SRT vs VTT: which subtitle format to use?

01Recognize the file structure

SRT usually numbers each caption and uses commas before milliseconds. WebVTT starts with WEBVTT and uses periods. Both carry start/end times and text. Changing a filename extension does not change the structure inside the file. Use a subtitle converter instead.

02Check what conversion removes

SRT to VTT keeps text, multiline captions, and valid timing. VTT to SRT removes VTT style blocks, region definitions, positioning parameters, and notes. Players differ in their handling of inline formatting and overlapping captions, so inspect the converted file in the destination player.

03Keep a source copy

Use UTF-8 so accents and non-Latin text remain readable. If you only need words, SRT to Text removes cue numbers, timecodes, and common formatting tags while preserving numbers inside sentences. TXT cannot recover the original timing; keep your SRT as well.

04Example

SRT
1
00:00:01,250 --> 00:00:03,000
Hello

VTT
WEBVTT

00:00:01.250 --> 00:00:03.000
Hello