A Happy Scribe alternative that transcribes on your computer
Happy Scribe is a web service that transcribes uploaded files and meeting recordings on its servers, with a monthly allowance of AI minutes. TrueScribe transcribes your recordings on your own Windows or Linux machine, with no upload, no account and no minute counter.
| TrueScribe | Happy Scribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows and Linux | Web browser, plus iOS and Android apps; desktop apps for Mac and Windows are listed as coming soon |
| Where transcription runs | On your computer | In the cloud, on servers in the European Union |
| Speaker identification | Yes, in Pro, with NVIDIA Nemotron 3 on Windows and Linux | Yes, automatic speaker detection on every plan |
| Translation | Yes, in Pro: AI translation into 25 languages on your computer, with the original kept | AI translation into more than 80 languages, drawn from the plan's AI minutes |
| Export formats | TXT, SRT and WebVTT; Pro adds DOCX, PDF, Markdown, JSON and CSV | TXT, SRT, DOCX and watermarked MP4 on Free; paid plans remove the watermark, and Pro and Business add VTT, STL, XML, FCPXML, EDL, HTML and more |
| Price and licence | Free; Pro is a one-time purchase for up to three devices | Free plan with a 10-minute trial of AI transcription; subscriptions from €8.50 a month billed annually (€17 monthly) with 120 AI minutes a month, extra minutes at €0.20 each |
| Account required | No | Yes |
Your recordings stay on your device
Media files are decoded and transcribed locally. There is no upload step and no processing account, so the recording never reaches a transcription provider. If you choose a cloud model for a feature, the content that feature needs leaves your device; that is your decision, not the default.
No minute counter
Free covers unlimited local-file transcription with every available transcription model, plus editing, search and TXT, SRT and WebVTT export. Pro is a one-time purchase for up to three devices.
Speakers and languages
Pro detects speakers locally and lets you name them and correct who said what. TrueScribe detects the spoken language automatically or uses the one you select, and Pro translates locally into 25 languages with the original kept.
When Happy Scribe is the better fit
If you need a notetaker that joins Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams calls, human proofreading of a transcript, subtitle formats such as STL or FCPXML, or a transcript a team edits together in the browser, Happy Scribe offers that. TrueScribe records meetings from your own computer without a bot and keeps the audio and transcript there.
Sources
Checked on 28 October 2026. Details about other products can change; their own pages are the authority.
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