Seagull Review (2026): Pricing, Features & Honest Verdict
TLDR
Seagull is a desktop app that captures any sound playing on your computer and overlays real-time translated subtitles on top of your screen. Seagull solves a real and persistent problem: subtitle and translation tools usually only work inside one platform. Best for: bilingual professionals and travellers who consume foreign-language audio across many different apps. Price: Free / $2.99/wk. Rating: 7.4/10.
What is Seagull?
Seagull is a desktop app that captures any sound playing on your computer and overlays real-time translated subtitles on top of your screen. It works with system audio, so it covers anything from a YouTube video to a Zoom call without needing browser plugins or platform integrations.
Beyond passive subtitles, the app also includes a conversation mode that supports two to four people speaking different languages and routes audio through live interpretation. It positions itself as a universal layer that turns any audio source into multilingual text.
What Are Seagull’s Key Features?
Real-time subtitle overlay
Captures system audio from any application and displays translated captions in a transparent always-on-top window so they stay visible above whatever you are watching.
Conversation mode
Supports between two and four participants speaking different languages with live two-way interpretation, useful for multilingual meetings or family calls.
60+ language support
Covers major world languages from Mandarin and English to Swahili and Tagalog, so it handles most professional and travel scenarios.
Universal audio capture
Works with any sound source on the computer including Zoom, Google Meet, Netflix, YouTube, podcasts, with no plugin or extension required.
Automatic language detection
Identifies the spoken language on its own so users do not have to configure it for each new clip or call.
Floating transparent UI
Subtitles appear in a translucent overlay that sits above other windows so the captions never block the content you are watching.
Seagull Pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free | 1 hour of playback to test the app | Anyone evaluating the tool |
| Weekly | $2.99/wk | 12 hours of translation | Occasional travel or short events |
| Monthly | $6.99/mo | 48 hours of translation | Regular meetings or streaming |
| Yearly | $69.99/yr | 600 hours of translation | Heavy daily users and bilingual professionals |
Team plans available from $4.49/user/month annual with a 2-seat minimum.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Captures any system audio, works with apps that block plugins or extensions
- Conversation mode supporting four speakers is unusually flexible
- Wide language coverage including less common options like Swahili and Tagalog
- Auto language detection removes setup friction
- Team plans available for distributed multilingual organisations
Cons
- Hour-based caps mean heavy users may burn through allotments quickly
- 1 hour free trial is short for properly evaluating a paid translation tool
- Quality depends heavily on the underlying ASR which varies by language
- Always-on-top overlay can clash with full-screen apps and games
- Weekly plan is expensive per hour compared to yearly
| Plan | Price | Plan Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free | 1 hour of playback to test the app | Anyone evaluating the tool |
| Weekly | $2.99/wk | 12 hours of translation | Occasional travel or short events |
| Monthly | $6.99/mo | 48 hours of translation | Regular meetings or streaming |
| Yearly | $69.99/yr | 600 hours of translation | Heavy daily users and bilingual professionals |
Who is Seagull Best For?
Use Seagull if: bilingual professionals and travellers who consume foreign-language audio across many different apps.
Skip Seagull if: you need a battle-tested tool with a large community.
Best Seagull Alternatives
| Tool | What It Does | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Otter.ai | Live transcription tool stronger on English meetings and notes | Free tier, paid from $16.99/mo |
| Krisp | AI voice tool offering noise cancellation and meeting transcription | Free tier, paid from $8/mo |
| DeepL | High-quality machine translator best for text rather than live audio | Free tier, paid from $8.74/mo |
Final Verdict: Is Seagull Worth It?
Seagull solves a real and persistent problem: subtitle and translation tools usually only work inside one platform. By capturing system audio, it works on anything that makes sound, which is genuinely useful for international workers, students, and anyone watching content in another language.
The hourly caps and overlay style are the main caveats. For someone who regularly joins multilingual calls or watches foreign films, the yearly plan is reasonably priced and the conversation mode adds real meeting value.
FAQ
Does Seagull work with any app on my computer?
Yes. It captures the system audio output, so anything making sound, including Zoom, Netflix, browsers, or local video files, can be transcribed and translated.
How many languages does Seagull support?
More than 60 languages are supported, including Mandarin, Arabic, Spanish, French, German, Tagalog, and Swahili.
What is conversation mode?
Conversation mode lets two to four people speaking different languages talk live with on-screen translations of what each person is saying.
Is there a free version?
Yes, you get 1 hour of free translation playback to evaluate the app before subscribing.
How does Seagull compare to live meeting captions?
Built-in captions in Zoom or Meet only work inside those apps. Seagull works system-wide, including media that those tools cannot see.
Is there a team plan?
Yes. Team pricing starts at $4.49 per user per month on annual billing, with a minimum of two seats.
Seagull Pros & Cons
What We Like
- Captures any system audio, works with apps that block plugins or extensions
- Conversation mode supporting four speakers is unusually flexible
- Wide language coverage including less common options like Swahili and Tagalog
- Auto language detection removes setup friction
- Team plans available for distributed multilingual organisations
What Could Be Better
- Hour-based caps mean heavy users may burn through allotments quickly
- 1 hour free trial is short for properly evaluating a paid translation tool
- Quality depends heavily on the underlying ASR which varies by language
- Always-on-top overlay can clash with full-screen apps and games
- Weekly plan is expensive per hour compared to yearly
Seagull FAQ
Does Seagull work with any app on my computer?
Yes. It captures the system audio output, so anything making sound, including Zoom, Netflix, browsers, or local video files, can be transcribed and translated.
How many languages does Seagull support?
More than 60 languages are supported, including Mandarin, Arabic, Spanish, French, German, Tagalog, and Swahili.
What is conversation mode?
Conversation mode lets two to four people speaking different languages talk live with on-screen translations of what each person is saying.
Is there a free version?
Yes, you get 1 hour of free translation playback to evaluate the app before subscribing.
How does Seagull compare to live meeting captions?
Built-in captions in Zoom or Meet only work inside those apps. Seagull works system-wide, including media that those tools cannot see.
Is there a team plan?
Yes. Team pricing starts at $4.49 per user per month on annual billing, with a minimum of two seats.
