Where Submagic is better
- Cheaper per video if you pay yearly, and simple to start in a browser on any computer.
- Built for speed when your video is already cut and you just want captions and effects.
- Publishing to more than one platform.
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Lua vs Submagic
Submagic adds captions and effects to your shorts. Lua also makes the cut, finds the b-roll and posts.
Submagic is a web tool that adds animated captions and effects to short videos, with publishing on its paid plans. Lua is a Mac app that starts from your raw takes and runs the whole job, from the cut to the post.
| Feature | Lua | Submagic |
|---|---|---|
| Made for | Turning your raw talking-head takes into a finished vertical reel, then posting it. | Adding animated captions and effects to short videos, fast. |
| Price (USD) | Creator $30/mo ($25/mo yearly), 12 reels · Pro $79/mo ($66/mo yearly), 32 reels · Studio $199/mo ($166/mo yearly), 85 reels | Starter $19/mo ($12/mo billed yearly), 15 videos up to 2 min · Pro $39/mo ($23/mo yearly), 40 videos up to 5 min · Business $69/mo ($41/mo yearly), 100 videos up to 30 min. |
| Free plan | No free plan. Founding members get 50% off the first month and a full refund within 14 days. | Their page offers “Try for free” with no credit card; the limits aren’t stated on the pricing page. |
| Runs on | Mac app, Apple silicon (M1 or newer), macOS 14 or later. Your footage stays on your Mac. | Web app, in any browser. |
| Where it posts | Instagram (opening in batches), with scheduling up to 30 days ahead. YouTube is next. | Their page lists publishing to social media on paid plans, with one profile per platform (three on Business). It doesn’t name the platforms there. |
| Editing | A full multi-track timeline. Every cut, caption and b-roll shot is a clip you can move, swap or undo. | A web editor for captions, clips and effects. |
| Tamil and Tanglish captions | English, Tamil and Tanglish (Tamil in English letters). Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu in beta. | Tamil in Tamil script. We found no Tanglish (Tamil in English letters) option. |
Where Lua is different
- Starts from your raw takes: the retakes and gaps are cut for you, and nothing it cut is lost.
- Tanglish captions, plus English and Tamil, in styles rebuilt from real After Effects templates.
- A full multi-track timeline when you want to change something, and an AI chat that can do it for you.
- Writes the Instagram caption in your voice and schedules the post when you approve.
Which should you pick?
Pick Submagic if your videos are already edited and you want captions and effects on them in a browser. Pick Lua if you want the whole reel made from raw takes, including Tanglish captions and the post.
- submagic.co/pricing, checked 14 October 2026: plans, video limits and publishing.
- Lua product research, 14 October 2026, checked 14 October 2026: Tamil caption support.
- Lua’s prices and plans: trylua.com/#pricing.
- Submagic is a trademark of its owner. This page is our own comparison and isn’t endorsed by them. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it.
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You record. Lua does the rest.
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