SRT vs VTT: which subtitle file to use
SRT vs VTT: the comma against the dot, Windows-1252 against UTF-8, players against browsers. What each format is, where it came from and which one to export.
Both formats hold the same words with the same times. SRT uses a comma before the milliseconds and has no official character encoding; VTT uses a dot, is defined as UTF-8 and carries voice spans, styles and chapters. Our export has both.
SRT and VTT side by side
video players and subtitle tools
browsers, through the HTML track element, and players
a comma before the milliseconds
a dot, and the hours are optional
no official standard; Windows-1252 is a common default, and YouTube takes only UTF-8
UTF-8 — the format is defined as UTF-8
the SubRip program, released in 2000
a W3C specification; the current draft is dated 20 May 2026
bold, italic and colour through HTML tags — unofficial
voice spans, styles, regions, chapters and time-aligned metadata — all in the specification
The short answer
A subtitle file is a list of moments: a start, an end and the words. Two formats carry that list, and they disagree about small things — the separator in the timecode, the character encoding, whether the hours are written out. None of that is a trap, as long as you know which side of the line your player sits on.
How to choose between them
- 1
Ask where the file has to play
A browser reads VTT through the track element of HTML5. A video editor, a DVD ripper and most editing software read SRT, because that is the format they grew up with.
- 2
Keep the times in one format
Both formats carry the same start and end times for every line. Converting a file is a change of punctuation, not a change of the timings.
- 3
Take the encoding into account
WebVTT is defined as UTF-8. SRT has no official standard, so a file can arrive in Windows-1252 and show strange characters in a player that expects something else.
Tips
A dot in the timecode means WebVTT; a comma means SRT.
Check the encoding of a file you did not write yourself.
Keep the transcript beside the subtitle file.
Questions this page answers
What is the difference in the timecode?
The separator and the hours. SRT writes 00:00:02,000 with a comma before the milliseconds; WebVTT writes 00:02.000 with a dot, and the hours are optional.
Which one is the standard?
WebVTT is the standard: it is a W3C specification, and the current candidate recommendation draft is dated 20 May 2026. SRT is older — a program released in 2000 — and it is still everywhere.
Can a subtitle file hold more than text?
In WebVTT, yes: voice spans that name the speaker, styles, regions, chapters and time-aligned metadata are all in the specification. In SRT, bold, italic and colour are unofficial HTML tags.
Which one should I export?
Take the SRT for a video that goes into an editor or onto a platform, and the VTT for a video that plays in a browser. Both are one of the six formats we export.
Sources
- WW3C — WebVTT: The Web Video Text Tracks Format (candidate recommendation draft, 20 May 2026)w3.org · checked 22 October 2026
- EWikipedia — SubRip (the .srt file format)en.wikipedia.org · checked 22 October 2026
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