Tool profile
Happy Scribe: cost, fit and limits
Happy Scribe is a transcription, subtitling and translation service made by Happy Scribe Limited that uses AI speech-to-text in 150+ languages to produce transcripts and subtitle files, with optional human proofreading, for creators, researchers and teams.
What to know first
Happy Scribe sells five tiers priced in euros, from a free plan to a custom Enterprise deal. Free handles recordings up to 45 minutes and exports TXT and SRT, while MP4 exports carry a watermark. Paid tiers add monthly minute allowances for uploaded files, seats and export formats. Human proofreading is charged separately per minute. The privacy policy describes machine-learning training as opt-in and mentions a SOC 2 Type II audited security program.
Happy Scribe at a glance
| Maker | Happy Scribe Limited, Ireland |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Free trial only |
| Entry price | $9 per month for 60 minutes |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI Captioning and Subtitling Software in 2026, rank 4 of 11 |
| Website | happyscribe.com |
Who Happy Scribe is best for
Freelance editors and creators
Free exports SRT and TXT, so subtitle files can be tried on short clips first. Uploaded files get 10 one-time minutes and MP4 exports are watermarked.
Interview and research teams
Pro lists 600 minutes a month for uploaded files, unlimited AI Chat and three seats, enough for a small group transcribing interviews in several languages.
Companies with terminology rules
Business adds workspace roles and permissions plus unlimited style guides and glossaries, and lists 6,000 uploaded minutes a month for standardizing product names across teams.
Happy Scribe plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | €0 | Unlimited recordings up to 45 minutes each, 10 one-time free minutes for uploaded files, AI Chat on 3 files a month, one seat, TXT and SRT export. |
| Basic | €17 per month billed monthly, or €8.50 per month billed annually | 120 minutes a month for uploaded files, AI Chat on 10 files a month, one seat, and watermark removal on video exports. |
| Pro | €29 per month billed monthly, or €19 per month billed annually | 600 minutes a month for uploaded files, unlimited AI Chat, three seats, all export formats, advanced AI models and custom summary templates. |
| Business | €89 per month billed monthly, or €59 per month billed annually | 6,000 minutes a month for uploaded files, unlimited AI Chat, five seats, workspace roles and permissions, unlimited style guides and glossaries. |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | Everything in Business plus premium support, account management and SSO/SAML sign-in, priced by quote after a conversation with sales. |
Checked October 2026.
What Happy Scribe does
- Speech-to-text
- The pricing page lists AI speech-to-text in 150+ languages, so a mixed-language archive can run through one account instead of several single-language tools. Check your rarer languages on the free plan.
- Translation
- AI translation is listed for 80+ languages. The pages we read do not name the translation engine, so test your own language pair on the free plan before you rely on it.
- Human proofreading
- Human review is an add-on priced from €1.75 per minute, or €1.66 on Business. It sits outside plan minutes, so budget it per file for legal, broadcast or publishing work.
- AI Notetaker
- An AI Notetaker and meeting summaries are listed. Free allows unlimited recordings up to 45 minutes each, which covers short calls but not a half-day workshop.
- AI Chat
- AI Chat is metered by file: 3 a month on Free, 10 on Basic and unlimited from Pro. Basic users who lean on it will reach the cap quickly.
How Happy Scribe handles your data
The privacy policy states that machine-learning training is opt-in and separate from your use of the services. Account data is kept until the account is deleted, security logs for up to 24 months, and deleted files stay recoverable for 10 days. The policy body does not name a hosting region, though structured data on the policy page mentions EU data residency. The policy says the security program is audited against the AICPA Trust Services Criteria and describes SOC 2 Type II. If you need a named region in writing, ask for the data processing terms.
Where Happy Scribe falls short in practice
- The free plan works as a trial. Free gives a one-time 10 minutes for uploaded files and watermarks MP4 exports, so it suits testing, not a standing plan for video work. Upgrade before a client deadline.
- Seat pricing is ambiguous. Pro and Business show additional seat prices of both €19 and €29 a month without saying which applies. Confirm the figure before adding colleagues. Ask support to confirm in writing.
- Proofreading adds up. At the listed €1.75 a minute, human review of a 60-minute interview adds about €105 on top of whatever plan minutes the file consumed. Budget it per file, not per month.
Works with
Alternatives to Happy Scribe
Happy Scribe: common questions
Does Happy Scribe train its models on my recordings?
The privacy policy says machine-learning training is opt-in and separate from your use of the services. That wording suggests recordings are not used for training unless you agree. Read the current policy at signup, and ask the vendor in writing if a client contract requires an explicit no-training clause.
How many minutes does each Happy Scribe plan include?
Free allows unlimited recordings up to 45 minutes each plus 10 one-time minutes for uploaded files. Basic lists 120 minutes a month, Pro 600 and Business 6,000 for uploaded files. Enterprise is custom. Recordings made inside the tool and uploaded files appear to be counted differently, so check which applies.
Can I download SRT subtitles on the free plan?
Yes. The pricing page lists TXT and SRT export on Free, and all export formats from Pro. MP4 exports on Free are watermarked, and Basic removes the watermark. If you only need a subtitle file for YouTube, Free covers the file format, though uploads are limited.
What does Happy Scribe charge for human proofreading?
Proofreading is a per-minute add-on listed from €1.75 per minute, with €1.66 per minute shown on Business. It is billed separately from the monthly plan. For a 30-minute recording that is about €52 at the higher rate, so it suits files where errors are expensive.
Which Happy Scribe plan fits two or three editors sharing work?
Pro is the first tier with more than one seat: it lists three seats, 600 minutes a month, all export formats and unlimited AI Chat at €29 monthly or €19 billed annually. Business adds five seats and workspace roles. Remember that extra seats show two different prices, so confirm before purchase.