Does the free version of DaVinci Resolve have auto subtitles?

No. Creating subtitles from audio is a feature of the paid Studio edition. The free version can still import, edit, style and export subtitles, so you only need the SRT file from somewhere else.

Why does DaVinci Resolve not import my SRT file?

The usual causes are a file not saved as UTF-8, a missing blank line between cues, or timestamps with a dot instead of a comma. Open the file in a text editor and compare it with the example in this guide.

Why are my imported subtitles out of sync?

The SRT was made from a different cut of the video. Make the subtitle file from the final export, or shift the whole track on the timeline. See how to fix out-of-sync subtitles .

Can I import VTT into DaVinci Resolve?

Resolve reads SRT most reliably. If you have both, use the SRT.

Subtitles in DaVinci Resolve for free: import an SRT instead of auto captions

DaVinci Resolve is one of the best free video editors there is, but its automatic subtitle feature, Create Subtitles from Audio, is reserved for the paid Studio edition. The good news is that everything else about subtitles works in the free version: importing a subtitle file, editing the lines, styling them and exporting. So the workaround is simple: make the SRT file outside Resolve and bring it in.

Four steps: generate the SRT, import it, style it in the Inspector, export it burned in, as a file or embedded.

Step 1: get an SRT file of your video

Export your edit from Resolve first (or just its audio), so the subtitles match the final cut. Then generate the subtitles:

Sign up for a free ToneLark account.
Upload the exported video or audio file.
Wait for the email, then download the SRT.
Open it in a text editor and fix any names or rare words.

Each month includes 10 free minutes, which covers most short videos. If you are making the file another way, the format is plain text:

1
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:03,200
Hi, and welcome back to the channel.

Step 2: import the SRT into DaVinci Resolve

Open your project on the Edit page.
Choose File → Import → Subtitle and pick the .srt file. It appears in the Media Pool. (Dragging the file into the Media Pool works too.)
Drag the subtitle clip from the Media Pool onto the timeline, at the very start. Resolve creates a subtitle track, labelled ST1, above the video tracks.
Play a few seconds to check the lines appear with the speech.

If the subtitles start late or early, select every clip on the subtitle track and move them together until the first line matches.

Step 3: style the subtitles

Select the subtitle track header (not a single caption) and open the Inspector. On the track style tab you can set, for every line at once:

font, size and colour
an outline (stroke) or drop shadow for readability
a background box behind the text
position on screen

Readable subtitles are usually white or yellow, 5 to 7 percent of the frame height, with a dark outline or a semi-transparent box. Select a single caption to edit its text or timing.

Step 4: export with subtitles

On the Deliver page, scroll down the render settings to Subtitle Settings and tick Export Subtitle. Then choose a format:

Burn into video. The text is drawn into the picture. Use this for Instagram, TikTok and anywhere that ignores subtitle files.
As a separate file. Resolve writes an SRT next to the video. Use this for YouTube, Vimeo and course platforms, where viewers can switch subtitles off.
As embedded captions. The subtitles travel inside the video file as a track, for players that support it.

Add the render to the queue and render as usual.

If the clip goes straight to TikTok, Reels or Shorts and you do not need to edit it further, you can skip Resolve's subtitle track entirely. ToneLark can burn captions into the video itself, with the spoken word highlighted as it is said. More in captions for TikTok and Reels.

Other editors

The same SRT works in Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, CapCut and most other editors: import it as a caption or subtitle track, style it, export. For the full picture of ways to make subtitles, see how to make subtitles for a video.