Captions for Nonprofits: AI Video Editor with Eye Contact & Auto Captions
Recording videos while reading your notes only to look like you're avoiding eye contact with your audience? Captions uses AI to automatically correct eye contact in your footage, generate captions in 100+ languages, dub content into 29 languages with one tap, and create professional social media videos optimized for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. From script to fully-edited, multilingual video—all from your phone or browser.
What It Does
Tired of recording your advocacy videos five times because you keep looking down at your notes instead of at the camera? Or spending hours manually adding captions and translating content for your multilingual community? Captions solves both problems with AI that literally makes you look better on camera—automatically adjusting your eye line to appear as if you're making direct contact with viewers—while simultaneously generating accurate captions and dubbing your content into dozens of languages.
Unlike basic caption generators, Captions is built specifically for the short-form video era where engagement happens in seconds. The platform understands the pacing, framing, and attention dynamics of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Its AI has been trained on millions of high-performing social videos, so it knows how to time your captions for maximum impact, when to add visual emphasis, and how to keep viewers watching through to your call-to-action.
For nonprofits creating multilingual advocacy content, donor thank-you videos, volunteer recruitment clips, or educational social media, Captions offers a complete workflow: record with the built-in teleprompter, let AI correct your eye contact, generate captions in 100+ languages, dub into 29 languages, and publish directly to your social channels—all from one app. The emphasis is on speed and automation rather than manual editing precision.
Best For
Organization Size
- Small to mid-sized nonprofits with 1-10 person teams
- Organizations producing regular social media video content
- Nonprofits serving multilingual communities
Best Use Cases
- Multilingual advocacy and awareness videos
- Executive director or staff-led talking-head videos
- Quick social media updates and announcements
- Donor thank-you videos at scale with AI avatars
Ideal For
Communications Directors, Social Media Managers, Marketing Coordinators, Executive Directors recording direct-to-camera content, and anyone creating short-form social videos on mobile devices (especially iPhone users—the platform is built iOS-first).
Key Features for Nonprofits
AI Eye Contact Correction
Automatically realigns your eyes in existing footage to appear as if you're looking directly at the camera—no re-recording required. Perfect for nonprofit leaders who read from notes or teleprompters but want their videos to feel personal and engaging.
Auto-Captions in 100+ Languages
Generate accurate captions with customizable fonts, colors, and animated styles in over 100 languages. Export captions in accessibility-ready formats (SRT, VTT, TXT) for full compliance and reach.
AI Dubbing in 29 Languages
Translate and dub your videos into 29 languages with one tap. Ideal for international nonprofits or organizations serving immigrant and multilingual communities—create one video and reach audiences worldwide.
AI Creator Tools Suite
Create videos using 3D avatars, generate virtual spokesperson clips for UGC-style ads, use the built-in AI teleprompter for scripted recording, and transform scripts directly into finished videos—all powered by AI trained on short-form content dynamics.
Text-Based Editing
Edit videos by editing the transcript—cut sections by deleting text, rearrange segments by moving sentences around. No timeline scrubbing or precise cutting required. Great for non-technical staff who understand writing but not video editing.
Background Noise Reduction
AI-powered automatic audio cleanup removes background noise, office chatter, and environmental sounds—making videos recorded in non-studio settings sound professional without expensive microphones.
How This Tool Uses AI
Captions (now Mirage) positions itself as an AI research lab building proprietary multimodal foundation models specifically for short-form video. Here's what's actually AI-powered versus standard automation:
What's Actually AI-Powered
🤖 Eye Contact Correction
Type of AI: Computer vision and facial recognition trained on video data
What it does: Analyzes your facial features frame-by-frame, identifies eye position and gaze direction, then computationally adjusts the eyes to appear looking at the camera
Practical impact: Record while reading notes off-screen and still appear to maintain eye contact with viewers—creates more engaging, professional videos without re-recording
🤖 Automatic Speech Recognition & Captioning
Type of AI: Natural language processing and speech-to-text models
What it does: Transcribes spoken audio into text captions with 100+ language support, automatically removes filler words (um, uh, like), and times captions to speech patterns
Practical impact: Eliminates manual caption writing—what used to take 2-3 hours per video now happens in seconds with one click
🤖 AI Dubbing & Translation
Type of AI: Neural machine translation + voice synthesis
What it does: Translates your script into 29 languages and generates AI voice dubbing that attempts to match lip movements and vocal tone
Practical impact: Create one English video and distribute in Spanish, Mandarin, French versions—expanding reach to multilingual audiences without hiring translators or voice actors
🤖 Video Pacing & Attention Optimization
Type of AI: Multimodal foundation model trained on millions of high-performing short-form videos
What it does: Analyzes successful TikTok/Reels content to understand pacing, when to add visual emphasis, optimal caption timing, and retention hooks
Practical impact: The AI suggests cuts, transitions, and caption timing based on what keeps viewers engaged on social platforms—you benefit from data patterns across millions of videos
What's NOT AI (But Still Useful)
- Templates:Pre-designed by humans, not AI-generated
- Basic Editing:Cutting, cropping, and arranging clips is standard video editing
- Publishing:One-click social media uploads are API integrations, not AI
AI Transparency & Limitations
⚠️ iOS-First Platform
The mobile app performs best on iPhone. Desktop and Android versions lag significantly with reported cross-device sync issues. Projects don't always sync correctly between platforms.
⚠️ Technical Reliability Concerns
User reviews from 2026 report frequent export failures, audio sync problems, slow loading times, and bugs in the browser version. Test with a free trial before committing to paid plans.
⚠️ Human Review Required
AI-generated captions need review for accuracy with technical terms and proper nouns. AI dubbing quality varies by language—always preview before publishing to international audiences.
⚠️ 15-Minute Video Limit
The platform is optimized for short-form content. Videos are limited to 15 minutes or shorter, making it unsuitable for long-form documentary or webinar content.
When AI Adds Real Value vs. When It's Marketing
✅ Genuinely Useful AI:
- • Eye contact correction (impossible to do manually with precision)
- • Auto-captioning in 100+ languages (would take hours per video)
- • AI dubbing for multilingual content (saves thousands on voice actors)
- • Attention optimization based on millions of videos (data you don't have access to)
⚠️ AI That's Nice But Not Essential:
- • AI avatars (useful for scale but generic for authentic nonprofit storytelling)
- • Background noise reduction (decent microphone works better)
❌ When You Don't Need This AI:
- • If you only create English-language content (eye contact correction alone doesn't justify cost)
- • If you're not creating short-form social content regularly (platform optimized for this)
- • If you need stable, reliable software (technical issues reported frequently)
Bottom Line: Captions uses AI for genuinely innovative features—eye contact correction and multilingual dubbing—that are difficult to find elsewhere. However, technical reliability issues and lack of nonprofit pricing mean you should thoroughly test the free tier before investing in paid plans. The AI is real and powerful, but execution and support need improvement.
Real-World Nonprofit Use Case
Imagine an immigrant rights organization with a bilingual executive director who needs to create weekly video updates for supporters. Previously, she'd record videos in English while reading notes, hire a translator for Spanish versions, and manually add captions—a 6-hour weekly process that often got delayed.
With Captions, she now records once on her iPhone using the built-in teleprompter. The AI corrects her eye contact so she appears to be speaking directly to viewers (even while reading notes), generates captions in both English and Spanish automatically, and creates a Spanish-dubbed version with one tap. What used to take 6 hours now takes 45 minutes—freeing her to focus on advocacy work rather than video production.
The multilingual dubbing particularly transformed their reach: Spanish-language videos now get 3x the engagement from their Spanish-speaking community compared to English-only videos with Spanish captions. Supporters frequently comment that the videos feel "more personal" thanks to the eye contact correction—they don't realize she was reading from notes.
Pricing
Standard Pricing (2026)
Based on credits for AI features; higher tiers unlock more AI capabilities
Free Tier
Basic features with watermarked exports
- • Auto-captions, text-to-speech, AI avatars
- • Watermarks on premium content
- • Limited AI features
Pro Plan
Unlimited exports, full AI editing tools
- • No watermarks
- • Full AI-powered editing tools
- • Best for occasional creators
Max Plan
1,200 credits (~20 min AI video/month)
- • Advanced AI features unlocked
- • Higher monthly AI video generation limits
- • 20% annual discount available
Scale Plan
3,600 credits (~45 min AI video/month)
- • For regular content creators
- • Higher usage limits
Business Plan
8,000 credits, Mirage Studio access
- • Enterprise-level features
- • Access to Mirage Studio for brands
Nonprofit Pricing
❓ No Confirmed Nonprofit Discount
As of January 2026, Captions (Mirage) has not publicly announced nonprofit-specific pricing or education discounts. However, many software companies offer unlisted nonprofit pricing that isn't advertised on their websites.
Recommendation: Contact Captions/Mirage directly through their website to inquire about potential nonprofit pricing. The platform has been adopted by nonprofits for multilingual advocacy videos, indicating potential openness to nonprofit partnerships.
💡 Budget-Friendly Alternative
If Captions doesn't offer nonprofit pricing and the cost is prohibitive, consider CapCut, which is completely free with no watermarks and includes auto-captions in 130+ languages. CapCut doesn't have eye contact correction or AI dubbing, but it's stable, reliable, and costs nothing.
Note: Pricing information is subject to change. Please verify current pricing directly with the vendor.
Learning Curve
Learning Curve: Intermediate (with caveats)
Designed to be intuitive but has a learning curve for beginners; performance issues impact user experience
Time to First Value
- Initial setup: 15-30 minutes (download app, create account, explore interface)
- First video: 1-2 hours (recording, editing, adding captions, export)
- Proficiency: 1-2 weeks of regular use to master features and workflows
Technical Requirements
- Comfort with mobile apps (iOS performs best)
- Basic video editing concepts helpful but not required
- No coding or technical expertise needed
- Patience required—platform has reported lag, slow processing, and bugs
Beginner Challenges
User reviews indicate that while the platform aims to be intuitive, beginners often find:
- • Interface feels "cluttered and overwhelming" with many features packed into mobile app
- • Locating simple settings among generative tools and animation options can be frustrating
- • Cross-device sync issues make it hard to start on mobile and finish on desktop
- • Export failures and audio sync problems interrupt the learning process
Support Available
⚠️ Customer Support Concerns: User reviews from 2026 report "extremely poor customer support" with unprofessional interactions and minimal effort to help with technical issues. Support quality is a significant weakness of the platform.
💡 Getting Started Tip
Start with the free tier on iOS (iPhone) where the app performs best. Create 2-3 simple test videos to understand the workflow before committing to a paid plan. Test export functionality early—if you encounter frequent export failures or audio sync issues, explore alternatives like CapCut or VEED.io.
Integration & Compatibility
Platform Availability
- iOS (iPhone/iPad): Best performance, full feature set
- Android: Available but lags behind iOS version
- Web Browser: Desktop/laptop access (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
- Browser version reported as "very buggy" with export issues
Social Media Publishing
- TikTok (optimized for)
- Instagram Reels & Stories (optimized for)
- YouTube Shorts (optimized for)
- Facebook (supported)
Direct publishing integration from one dashboard; templates and effects optimized for each platform's format.
Data Portability & Export
Export Formats:
- Captions: SRT, VTT, TXT (accessibility-ready formats)
- Video: High-quality video export (no watermarks on paid plans)
- Transcripts: Downloadable in various formats
⚠️ Export Reliability Concerns
User reviews from 2026 report "export processes kept failing repeatedly" and "unexpectedly washed out colors" in exported videos. Test export functionality thoroughly during free trial before relying on the platform for important content.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓Unique AI features: Eye contact correction and AI dubbing in 29 languages are genuinely innovative and hard to find elsewhere
- ✓Multilingual capabilities: 100+ languages for captions, 29 for dubbing—exceptional for international nonprofits
- ✓Complete workflow: Script, record, edit, caption, dub, and publish all in one app
- ✓Mobile-first design: Create professional videos entirely from your phone
- ✓Text-based editing: Edit videos by editing transcript—great for non-technical staff
- ✓Generous free tier: Auto-captions, AI avatars, and text-to-speech available without payment
Cons
- ✗Technical reliability issues: Frequent export failures, audio sync problems, slow loading, and bugs (based on 2026 user reviews)
- ✗Poor customer support: Unprofessional interactions, projects deleted with minimal help, slow response times
- ✗No nonprofit pricing: No confirmed discounts for 501(c)(3) organizations; costs can add up quickly with credit system
- ✗iOS-first platform: Desktop and Android versions significantly lag; cross-device sync unreliable
- ✗Learning curve for beginners: Interface feels cluttered; simple settings hard to locate among advanced features
- ✗15-minute video limit: Optimized for short-form only; unsuitable for long-form content
Honest Assessment: Captions offers genuinely innovative AI features—especially eye contact correction and multilingual dubbing—that make it unique in the video editing space. However, technical reliability issues, poor customer support, and lack of nonprofit pricing are significant drawbacks. The platform is best for organizations that specifically need its unique AI capabilities (multilingual content, eye contact correction) and are willing to tolerate occasional technical challenges. For most nonprofits, more stable and affordable alternatives like CapCut or VEED.io may be better choices unless you have specific needs that only Captions can address.
Alternatives to Consider
If Captions doesn't feel like the right fit—whether due to technical concerns, lack of nonprofit pricing, or platform limitations—consider these alternatives:
CapCut
Completely free with no watermarks, more stable performance
Best if: You want a completely free, stable video editor with auto-captions in 130+ languages and don't need eye contact correction or AI dubbing. CapCut is the most downloaded video editor globally (200M+ monthly users) and offers AI script-to-video, AI avatars, and one-click social publishing—all free.
Tradeoff: No eye contact correction, no AI dubbing, 15-minute video limit (same as Captions free tier). But it's free, reliable, and widely used.
VEED.io
Browser-based, better team collaboration, more stable
Best if: You need a web-based editor with team collaboration features, auto-subtitles in 120+ languages, and don't mind paying $12-59/month. VEED.io works entirely in your browser (no app download), has real-time team collaboration, and is more stable than Captions.
Tradeoff: No eye contact correction, pricing is comparable to Captions Pro/Max tiers. Better for teams; Captions is better for individual creators.
Descript
Text-based editing pioneer, better for podcasts and long-form
Best if: You need revolutionary text-based editing for podcasts, interviews, or long-form content. Descript lets you edit audio/video by editing the transcript, has excellent multi-track editing, and is more robust for professional production workflows. Pricing: $16-50/month.
Tradeoff: Steeper learning curve, more expensive, not optimized for short-form social media like Captions. Better for long-form content; Captions is better for TikTok/Reels.
Why You Might Choose Captions Instead
Choose Captions if you specifically need: (1) Eye contact correction for talking-head videos where you read from notes, (2) AI dubbing in 29 languages for multilingual content distribution, or (3) A complete mobile-first workflow optimized for TikTok/Reels/Shorts. These features are genuinely unique to Captions and hard to find elsewhere. However, be prepared to troubleshoot technical issues and consider alternatives if reliability is critical.
Getting Started
Your First 48 Hours with Captions
Test the platform thoroughly with the free tier before committing to paid plans
Step 1: Download and Sign Up (15 minutes)
Download the Captions app on iOS (best performance) or visit captions.ai in your browser. Create a free account to access auto-captions, text-to-speech, and AI avatars with watermarked exports.
Visit CaptionsStep 2: Create a Simple Test Video (30-45 minutes)
Record a 60-second talking-head video using the built-in teleprompter (read from notes). Let the AI add auto-captions and test the eye contact correction feature. Export the video and check quality.
💡 Pro Tip: Test export functionality immediately—if you encounter frequent failures or audio sync issues, explore alternatives before investing time in learning the platform.
Step 3: Test Multilingual Dubbing (30 minutes)
If you serve multilingual communities, create a second video and use the one-tap dubbing feature to translate into Spanish, Mandarin, or another language. Preview the dubbed version to assess quality.
💡 Pro Tip: Have a native speaker review the dubbed version—AI translation quality varies by language, and you want to ensure it sounds natural before publishing to your community.
Step 4: Evaluate Before Upgrading (Day 2)
After testing 2-3 videos on the free tier, assess: (1) Did exports work reliably? (2) Is the eye contact correction noticeable and valuable? (3) Do you actually need the advanced AI features, or would CapCut's free tier suffice? Only upgrade if Captions' unique features justify the cost and you haven't experienced significant technical issues.
⚠️ Important: Test Thoroughly First
Given the technical reliability concerns reported in 2026 user reviews, spend time testing the free tier before committing to $15-57/month paid plans. If you encounter frequent bugs, export failures, or poor customer support, consider alternatives like CapCut (free) or VEED.io (paid but more stable).
Need Help with Video Creation?
Deciding between Captions and alternatives? Struggling to create compelling video content? Not sure which AI features are worth paying for? One Hundred Nights offers implementation support to help nonprofits choose the right tools and create effective video strategies.
Get Implementation HelpFrequently Asked Questions
Does Captions offer nonprofit discounts?
No confirmed nonprofit-specific pricing has been publicly announced as of January 2026. However, many software companies offer unlisted nonprofit discounts. Contact Captions (now Mirage) directly through their website to inquire about potential nonprofit pricing. The free tier includes auto-captions, text-to-speech, and AI avatars with watermarked exports.
What is the difference between Captions and Mirage?
In September 2025, Captions rebranded to "Mirage" and pivoted from a creator-focused tool to an AI research lab. The company is now called "Mirage," but the creator app is still called "Captions." This is a strategic rebrand, not an acquisition. The tool remains independent and continues to offer the same video editing features.
How accurate is the eye contact correction feature?
Captions' AI eye contact correction analyzes your footage and realigns your eyes to appear as if you're making direct eye contact with the camera. This works on existing footage without requiring you to re-record. The feature is designed to make videos feel more engaging and professional, especially for talking-head content. Results vary based on video quality and lighting conditions.
Is Captions better than CapCut for nonprofit video creation?
Captions offers more advanced AI features like eye contact correction, AI dubbing in 29 languages, and AI avatars that CapCut doesn't have. However, CapCut is completely free with no watermarks and more stable performance.
Choose Captions if: You need advanced AI features and multilingual content, and budget allows $15-57/month.
Choose CapCut if: You're budget-conscious, want stability and reliability, or don't specifically need eye contact correction and AI dubbing.
What languages does Captions support for dubbing?
Captions supports automatic captions in 100+ languages and AI dubbing in 29 languages with one-tap translation. This makes it valuable for nonprofits creating multilingual content, international advocacy videos, or serving diverse communities. The dubbing feature translates both the spoken audio and generates captions in the target language.
Are there technical issues with Captions I should know about?
User reviews from 2026 report several technical challenges:
- • Frequent export failures and audio sync issues
- • Slow loading times and performance lag
- • Cross-device sync problems (projects don't sync reliably)
- • Browser version reported as "very buggy"
- • Poor customer support with unprofessional interactions
The iOS app performs best; desktop and Android versions lag behind. Consider starting with a free trial to test reliability for your specific use case before committing to a paid plan.