Side-by-side comparison
| SRT | WebVTT (.vtt) | |
|---|---|---|
| Header | None | Must begin with WEBVTT |
| Timestamp | 00:00:01,000 (comma) | 00:00:01.000 (dot); hours optional |
| Cue numbers | Required | Optional identifiers |
| Styling | Basic tags (<i>, <b>, <u>), support varies | Tags, CSS classes, voice tags, STYLE blocks |
| Positioning | No standard | Cue settings such as align, line, position |
| Comments | No | NOTE blocks |
| HTML5 <track> | Not supported by browsers | The required format |
When to use SRT
Use SRT for video editors, desktop players, smart TVs and most social video uploads. It is the most widely accepted format and the simplest to edit by hand.
When to use VTT
Use WebVTT when you embed video on your own web page with the HTML5 <video> element, or when you need positioning and styling that SRT cannot express.
Converting between them
Because the content is so similar, conversion is lossless from SRT to VTT. Going from VTT to SRT drops positioning and styling that SRT cannot store. Use the SRT to VTT or VTT to SRT converter.
Frequently asked questions
Can YouTube read both?
YouTube Studio accepts both .srt and .vtt subtitle uploads.
Can I just rename .srt to .vtt?
No. You also need the WEBVTT header and dot-style timestamps; the converter does both.