AI notetaker that records, transcribes, summarizes and searches meetings across Zoom, Meet and Teams.
Happy Scribe vs Sonix
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Summary
Happy Scribe is best for transcribing and subtitling media files in many languages, with an optional meeting notetaker, while Sonix is best for transcribing and translating uploaded recordings with pay-per-hour pricing. Happy Scribe has a free plan, while Sonix offers a free trial.
Which should you choose?
Choose Happy Scribe if…
- You need transcribing and subtitling media files in many languages, with an optional meeting notetaker
- You're one of: video editors and subtitlers, journalists and researchers, podcasters
- You want a free plan (Sonix only has a trial)
- Very broad language coverage for transcription and translation
Choose Sonix if…
- You need transcribing and translating uploaded recordings with pay-per-hour pricing
- You're one of: podcasters and video producers, researchers transcribing interviews, media and legal teams
- Pay-as-you-go option suits occasional users
At a glance
| Happy Scribe | Sonix | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Transcribing and subtitling media files in many languages, with an optional meeting notetaker | Transcribing and translating uploaded recordings with pay-per-hour pricing |
| Free plan | Yes | Trial only |
| Starting price | From $8.50/mo | From $10/hr |
| Learning curve | Low | Low |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, API | Web, API |
| Ideal for | Video editors and subtitlers, Journalists and researchers, Podcasters, Multilingual teams | Podcasters and video producers, Researchers transcribing interviews, Media and legal teams, Developers needing a transcription API |
Feature comparison
| Happy Scribe | Sonix | |
|---|---|---|
| Records without a bot joining | No | Limited |
| Meeting platforms | Zoom, Meet, Teams | Imports from Zoom, Meet, Teams, Webex |
| Transcription languages | 150+ languages | 54+ languages |
| CRM sync | No | No |
| Ask AI across meetings | Limited | Limited |
| Speaker identification | Yes | Yes |
| In-person / mobile recording | Yes | Web recorder only |
| Transcribe uploaded files | Yes | Yes |
| Translation | Yes | Yes |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Happy Scribe | Sonix | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Enterprise plan | Enterprise plan |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | — |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | — | Yes |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | BAA available |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | Yes |
| Data residency options | EU | — |
| No training on your data | — | — |
| Audit logs | — | — |
| Admin controls | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools
What each tool does
Happy Scribe
Happy Scribe is a Europe-based transcription and subtitling platform that converts uploaded audio and video into editable transcripts and subtitles in 150+ languages. It also offers a calendar-connected notetaker for Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, mobile recording apps, AI translation and an optional human transcription service.
Key features- AI transcription in 150+ languages with speaker detection
- Subtitle editor with 15+ export formats on higher plans
- AI translation into 80+ languages
- Meeting notetaker for Zoom, Meet and Teams
- Optional human-verified transcription and subtitles
- iOS and Android apps for in-person recording
Sonix
Sonix is an automated transcription service where you upload audio or video and receive a timestamped, speaker-labelled transcript you can edit in the browser. It supports transcription and translation in 50+ languages, subtitle generation and AI analysis such as summaries, chapters and sentiment. It does not send a bot to join live meetings.
Key features- Automated transcription in 54+ languages
- Machine translation into 54+ languages
- In-browser transcript editor with speaker labels and timestamps
- AI summaries, chapters and sentiment analysis
- Subtitle generation and burn-in
- API, webhooks and Zapier automation
Pricing
Happy Scribe
Free tier (meeting recording + 10-min AI trial); Basic $8.50/mo annual ($17 monthly)
Sonix
30-min free trial; Pay-as-you-go $10/hr; Core subscription $25/mo
Prices last checked September 2026. Plans change often — confirm on each vendor's site.
Pros and cons
Happy Scribe
Strengths- Very broad language coverage for transcription and translation
- Strong subtitle editing and export options for video work
- Human transcription available when accuracy is critical
- EU data storage and SOC 2 Type II certification
- Minute-based quotas on every plan; heavy users need higher tiers
- No bot-free desktop recorder yet (Mac/Windows apps listed as coming soon)
- CRM integration not yet available
- Basic plan limited to SRT subtitle export
Not ideal for: Sales teams that want CRM syncing and conversation analytics from their calls should choose a dedicated sales meeting assistant.
Sonix
Strengths- Pay-as-you-go option suits occasional users
- Good editor for correcting and exporting transcripts
- Translation built into the same workflow
- Developer API and compliance options (SOC 2, HIPAA)
- No meeting bot to auto-join scheduled calls
- No dedicated mobile app
- No CRM integrations
- Per-hour transcription charges on top of subscriptions add up for heavy use
Not ideal for: Anyone who wants meetings recorded and summarized automatically without uploading files should use a meeting notetaker instead.
Integrations
Happy Scribe
Sonix
FAQ
What is the main difference between Happy Scribe and Sonix?
Happy Scribe is built for transcribing and subtitling media files in many languages, with an optional meeting notetaker; Sonix is built for transcribing and translating uploaded recordings with pay-per-hour pricing.
Is Happy Scribe or Sonix cheaper?
Happy Scribe starts from $8.50/mo and Sonix starts from $10/hr (as of September 2026). On entry price, Happy Scribe is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Happy Scribe and Sonix have free plans?
Happy Scribe has a free plan, while Sonix offers a free trial.
Which is easier to use, Happy Scribe or Sonix?
Both have a low learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Happy Scribe and Sonix?
Other meetings tools worth comparing include Fireflies.ai, Otter.ai and Fathom.
