AI notetaker that records, transcribes, summarizes and searches meetings across Zoom, Meet and Teams.
Happy Scribe vs tl;dv
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 tl;dv is best for teams that want free unlimited video recordings with multi-language notes and CRM updates. Only tl;dv offers records without a bot joining. Both Happy Scribe and tl;dv offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
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
- Very broad language coverage for transcription and translation
Choose tl;dv if…
- You need teams that want free unlimited video recordings with multi-language notes and CRM updates
- Records without a bot joining matters to you
- You're one of: sales teams, customer success and account managers, user researchers
- Generous free plan for video recording
At a glance
| Happy Scribe | tl;dv | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Transcribing and subtitling media files in many languages, with an optional meeting notetaker | Teams that want free unlimited video recordings with multi-language notes and CRM updates |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | From $8.50/mo | From €18/seat/mo |
| Learning curve | Low | Low |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, API | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Chrome extension |
| Ideal for | Video editors and subtitlers, Journalists and researchers, Podcasters, Multilingual teams | Sales teams, Customer success and account managers, User researchers, Remote-first startups |
Feature comparison
| Happy Scribe | tl;dv | |
|---|---|---|
| Records without a bot joining | No | Yes |
| Meeting platforms | Zoom, Meet, Teams | Meet, Zoom, Teams, any via desktop |
| Transcription languages | 150+ languages | 30+ languages |
| CRM sync | No | Paid plans only |
| Ask AI across meetings | Limited | Business plan only |
| Speaker identification | Yes | Yes |
| In-person / mobile recording | Yes | Yes |
| Transcribe uploaded files | Yes | Yes |
| Translation | Yes | Yes |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Happy Scribe | tl;dv | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Enterprise plan | Enterprise plan |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | Enterprise plan |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | — | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | Yes |
| Data residency options | EU | EU |
| No training on your data | — | Yes |
| Audit logs | — | Enterprise plan |
| Admin controls | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud, private AI hosting |
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
tl;dv
tl;dv records Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams meetings as video, transcribes them and generates AI notes, either through a bot or bot-free via its desktop app. Its free plan includes unlimited recordings, and paid tiers add CRM syncing, unlimited AI notes and team-wide meeting intelligence that answers questions across calls.
Key features- Unlimited video recording and transcription on the free plan
- Bot or bot-free capture via desktop app for any platform
- Transcription and notes in 30+ languages
- HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive syncing
- Ask AI within a meeting; multi-meeting AI reports on Business
- Mobile app for in-person meetings
Pricing
Happy Scribe
Free tier (meeting recording + 10-min AI trial); Basic $8.50/mo annual ($17 monthly)
tl;dv
Free plan; Pro EUR 18/seat/mo annual (EUR 29 monthly)
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.
tl;dv
Strengths- Generous free plan for video recording
- Good multi-language support for European teams
- Timestamped highlights and clips for sharing
- Records any desktop meeting app bot-free
- Free plan caps AI notes at 10 meetings and limits Ask AI queries
- Cross-meeting AI search and coaching require the top tier
- Free plan allows only 5 file uploads
- Fewer languages than tools advertising 100+
Not ideal for: Small teams that need cross-meeting AI search on a budget may find it locked behind the most expensive plan.
Integrations
Happy Scribe
tl;dv
FAQ
What is the main difference between Happy Scribe and tl;dv?
Happy Scribe is built for transcribing and subtitling media files in many languages, with an optional meeting notetaker; tl;dv is built for teams that want free unlimited video recordings with multi-language notes and CRM updates. Key differences: tl;dv offers records without a bot joining.
Is Happy Scribe or tl;dv cheaper?
Happy Scribe starts from $8.50/mo and tl;dv starts from €18/seat/mo (as of September 2026). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Happy Scribe and tl;dv have free plans?
Both Happy Scribe and tl;dv offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which is easier to use, Happy Scribe or tl;dv?
Both have a low learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Happy Scribe and tl;dv?
Other meetings tools worth comparing include Fireflies.ai, Otter.ai and Fathom.
