Head-to-head · Transcription Software
Happy Scribe vs AssemblyAI
Happy Scribe leads on 2 checks, AssemblyAI on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreHappy Scribe · 8.6/10
- Free planonly Happy Scribe
Happy Scribe scores higher on our rubric for transcription software: 8.6 against 8.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #7.
Happy Scribe offers free plan; AssemblyAI doesn't. Happy Scribe leads on languages supported: 150 languages versus 99 languages.
Happy Scribe is the better fit for multimedia teams needing transcription and subtitles. AssemblyAI is the better fit for developers building speech products.
- Happy Scribe fits best
Multimedia teams needing transcription and subtitles
- AssemblyAI fits best
Developers building speech products
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Side by side
| Feature | Happy Scribe 8.6/10 Visit ↗ | AssemblyAI 8.4/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 8.6 | 8.4 |
| Ranking | #6 in Transcription Software | #7 in Transcription Software |
| Best for | Multimedia teams needing transcription and subtitles | Developers building speech products |
| Pricing model | Free plan + paid | Paid |
| Starting price | — | $0.15/unit usage-based |
| Free plan | ✓ (best) | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Cloud, Mobile | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web |
| Support | Email, Live chat, Docs | Email, Live chat, Community, Docs |
| Compliance | SOC 2, GDPR, SSO/SAML, 2FA | SOC 2 |
| Integrations | 7,000+ integrations | 20 integrations |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features Happy Scribe 3/3 · AssemblyAI 3/3 | ||
| Speaker identification | ✓ | ✓ |
| Timestamp support | ✓ | ✓ |
| API access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Specs | ||
| Languages supported | 150 languages (best) | 99 languages |
| Included minutes | 120 min/mo | Not checked yet |
| Export formats | DOCX, TXT, SRT, MP4 | SRT, VTT |
| Our review | ||
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| Our verdict | Happy Scribe is a web and mobile platform for transcribing audio and video, creating subtitles, translating content and capturing meeting notes. It supports AI transcription in more than 150 languages, automatic speaker identification,… Read the review → |
AssemblyAI provides APIs for turning prerecorded and streaming audio into text and structured speech data. It is aimed at developers and organizations building voice applications, including meeting transcription, call analytics, AI… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Happy Scribe — where it wins
- Supports AI transcription, subtitling and translation in 150+ languages.
- Combines collaborative editing, speaker identification and word-level timestamps.
- Connects with meeting, storage, video, calendar and automation platforms.
Where it doesn't
- Free transcription is limited to a 10-minute AI trial.
- Basic, Pro and Business plans cap monthly AI minutes.
- Advanced workspace controls begin on the Business plan.
AssemblyAI — where it wins
- Free plan includes up to 185 prerecorded hours and 333 streaming hours
- Supports 99 prerecorded transcription languages with Universal-2
- Offers diarization, timestamps, subtitles, and speech-understanding models
Where it doesn't
- API-only access may not suit teams seeking a ready-made transcription app
- Pay-as-you-go costs scale with audio usage at $0.15 per hour
- Self-hosted deployment options are limited to eligible workloads
- Happy Scribe8.6/10 · Free plan
A broad transcription workspace for multimedia teams, with AI, human review and API access.
Visit Happy ScribeFull verdict → - AssemblyAI8.4/10 · Paid
A developer-focused transcription API with multilingual coverage, realtime audio, and usage-based pricing.
Visit AssemblyAIFull verdict →
More comparisons
- Amazon Transcribe vs Happy Scribe
- Amazon Transcribe vs AssemblyAI
- Google Cloud Speech-to-Text vs Happy Scribe
- Google Cloud Speech-to-Text vs AssemblyAI
- Whisper vs Happy Scribe
- Whisper vs AssemblyAI
- Express Scribe vs Happy Scribe
- Express Scribe vs AssemblyAI
All transcription software comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update




