Scribewave vs HappyScribe
Scribewave vs HappyScribe
Compare their pricing, language support, and approach to storing your data.
The short answer
HappyScribe covers more than 150 languages and combines transcription, subtitles, and a synced editor. It is a good fit for media and e-learning teams that use those features regularly. Scribewave starts at €9 per hour with no subscription, and purchased credits do not expire. It also has an offline desktop app and an AI assistant that links each answer to a timecode. HappyScribe’s cheapest paid plan starts at €17 per month with a monthly credit allowance.
Where each one is strong
A closer look at what each tool does well.
What HappyScribe does well
- Supports more than 150 languages
- Its synced editor lets you click a word to hear that part of the recording
- One-click subtitle translation and burned-in captions
- Strong ratings on G2, Capterra and Trustpilot
- A free tier for occasional use
What Scribewave does well
- Pay-as-you-go pricing with no monthly plan
- Purchased credits never expire
- The Airgap desktop app keeps audio on your computer
- The AI assistant links every answer to an exact timecode
- Custom vocabulary and enhanced accuracy without an enterprise contract minimum
Capability by capability
Researched from public sources. Where we couldn't verify something, the cell says so rather than guessing.
| Feature | Scribewave | HappyScribe |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting price | €9/hour, pay-as-you-go | Free tier, then from €17/mo |
| Pay-as-you-go, no subscription required | Included | Not included |
| Try it without a credit card | Included | Included |
| Purchased hours never expire | Included | Not included |
| Transcription | ||
| Supported languages | 99 languages | 150+ languages |
| Automatic speaker diarization | Included | Included |
| Custom vocabulary / terminology list | Enterprise plan | Not verified |
| Click-to-audio-sync editor | Included | Included |
| Noise cancellation / pre-processing | Included | Not verified |
| AI & exports | ||
| Built-in AI assistant (chat, summarize, chapterize) | Included | Included |
| Machine translation included | 99 languages | Included |
| Subtitle export (SRT, VTT) | Included | Included |
| Export formats | Word, Google Docs, TXT, SRT, VTT | DOCX, PDF, TXT, SRT, VTT |
| Privacy & hosting | ||
| EU-hosted data | Included | Included |
| GDPR compliant | Included | Included |
| HIPAA / SOC 2 | On request | SOC 2 only, not HIPAA |
| Audio never used to train AI models | Included | Not verified |
| Fully offline, on-device option | Airgap app, €79 one-time | Not included |
Figures marked "not verified" could not be confirmed from public sources when we researched this page. If you spot an error, please let us know.
Why teams choose Scribewave over HappyScribe
- 1Buy hours when you need them instead of paying for a monthly credit allowance
- 2Keep unused credits until you are ready to use them
- 3Transcribe sensitive recordings offline with the Airgap desktop app
- 4Open the exact point in a recording cited by the AI assistant
- 5Pay from €9 per hour without a separate proofreading or accuracy tier
