In short
Review steps for each language
Happy Scribe has roles, guests, and shared files. Its public docs do not describe assigned reviewers or approval. In CaptionsHero, each language has an editor and a reviewer, and the reviewer approves.
One price for the whole team
Happy Scribe Business costs $89 a month for 5 seats, then $29 for each extra seat. CaptionsHero Team costs $149 a month for 8 seats.
Where Happy Scribe is ahead
Business includes 6,000 AI minutes a month, SOC 2 Type II, human proofreading, and 15+ export formats. CaptionsHero has fewer AI minutes, no SOC 2, and exports SRT and VTT.
CaptionsHero vs Happy Scribe
| Feature | Happy Scribe | CaptionsHero |
|---|---|---|
| Team workflow | ||
| Editor and reviewer assigned for each language | Not described in its public docs | Yes |
| Request changes and approve | Not described in its public docs | Yes |
| Comments on exact lines | On transcript text; not described for subtitles | Yes |
| Share links | Optional link access, view or edit | None; videos stay private |
| Pricing and access | ||
| Team plan | $89/mo for 5 seats, +$29 per seat | $149/mo flat, 8 seats |
| Free plan | 10-minute AI trial | 1 seat, 20 AI minutes once |
| AI minutes on the team plan | 6,000 a month | 1,500 a month |
| Extra AI minutes | $0.20 per minute | No top-ups |
| SOC 2 | Type II | No |
| Editor and AI | ||
| Waveform timeline | Yes | Yes |
| Subtitle timing rules | Style guide presets for CPS and gaps | Netflix-style QC checks |
| AI translation languages | 80+ | 82 |
| Subtitle file formats | SRT, VTT, EBU STL, and more | SRT and VTT |
Why teams move from Happy Scribe
Review is a step, not a shared file
Happy Scribe lets you share a file and add comments. CaptionsHero adds the steps: an editor and a reviewer for each language, change requests, and approval.
Seats do not add up
On Happy Scribe, every person after the fifth adds $29 a month. CaptionsHero Team covers 8 people, and Studio covers 20, at one monthly price.
Built for subtitle work
Happy Scribe's homepage leads with meeting notes and transcripts. CaptionsHero is made for subtitles, with a waveform timeline, frame-accurate timing, and QC checks on every plan.
No more final_v3_REVIEWED.srt.
Stop passing files around. Edit, review, and approve in one place.
English
Draft312 cues · Saved 2026.10.07 3:41 PM
Spanish
Translating…Needs editorTranslating…312 cues · Saved 2026.10.07 3:42 PM
Korean
Translating…Needs editorTranslating…312 cues · Saved 2026.10.07 3:42 PM
Spanish
Needs editorDraft312 cues · Saved 2026.10.07 3:42 PM
Editor
Reviewer
los rostros.
“Rostros” reads stiff here. Try “caras”.
Daniel Cho · 2026.10.07 4:10 PM
Spanish
In reviewApproved312 cues · Saved 2026.10.07 4:32 PM
What it costs: CaptionsHero vs Happy Scribe
List prices per month, with monthly billing.
| Team size | Happy Scribe | CaptionsHero |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $17 (Basic, 120 AI minutes) or $29 (Pro, 600) | Free, or $29 with 500 AI minutes |
| Team of 8 | $176 (Business, 3 extra seats) | $149 (Team) |
| Team of 20 | $524 (Business, 15 extra seats) | $399 (Studio) |
Happy Scribe includes far more AI minutes: 6,000 a month on Business. But its public docs do not describe an assign, review, and approve workflow. CaptionsHero includes it, with email notifications, AI minutes for transcription and translation, a REST API, and Cloudflare Stream and YouTube integration.
Happy Scribe or CaptionsHero?
Choose Happy Scribe if
- You need thousands of AI minutes a month on a small team: Business includes 6,000 for $89 with 5 seats.
- Your buyers ask for SOC 2 Type II or an EU data center.
- You order human transcription or proofreading in the same app, or you deliver EBU STL, Final Cut, or Avid files.
- Your main job is meeting notes and transcripts, and subtitles are a side task.
Choose CaptionsHero if
- Each language gets a named editor and reviewer, with request changes and approval. Happy Scribe's blog points teams to a tool such as Trello for this.
- You pay one flat price for 8 or 20 seats, with no $29 charge for each extra person.
- You want Netflix-style QC warnings, frame-accurate timing, and 50+ shortcuts in a subtitle editor, not a transcript editor.
- You want comments on the exact subtitle line, where Happy Scribe documents comments for transcripts only.
- Your client videos must have no share links and no guest links.
- You caption video every day, and meeting notes are not what you need.
Common questions
Is CaptionsHero cheaper than Happy Scribe?
For one person, Happy Scribe Basic is $17 with 120 AI minutes and Pro is $29 with 600. CaptionsHero is free, or $29 with 500 AI minutes. For teams, yes at monthly list prices. A team of 8 pays $149 on CaptionsHero and $176 on Happy Scribe Business. A team of 20 pays $399 and $524. On yearly billing, Happy Scribe Business is about $116 a month for 8 people, against about $124 on CaptionsHero. Happy Scribe Business also includes four times the AI minutes of CaptionsHero Team.
Is Happy Scribe free to use?
Partly. The Free plan gives a 10-minute AI trial, recordings up to 45 minutes, and watermarked MP4 export. CaptionsHero Solo is free for one person and includes 20 AI minutes once.
Is Happy Scribe safe and trustworthy?
It states that it is SOC 2 Type II certified and GDPR compliant, with data in the EU. Training on your content is opt-in. CaptionsHero has no SOC 2. Its videos and subtitles are private.
Is Happy Scribe worth it for subtitle teams?
It is a good fit for fast AI drafts and many export formats. Capterra reviewers most often mention the price and the time spent editing AI drafts. For assigned review and approval, use CaptionsHero.
Can I move my Happy Scribe subtitles to CaptionsHero?
Yes. Export each file from Happy Scribe as SRT or VTT, then import it into CaptionsHero.
Ready to move on from Happy Scribe?
Bring your SRT files, invite your team, and start today.
Free forever plan. No card required. No sales call.
- Every language gets a translator and a reviewer
- Feedback on the exact line, not in an email thread
- Only the approved version ships
- See who's holding up which language
- AI drafts in 82 languages, or bring your SRT
- Private, in the browser, nothing to install
Sources
- Happy Scribe pricing, checked 2026.10.13
- Happy Scribe help: plans and pricing, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- Happy Scribe help: user management, checked 2026.10.13
- Happy Scribe help: about sharing, checked 2026.10.13
- Happy Scribe team collaboration, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- Happy Scribe help: commenting in the transcript editor, checked 2026.10.13
- Happy Scribe subtitle editor, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- Happy Scribe subtitles, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- Happy Scribe help: style guides, checked 2026.10.13
- Happy Scribe security, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
- Happy Scribe privacy policy, checked 2026.10.13
- Happy Scribe homepage, checked 2026.10.13
- Happy Scribe reviews on Capterra, checked 2026.10.13 (archived)
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