Language Reactor alternatives for learning from YouTube
Language Reactor is a browser extension that adds interactive subtitles to Netflix and YouTube, free with a paid Pro tier. If you mainly learn from YouTube and want a word's meaning in its sentence, whole phrases recognised and channels picked for your level, on a phone as well as a laptop, each alternative below takes a different angle. All prices were checked on the products' own sites on 18 October 2026.
How CaptionLearn is different
Every device, every browser
CaptionLearn The same app in any browser: Safari on an iPhone or iPad, Chrome on Android, Firefox or Chrome on a laptop. Paste any YouTube link, and your saved words and watch history follow you from one device to the next.
Language Reactor The extension “runs on Google Chrome on desktop and laptop computers running Windows and MacOS”. On a phone or tablet it’s a separate web app that plays videos from its own catalogue. source
The phrase, and what it means here
CaptionLearn Tap «mejor» in «Mira, a lo mejor alguna vez has tenido…» and all three words light up as one phrase. The card says perhaps, with the sentence translated underneath.
Language Reactor A click on «mejor» opens a dictionary entry for that word alone: best, better, improved. The machine translation of the line is shown separately. source
Both taken on 21 October 2026 at the same second of Spanish with Vicente’s «¿Por qué los españoles dicen me he cortado el pelo?» (CC BY), Language Reactor 6.0.1, free version. Your words leave with you, on every plan
CaptionLearn Export saved words, each with its sentence, to Anki, Quizlet, Brainscape, LingQ or a spreadsheet, on the free plan too.
Language Reactor Words and phrases can be saved; export to Anki is part of Pro. source
CaptionLearn and Language Reactor
| CaptionLearn | Language Reactor | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (monthly) | Free (30 lookups); Standard €4.90/month, Intensive €9.90/month | Free; Pro €5.40/month (DE, incl. VAT) or US$5.95 source |
| Price (yearly) | No yearly plan | Pro €36.27/year or US$39.95 source |
| Works on | YouTube | Netflix and YouTube, plus books, websites and podcasts source |
| How you use it | Any browser, on a laptop, tablet or phone | Extension for Chrome on Windows and macOS computers; on phones and tablets, a separate web app with its own video catalogue source |
| Saving words | With sentence, translation and timestamp; export to Anki, Quizlet, Brainscape, LingQ, CSV | Save words and phrases, export to Anki (Pro) source |
| Languages | 12 | 40 languages source |
Where Language Reactor is better
- It has a free tier with no lookup limit, and Pro costs about the same as our Standard plan.
- It works on Netflix as well as YouTube.
- It is a browser extension today, inside the sites you already use.
Other alternatives
Trancy
Bilingual subtitles with word and sentence translation; the free tier includes unlimited translation source
Migaku
Subtitles and lookups with Anki-style card creation, for 11 languages source
LingQ
A reading-and-listening library you import lessons into, for 53 languages source
Comprendo
Spanish only: YouTube with tappable subtitles, flashcards with spaced repetition and an AI tutor source
Pick Language Reactor if
- you watch Netflix as much as YouTube
- you want to stay inside the Netflix or YouTube page
- you want the cheapest option
Pick CaptionLearn if
- you learn from YouTube and want channels picked for your level and accent
- you want phrases and separable verbs looked up as one, with the meaning in that sentence
- you want it on your phone without installing anything
What CaptionLearn does well
1 / 7
The meaning in this sentence
Each word is translated with the sentence around it, so you get what the speaker means, not a list of dictionary entries.
What it doesn't do
- YouTube only: no Netflix, no series or films.
- Auto-generated captions vary in quality, and a video without captions in your language can't be used.
- No flashcard review or speaking practice inside the app; saved words export to Anki, Quizlet and others instead.
- The free plan has a monthly lookup limit.
- No browser extension or phone app yet: it runs in the browser, on phones too.
Questions
Is CaptionLearn a browser extension?
Not yet. It is a web app: paste a YouTube link, or open a video from the channels it suggests, and the subtitles run next to the player. It works the same on a phone.
Does CaptionLearn work with Netflix?
No, only YouTube. If most of what you watch is on Netflix, Language Reactor, Trancy or Migaku cover it.
Can I export my words to Anki?
Yes. Saved words export to Anki, Quizlet, Brainscape, LingQ or a spreadsheet, each with its sentence.
Are you affiliated with Language Reactor?
No. CaptionLearn is not affiliated with Language Reactor or the other products named here. Their names are trademarks of their owners.
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