Translation & language
LiveCaptions-Translator
Adds translation on top of Windows Live Captions
★ 3.6k
August 2026
Apache-2.0
Translation & language
What we checked ourselves
Not copied from the project's own blurb. These are things we opened and verified, with the date.
- 23 Aug 2026We checked that the link to the project still resolves.
- 14 Aug 2026We read the licence text itself (LICENSE). No unusual restrictions were stated.
- 31 Aug 2026We read the project's own documentation and found no sign that development has stopped.
Where this sits among the 26 tools we list in Translation & language
- Works without using a terminal20 of 26
- Commercial use confirmed as allowed22 of 26
- Requires an API key20 that do not →
- Sends your input to the provider12 that do not →
Only 16 of the 26 meet all of the conditions above.
Counted from our own checks: every tool we list is examined against the same criteria.
What it does
Windows 11 can already caption whatever audio is playing on your PC; this puts a translation alongside it, so you can follow a foreign-language video or meeting in real time. Windows 11 only - the feature it builds on does not exist on Windows 10 or macOS. Caption accuracy is whatever Windows produces, and the translation step sends the text to an external service, so avoid it for confidential meetings.
Summary based on the project's own description. The Japanese page has a fuller beginner guide: setup difficulty, what to prepare, and a step-by-step start.
Screenshots & visuals
Before you start
- Setup difficultySome setup needed
- Command lineNot required
- API keyRequired
- Sends data onlineYes
Judged automatically from the project's own metadata. Always confirm on the official page.
LiveCaptions-Translator FAQ
- Is LiveCaptions-Translator free?
- LiveCaptions-Translator itself is free, but it needs an API key for an external AI service. That service charges separately, though some have a free tier.
- Do I need to install anything or write code to use LiveCaptions-Translator?
- You install it like a normal desktop app. No command line involved.
- Does LiveCaptions-Translator work on a phone?
- No. It needs a computer.
- Can I use LiveCaptions-Translator commercially?
- The licence is Apache-2.0, which permits commercial use. Conditions such as keeping the copyright notice still apply, so read the licence text before shipping it inside something.
How it compares
The conditions that decide whether you can actually use it, side by side.
| Tool | Command line | API key | Sends data out | Phone | Commercial use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LiveCaptions-Translator (this page) | Not needed | Required | Yes | No | Yes |
| RTranslator | Not needed | Not needed | No | Yes | Yes |
| MouseTooltipTranslator | Not needed | Not needed | Yes | No | Yes |
| linguist | Not needed | Not needed | Yes | No | Yes |
"Sends data out" means your input is uploaded to someone's server. Pick "No" when the material cannot leave your organisation.