Happy Scribe
Irish transcription service offering AI and human-made transcripts, subtitles and translation in 150+ languages
Quick Overview
| Company | Happy Scribe Limited |
|---|---|
| Category | Transcription Software |
| Headquarters | Dublin, Ireland |
| Founded | 2017 |
| EU Presence | Yes - Ireland (EU) |
| Data Location | EU data centre (stated on its security page) |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | AI transcription, human-made transcripts, subtitles, translation, speaker identification, automatic language detection, AI glossary, integrations, API, DOCX/PDF/SRT/VTT export |
| Pricing | Free plan; Basic €17/month (€8.50 billed annually), Pro €29 (€19 annually), Business €89 (€59 annually); extra credits €0.20/min; Enterprise on request |
| Best For | Teams and individuals who want AI transcripts with an optional human review step |
| Replaces | Rev, Otter.ai, Descript |
Detailed Review
Happy Scribe is the most direct European counterpart to Rev in this list: a web service where you upload audio or video, receive an AI transcript, and can order human-made transcription when accuracy matters. It also produces subtitles and translations.
The contracting entity is Happy Scribe Limited, based in Dublin, and its security page states that its data centre is located in the European Union. Prices are published in euros on the pricing page.
AI and Human Transcription in One Service
The free and paid plans use AI transcription, with speaker identification, automatic language detection and an AI glossary for names and jargon. For recordings where an error is costly, Happy Scribe sells human-made transcripts, which it describes as 99% accurate, and human proofreading from €1.75 per minute on lower plans.
Exports include DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT, so the same transcript can feed a document or a subtitle track.
Integrations and API
The site lists integrations with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Google Calendar, Outlook, Google Drive, Dropbox and YouTube, and connects to further apps through Zapier. An API is listed as well, though the pages checked give no detail on it.
Security Statements
Happy Scribe states that it is GDPR compliant and SOC 2 Type 2 certified and that its data centre is in the European Union, in a Tier IV, PCI DSS and ISO 27001 compliant facility. It names Amazon Web Services and Heroku as infrastructure providers and Stripe for payments.
Limitations to Consider
The pricing page lists Enterprise as contact-us only, and the 99% human accuracy and the claimed accuracy lead over competitors are vendor statements without a stated test method. The security page names Amazon Web Services and Heroku as infrastructure providers, which are US-founded companies, and it does not say whether customer data is used to train AI models. Human-made transcripts cost considerably more than the AI plans.
Who Should Use Happy Scribe
Journalists, researchers, marketers and small teams who want a self-service transcription tool with euro prices and an EU data centre, and who occasionally need a human-reviewed transcript.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Irish contracting entity, EU data centre stated
- AI and human-made transcripts in one service
- 150+ languages listed
- Euro prices published for every paid plan
- Subtitle and translation output
Cons
- Enterprise price not published
- Accuracy figures are vendor claims
- Infrastructure providers include US-founded companies
- No statement on AI training use found
Alternatives to Happy Scribe
Other European transcription software worth comparing before you decide:
Amberscript
Netherlands · Dutch transcription and subtitles with machine and human options
Speechmatics
United Kingdom · Speech-to-text API for developers building at scale
Trint
United Kingdom · Transcript-based editing and verification for newsrooms and producers
Vatis Tech
Romania · Transcription app and API with on-premise deployment option
See all European transcription software or compare them directly against Rev on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Its legal name is Happy Scribe Limited and its address is in Dublin, Ireland, so it falls under EU data protection law.
The security page states that its data centre is located in the European Union. It also names Amazon Web Services and Heroku as infrastructure providers.
Yes. Human-made transcripts are offered at a higher price than AI transcription, and human proofreading is listed from €1.75 per minute on the Free, Basic and Pro plans.