Why This Article?
If you've searched for "Subanana", you probably already know it's one of Hong Kong's most popular AI subtitle tools. But in 2026, there's a new option — Hey Subtitle, with significant differences in pricing and features.
This article helps you decide: which one should you choose?
30-Second Summary
- 38%-46% cheaper — same minutes, Hey Subtitle costs half per minute
- Only tool with AI dubbing — dub Cantonese videos into Mandarin, English, Japanese with MP3 download
- Translation doesn't consume minutes — one transcription, unlimited translations at no extra cost
- 7-8x faster processing — videos auto-compressed to 360p, no full-quality transcoding needed
- Free plan resets monthly — Subanana's free quota is one-time only
Pricing Comparison
All plans compared at annual billing rates:
| Tier | Hey Subtitle | Subanana | Cost/Min | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | HK$58/mo · 90 min | HK$68/mo · 60 min | $0.64 vs $1.13 | 43% cheaper, 50% more minutes |
| Pro | HK$86/mo · 180 min | HK$138/mo · 180 min | $0.48 vs $0.77 | 38% cheaper, save $52/mo |
| Premium | HK$215/mo · 600 min | HK$398/mo · 600 min | $0.36 vs $0.66 | 46% cheaper, save $183/mo |
Processing Speed Comparison
| Video Length | Hey Subtitle | Subanana | How Much Faster |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 min | ~3 min | ~25 min | 8x |
| 15 min | ~4 min | ~30 min | 7.5x |
| 30 min | ~7 min | ~55 min | 7.8x |
| 60 min | ~14 min | ~110 min | 7.8x |
Hey Subtitle is 7-8x faster on average.
Why the Huge Difference?
Subanana's core feature is burn-in subtitles — embedding subtitles directly into the video file for download. This means it needs to keep the full-quality video for transcoding, and the preview loads 720p to 4K video without a dedicated streaming server (unlike YouTube's CDN), making it extremely slow.
Hey Subtitle focuses on outputting subtitle files (SRT / VTT / FCPXML / TXT) — no video burn-in. Videos are auto-compressed to 360p for preview and timeline alignment, dramatically reducing upload and processing time. Result: fast uploads, fast processing, smooth experience.
Accuracy
While Subanana claims "up to 98% accuracy", many users report a gap between the claim and reality. "Price doesn't match accuracy" is a common complaint in online communities.
Hey Subtitle uses a top-tier AI speech recognition engine paired with AI proofreading, delivering stable accuracy for Cantonese and code-switching (Chinese-English mixed) scenarios.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Hey Subtitle | Subanana |
|---|---|---|
| AI Transcription | Yes | Yes |
| Cantonese Recognition | Yes | Yes |
| Spoken-to-Written Conversion | Yes (AI proofread) | Yes |
| Multilingual Translation | Free, no minutes consumed | Paid plans |
| AI Dubbing + MP3 Download | Yes | No |
| Text-to-Speech (TTS) | Yes | No |
| Online Subtitle Editor | Yes | Yes |
| Bilingual Side-by-Side | Yes | Yes |
| Playback Speed Control | Yes | No |
| Export Formats | SRT / VTT / FCPXML / TXT | SRT / DOCX / CSV / TXT |
| Final Cut Pro Export | Yes | No |
| YouTube URL Upload | Yes | Yes |
| Unlimited Subtitle Downloads | All plans | Paid plans only |
| Mobile Optimized | Yes | No |
| Themes | 6 themes | Light / Dark |
| Referral Program | Yes | No |
| Interactive Guided Tour | Yes | No |
Free Plan Comparison
| Hey Subtitle | Subanana | |
|---|---|---|
| Free Quota | 5 min/month + 5 min welcome gift | 15 min (one-time) |
| Subtitle Download | Yes | No |
| Feature Limits | Full features | 15 min/file max, 3GB |
| Renewal | Resets monthly | One-time only |
| Promo Codes | Regularly available — check our website | — |
Hey Subtitle's free plan resets every month, so you can keep using it long-term. Subanana's free quota is one-time — once it's gone, you must pay. Hey Subtitle also regularly offers promo codes for extra free minutes in your account settings.
Hey Subtitle Exclusive Features
AI Dubbing
Among Hong Kong subtitle tools, only Hey Subtitle offers AI dubbing. You can:
- Dub Cantonese videos into Mandarin, English, Japanese and 15+ languages
- Choose from 10+ professional AI voices
- Use 27 emotion tags (laughter, sighs, excitement, etc.)
- Download MP3 directly for YouTube multi-language audio tracks
Use cases: YouTubers creating multilingual versions, educators making multilingual courses, businesses producing multilingual training materials.
Translation Doesn't Consume Minutes
Hey Subtitle's translation doesn't use your transcription minute quota. One transcription, translate into multiple languages — no extra minutes deducted. Your minutes go 100% toward transcription; translation is free on top.
Final Cut Pro Export (FCPXML)
If you edit with Final Cut Pro, Hey Subtitle exports FCPXML format — drag it into Final Cut Pro and get a complete subtitle track with auto-aligned timecodes. Subanana doesn't support FCPXML.
Full Mobile Support
Hey Subtitle works fully on phones and tablets — upload, edit, and export all on mobile. iOS Safari is specifically optimized for a desktop-quality experience.
Summary: Why Choose Hey Subtitle?
| Advantage | Details |
|---|---|
| 38%-46% cheaper | Half the per-minute cost of Subanana |
| 7-8x faster processing | Auto-compressed video processing, no full-quality transcoding wait |
| AI Dubbing (exclusive) | The only HK subtitle tool with multilingual AI dubbing + MP3 download |
| Free translation | Translation doesn't consume minutes — one transcription, many languages |
| Better free plan | Monthly reset + welcome gift + promo codes; Subanana's free quota is one-time |
| FCPXML export | Final Cut Pro users drag and drop |
| Full mobile support | iOS / Android fully functional |
| 6 themes | Personalize your editing interface |
| Referral rewards | Refer friends, both get extra minutes |
New users get 5 minutes welcome gift, plus 5 minutes free every month. No credit card required — try first, decide later.