Files with sub extension are usually video subtitles in one of the most common subtitle format. It's a plain text file format that contain individual text entries with time stamps that basically tell the media player which text and at what playback time it should show.

There are 6 other file types using
the SUB file extension!

empty icon.sub - IBM Rational Rose component package

sub icon.sub - CloneCD sub channel data

empty icon.sub - Insight II subset definition

empty icon.sub - SubmitWolf website submission project

empty icon.sub - SWAT subbasin input file

empty icon.sub - SubTerra level data

SUB file extension - Video subtitles

What is sub file? How to open sub files?

File type specification:

Text file type icon Text file type

sub file icon: sub filetype icon

File extension sub is probably best known as one of the most common type of video subtitles, a textual versions of the dialog in movies, usually displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Many tools use .sub files for subtitles and you can find many variants based on which program was used to make them starting from the original MicroDVD, SubViewer to VobSub. But the core remains the same.

These can either be a form of written translation of a dialog in a foreign language, or a written rendering of the dialog in the same language, with or without added information to help viewers who are deaf and hard-of-hearing to follow the dialog.

SUB subtitle format is often used for subtitles for DivX movies, very popular on P2P servers (torrents).

A variant of sub format is sometimes labeled as VobSub, which you can identify by .idx file that is found together with the .sub file.

Updated: November 15, 2023

The default software associated to open sub file:

SubtitleCreator picture or screenshot

SubtitleCreator  Microsoft Windows software

Company or developer:
The SubtitleCreator team

SubtitleCreator allows users to add subtitles to their DVD movies. It is available for Windows platform.

VLC media player icon

VideoLAN Project Team logoVLC media player  Microsoft Windows software

Company or developer:
VideoLAN Project Team

Very popular multimedia player developed for Windows, Apple Mac, Linux, Unix and various other operating systems and platforms.

VLC can playback many of the video formats (AVI, MKV, OGV, WMV, ASF, MOV...) and audio formats (MP3, AAC, M4A, OGG, FLAC...) as well as support of subtitles for video. It can also be used as a streaming server and multimedia transcoder.

Aegisub icon

Aegisub  Multiplatform software

Aegisub is a free, cross-platform open source tool for creating and modifying subtitles.

Related articles:

How to watch movies with subtitles

Create subtitles for 3D movies

Automatically download subtitles for movies

Automatically download subtitles in VLC Media Player for Mac

Best free software for movie subtitle editing

How to create video subtitles

Help how to open:

The .sub files can be edited by text editor or word processor.

Very useful for playing SUB subtitle file in the movie is VobSub DirectShow filter. VobSub is not related to any video player, VobSub runs, when the movie is played in any media player and VobSub shows the subtitles in the movie.

When the subtitles have the same name as the movie, VobSub opens the subtitles automatically, but when the subtitles haven't got the same name, you must open the subtitles in VobSub configuration menu manually.

How to convert:

Very useful conversion utility is distributed along with VobSub DirectShow filter. You can use this utility to open many subtitle formats and then saved them to another subtitle format.

Find conversions from sub file:

sub to ass

sub to mp3

sub to smi

sub to srt

sub to str

sub to text

sub to txt

Find converter to sub file type:

ass to sub

mkv to sub

smi to sub

srt to sub

sup to sub

txt to sub

Related links:

Site dedicated to movie subtitles

List of software applications associated to the .sub file extension

Recommended software programs are sorted by OS platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android etc.)
and possible program actions that can be done with the file: like open sub file, edit sub file, convert sub file, view sub file, play sub file etc. (if exist software for corresponding action in File-Extensions.org's database).

Hint:
Click on the tab below to simply browse between the application actions, to quickly get a list of recommended software, which is able to perform the specified software action, such as opening, editing or converting sub files.

Software that open sub file - Video subtitles

Programs supporting the exension sub on the main platforms Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile. Click on the link to get more information about listed programs for open sub file action.

Microsoft Windows:

Main software associated with sub file by default:
SubtitleCreator
Other suggested software:
Gaupol Subtitle Editor small icon Gaupol Subtitle Editor
Subtitle Edit small icon Subtitle Edit
Swift Create
Subtitle Workshop small icon Subtitle Workshop

Linux/Unix:

Multiplatform:

Main software associated with sub file by default:
Aegisub small icon Aegisub
Other suggested software:
URUworks Subtitle Workshop small icon URUworks Subtitle Workshop
TeroSubtitler

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