Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy)
Don’t want to install Cheetah CaptionMaker? Drop the file here.
The first 20 minutes of any recording are transcribed free: a recording up to 20 minutes transcribes in full, a longer one is previewed, and a pack from $6 (500 minutes) transcribes the rest and opens every export, and credits never expire.
Original Cheetah Systems caption authoring tool — name now used by Telestream.
Best for reference only — Cheetah's pre-Telestream caption authoring tooling. Pricing: service · contact sales.
What it is
Cheetah Systems shipped one of the first commercial caption authoring tools in the 1990s. The product line was eventually folded into Telestream CaptionMaker; the Cheetah brand today survives in Cheetah's CART captioning service.
Watch out for: Brand mostly absorbed into Telestream CaptionMaker; legacy users only.
Install / use
cheetah.net — legacy
What people actually do with Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy)-style transcription
The tool is the means. These are the jobs — each one priced at published rates, each one wired up on its own page.
Features
| Speaker diarization | No |
| Word-level timestamps | Yes |
| Streaming / real-time | No |
| Languages supported | None |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) vs Whipscribe
| Feature | Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) | Whipscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Desktop apps | Transcription APIs |
| Pricing | service · contact sales | $6–$24 one-time packs (credits never expire) · first 20 minutes free |
| Speaker identification | — | Named in the summary, key quotes and chapters |
| Word timestamps | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming | — | No |
| Languages | — | 99 |
| Platforms | Windows | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy)
Frequently asked about Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy)
How much does Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) cost?
Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) does not publish a self-serve price — it is quoted by the vendor on contact. Expect an enterprise-style agreement rather than a card-and-go signup.
Does Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) runs on Windows. It is not listed for other platforms; check the vendor for anything beyond Windows.
How do I get started with Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy)?
There is nothing to install — Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) is used in the browser. Create an account on the vendor's site and upload or connect your audio.
Does Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) identify different speakers?
No. Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) does not label speakers; a conversation comes back as one continuous text. If you need speaker labels, that is a separate tool or a different service.
Does Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) give word-level timestamps?
Yes — Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) produces timing per word, which is what subtitle cues and clip boundaries need.
Can Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) transcribe live audio?
No — Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) HIPAA compliant?
Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) does not claim HIPAA compliance. For PHI, run it on infrastructure you control or choose a service that will sign a BAA.
What are the limitations of Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy)?
Brand mostly absorbed into Telestream CaptionMaker; legacy users only.
Who is Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) best for?
Reference only — Cheetah's pre-Telestream caption authoring tooling.
Does Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) run offline?
Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) runs on your own machine as a desktop app. Check whether the model runs locally or calls a cloud service — some desktop tools do both.
Can I use Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) in the browser?
No — Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) is a Windows application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Who makes Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy)?
Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) is made by Cheetah International (legacy).
What kind of tool is Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy)?
In this directory Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) is filed under subtitle authoring, broadcast as a desktop app.
What are the alternatives to Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy)?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/cheetah-captionmaker-alternatives comparing Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy) with the closest tools in the same category on price, platform and features.
Can I automate Cheetah CaptionMaker (legacy)-style transcription without running it myself?
Yes. If what you want is transcripts rather than the tool itself, Whipscribe does the same job as a hosted API: submit a file or URL, poll a job id, pull the result as txt, json, srt, vtt or docx. $0.012 a minute — about $0.72 an audio hour — bought as credits that never expire. The automation recipes on this site show it wired to Drive folders, Zoom recordings, S3 buckets and no-code platforms.
Whipscribe is a hosted transcription service. If you want transcripts without running infrastructure, paste a URL or drop a file in the form below — you'll have a transcript in seconds.
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Need the subtitle file itself?
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