Best YouTube Transcript APIs in 2025
If you're building applications that need to extract transcripts from YouTube videos, you've probably realized that doing this reliably at scale is harder than it looks. YouTube's interface changes frequently, and handling different video formats (especially YouTube Shorts) adds complexity.
That's where YouTube transcript APIs come in. Instead of managing headless browsers and building your own scraper, you can get reliable, structured transcript data through simple API request.
Let's dive into the top YouTube transcript APIs in 2025 (woohoo)
1. SocialKit YouTube Transcript API
Okay, I'll be honest here, I'm starting with our own API, and yes, I'm biased. But I built SocialKit's YouTube Transcript API because I can bring my scraping expertise to the table.
Key Features:
- YouTube & YouTube Shorts support: Handles both regular videos and Shorts seamlessly
- Timestamped segments: Get precise timing for each transcript segment
- High reliability: Built-in retry logic and error handling
- Fast response times: Optimized infrastructure for quick processing
- Clean JSON responses: Well-structured data that's easy to work with
- Comprehensive ecosystem: Works alongside our YouTube Summarizer API and YouTube Stats API
- Future-ready: TikTok and Instagram APIs coming soon
Pricing:
- Free tier: 20 requests per month
- Starter: $13/month for 2,000 requests ($6.5 per 1,000 requests)
- Scale: Higher volume plans available
Best for: Developers building applications that need reliable transcript data, content creators analyzing videos, and businesses doing content research.
2. Supadata.ai
Supadata.ai is primarily a web scraping service, but they've expanded into YouTube transcript extraction. While not exclusively focused on YouTube, they offer a solid API for transcript extraction.
Key Features:
- Web scraping focus: Part of a broader web scraping platform
- Multiple data sources: YouTube is one of many supported platforms
- Decent reliability: Generally stable, though not YouTube-specialized
- Standard JSON responses: Clean data format
Pricing:
- Free tier: 100 credits per month
- Paid plans: Starting at $9 per 1,000 credits
Pros:
- Good for projects that need both YouTube transcripts and general web scraping
- Established web scraping infrastructure
- Reasonable pricing for mixed-use cases
Best for: Projects that need YouTube transcripts as part of broader web scraping needs.
3. ScrapCreators.com
ScrapCreators offers various social media APIs with a focus on stats, details, and metrics. Their YouTube transcript API is part of a larger suite of social media data extraction tools.
Key Features:
- Multi-platform approach: YouTube transcripts alongside other social media APIs
- Stats and metrics focus: Strong emphasis on data analytics
- Various social media platforms: Broader social media data extraction
- Pay-per-use model: Only pay for what you use
Pricing:
- Free trial: 100 credits (one-time, not monthly)
- Pay-per-use: $10 for 5,000 credits (no monthly subscription)
Pros:
- No monthly commitments with pay-per-use model
- Good for projects needing multiple social media APIs
- Focus on comprehensive social media data
Best for: Businesses needing social media analytics with occasional transcript extraction needs.
4. YouTube-transcript.io
YouTube-transcript.io is a dedicated YouTube transcript service with a straightforward approach to transcript extraction.
Key Features:
- YouTube-focused: Dedicated specifically to YouTube transcript extraction
- Simple API: Straightforward implementation
- Monthly subscription model: Predictable pricing
Pricing:
- Free tier: 25 credits per month
- Subscription: $9.99/month for 1,000 transcripts
Pros:
- Focused specifically on YouTube transcripts
- Simple, predictable pricing
- Dedicated to one use case
Best for: Small to medium projects with consistent, predictable transcript needs.
Pricing Comparison
| Service | Free Tier | Cost per 1,000 Requests | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| SocialKit | 20/month | $6.5 | Subscription |
| Supadata.ai | 100/month | $9 | Subscription |
| ScrapCreators | 100 total | $2* | Pay-per-use |
| YouTube-transcript.io | 25/month | $9.99 | Subscription |
*Calculated based on $10 for 5,000 credits
Use Case Recommendations
For Developers and No-Code Users
Go with SocialKit if you need:
- Reliable, high-volume transcript extraction
- YouTube Shorts support
- Additional YouTube APIs (Summary, Stats)
- No-Code platforms Like: Make.com, Zapier, and N8N coming soon
For Mixed Web Scraping Projects
Consider Supadata.ai if you need:
- YouTube transcripts plus general web scraping
- Established scraping infrastructure
- Multiple data sources in one platform
For Social Media Analytics
ScrapCreators might work if you need:
- Multiple social media APIs
- Pay-per-use flexibility
- Focus on metrics and analytics
For Simple, Predictable Needs
YouTube-transcript.io could work if you have:
- Consistent, low-volume needs
- Simple integration requirements
- Preference for subscription models
Ready to Get Started?
The best way to choose is to test. Most of these APIs offer free tiers, so you can try them with your actual data and see which works best for your project.
If you want to try SocialKit's YouTube Transcript API, you can get started with 20 free requests per month. We also offer a free YouTube transcript extractor tool if you want to test the quality before integrating the API.
If you're interested in more YouTube & YouTube Shorts APIs, these pages might be for you:
- YouTube Transcript API: Extract timestamped transcripts
- YouTube Summarizer API: Get AI-powered summaries
- YouTube Stats API: Access video metrics and analytics
Happy coding, and may your transcript extraction be forever reliable! 🚀