listing, Download & use Google Translate (Android and iPhone & iPa… (Google), Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI)
Does Google Translate work offline?
For text, yes, on any phone with downloaded languages; live translation works offline only on Pixel 9, 10 and 11, in 10 language pairs with English. Captio AI needs internet for live captions; without it, it keeps recording and transcribes when the phone is back online.
Sources: Download languages to use offline (Google), Google Play listing, Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google), Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI)
Which one shows who is talking?
Captio AI labels each speaker, live and in saved recordings, and on iPhone can show the names of people whose voices you saved. Google doesn't describe speaker labels; Live translate's Face to face mode gives each of two people half of the screen.
Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI), Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google)
Can you keep the conversation afterwards?
Both can save, in different ways. Google Translate's Transcribe lets you save a transcript and copy or share its text, and Google doesn't describe saving Live translate sessions. Captio AI saves recordings with their audio, synced to your account, and can turn them into a summary or to-dos.
Sources: Transcribe in Google Translate (Android phone & tablet) (Google), Transcribe in Google Translate (iPhone & iPad) (Google), Apple App Store listing, Captio AI privacy policy, AI Summary (Captio AI)
What does each one cost?
Google Translate is free, with no in-app purchases listed. Captio AI is free with 100 free credits a day; Captio AI Plus costs US$14.99 a month or US$79.99 a year on the US App Store (October 2026), with no free trial.
Sources: Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing, Apple App Store listing, Captio AI for AI assistants (llms.txt)
Where each one wins
Where Google Translate is the better choice
It is free on Android, iPhone and iPad, with no in-app purchases listed.
Sources: Apple App Store listing, Google Play listing
It translates more languages: 73 in Live translate and up to 249 for typed text, against Captio AI's 60+.
Sources: Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google), New AI-powered live translation and language learning too… (Google (The Keyword blog)), Google Play listing, Now you can transcribe speech with Google Translate (Mar… (Google (The Keyword blog)), Apple App Store listing, Download & use Google Translate (Android and iPhone & iPa… (Google), Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI)
Downloaded languages translate text without internet, and a Pixel 9, 10 or 11 can translate conversations offline.
Sources: Download languages to use offline (Google), Google Play listing, Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google)
It also translates typed text, handwriting and text in photos, including live through the camera.
Source: Apple App Store listing
On Android, Live translate keeps running when you switch apps or lock the screen.
Sources: Hear live speech to speech translations with live transla… (Google), Google Translate rolls out new upgrades for iOS and Andro… (Google (The Keyword blog))
Where Captio AI is the better choice
It is made for captions: speech in the room appears as text while the person is still talking, with or without translation.
Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI), Live Translator (Captio AI)
It labels who is talking, and on iPhone can show their names.
Sources: Apple App Store listing, Live Captions (Captio AI)
It saves recordings with their audio, transcribes audio and video files, and writes summaries and to-dos.
Sources: Apple App Store listing, Captio AI privacy policy, Audio Transcription (Captio AI), AI Summary (Captio AI)
You can add names and specialist words so they are recognised, and change text size, colours and contrast.
Source: Live Captions (Captio AI)
Try Captio AI free
It depends on where you are
Travelling abroad
Google Translate is free, translates text through the camera, and translates text without signal in downloaded languages. Captio AI if you want the whole conversation as captions with the translation next to it.
Captions for this situationNo signal, with a Pixel 9, 10 or 11
Google's offline live translation works on these phones in 10 language pairs with English. Captio AI only records offline and transcribes later.
A family dinner or a group
Captio AI captions the whole table from one phone and labels each speaker.
Captions for this situationA lecture in your own language
Captio AI captions it as it is spoken and keeps the recording for notes. Google describes Transcribe for translating a speaker of another language.
Captions for this situationA doctor's appointment
Add medical words so they are recognised, then keep the recording and read it again or turn it into a summary.
Captions for this situationTalking with someone in another language
Both translate a two-person conversation. Google Translate is free and its Face to face mode splits the screen; Captio AI shows the conversation as captions next to the translation and can save it.
Captions for this situationFacts you can check, not opinions.
From their own pages
Every fact comes from the company's website, help pages, privacy policy or store listing. Tap any fact to see the page it comes from.
Checked 28 October 2026
Each source has the date we opened it. If a company doesn't say something publicly, the table says "Not stated" instead of guessing.
We make Captio AI
So it's described with the same rules as every other app, limits included, and each page says where the other app is the better choice.
Something out of date? hello@captioai.app
Frequently asked questions
Can Google Translate be used as captions for deaf people?
Google doesn't describe Google Translate as a captioning app for deaf or hard of hearing people. Its Transcribe and Live translate modes show speech as text while translating it into another language, and Transcribe can show the original words too. Captio AI is made to caption speech in the room for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Does Google Translate work offline on iPhone?
For text, yes: download a language and it translates without internet. Google's offline live translation is only for Pixel 9, 10 and 11, in 10 language pairs with English. Captio AI needs internet for live captions; without it, it keeps recording and transcribes when you're back online.
How many languages does Google Translate's Live translate support?
Google's help page lists 73 languages for Live translate. The Transcribe mode supports 8, says the Google Play listing, and typed text translates between up to 249 languages, says the App Store listing. Captio AI captions and translates speech in 60+ languages.
Can Google Translate transcribe a lecture in English?
Google describes Transcribe as translating a lecture or speech in another language as it happens, and you can save the transcript. It doesn't describe captions in the same language, and Google's 2020 post said Transcribe works best with one person speaking at a time in a quiet room. Captio AI captions a lecture as it is spoken and keeps the recording with its audio.
Does Google Translate show who is speaking at a dinner or in a meeting?
Google doesn't describe speaker labels in Google Translate; Live translate takes turns between two languages. Captio AI labels each speaker and, on iPhone, can show the names of people whose voices you saved.
Can I use Google Translate at a doctor's appointment in Spanish?
Live translate can translate a two-language conversation, such as Spanish and English, out loud and on screen. Google doesn't describe adding medical words. Captio AI lets you add medical terms, translates live, and keeps the recording so you can read the appointment again.
Does Google Translate's Live translate work in the UK and Europe?
Google's Live translate help page lists no country limits. Google's blog says Live translate started in the US, India and Mexico in August 2025, and Live translate with headphones reached the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and more in March 2026. Captio AI is on the App Store and Google Play worldwide.
Is Google Translate free?
Yes. The App Store lists it as free, and neither store lists in-app purchases (US listings, October 2026). Captio AI is free with 100 free credits a day and 3 AI summaries in total; Captio AI Plus costs US$14.99 a month or US$79.99 a year on the US App Store.
Try Captio AI
Free to start, iPhone and Android
Download for free
More comparisons
Captio AI vs Microsoft Translator
Microsoft's free app for iPhone and Android that translates speech, text and photos; its store listings say multi-device conversations have been retired.
Captio AI vs Live Transcribe
Google's free Android app that captions in-person speech through the phone's microphone and alerts you to sounds like alarms and doorbells.
Captio AI vs Apple Live Captions
A free accessibility feature built into iPhone, iPad and Mac that captions people nearby, calls and any app's audio on the device.
Sources
Every page this comparison uses, with the date we checked it.
Captio AI
- Live Captions - Captio AI on the App StoreApple App Store, checked 28 October 2026
- Captio AI on Google PlayGoogle Play, checked 28 October 2026
- Live CaptionsCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Live TranslatorCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Privacy PolicyCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- AI SummaryCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Audio TranscriptionCaptio AI, checked 28 October 2026
- Captio AI for AI assistants (llms.txt)Captio AI, checked 28 October 2026
Google Translate
- Transcribe in Google Translate (Android phone & tablet)Google, checked 28 October 2026
- Transcribe in Google Translate (iPhone & iPad)Google, checked 28 October 2026
- Hear live speech to speech translations with live translate (Android phone & tablet)Google, checked 28 October 2026
- Hear live speech to speech translations with live translate (iPhone & iPad)Google, checked 28 October 2026
- Download & use Google Translate (Android and iPhone & iPad tabs)Google, checked 28 October 2026
- Google Translate on the App Store (US)Apple App Store, checked 28 October 2026
- Google Translate - Apps on Google Play (US)Google Play, checked 28 October 2026
- Now you can transcribe speech with Google Translate (Mar 17, 2020)Google (The Keyword blog), checked 28 October 2026
- New AI-powered live translation and language learning tools in Google Translate (Aug 26, 2025)Google (The Keyword blog), checked 28 October 2026
- Download languages to use offlineGoogle, checked 28 October 2026
- Find & manage Translate history (Android and iPhone & iPad tabs)Google, checked 28 October 2026
- Google Translate - Data safety (Google Play)Google Play, checked 28 October 2026
- Google Translate rolls out new upgrades for iOS and Android (Sep 04, 2026)Google (The Keyword blog), checked 28 October 2026
Published 28 October 2026. App names and trademarks belong to their owners. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by the companies it compares.