A Happy Scribe alternative without minute counting

Happy Scribe sells transcription in monthly minutes. Kotosay is a Happy Scribe alternative with one flat plan for one person, so the price does not change with the hours you upload.

Transcription model

Side by side

Happy Scribe figures from happyscribe.com/pricing and happyscribe.com/subtitle-generator, read on November 9, 2026.
Side by sideKotosayHappy Scribe
Free plan3 files a day, first 5 minutes each10 minutes for uploaded files, one time
Entry plan, billed monthlyUnlimited, $9.99 a monthBasic, 17 USD a month
Entry plan, paid once a yearUnlimited, $119 a yearBasic, 102 USD a year (8.50 USD a month billed yearly)
IncludedFiles up to 10 hours, 3 at onceBasic: 120 minutes a month
Extra minutesSame flat price0.20 USD a minute
Human serviceAI transcripts you check in the editorHuman proofreading from 2.00 USD a minute
Subtitle styling and burn-inSRT and VTT to use in your editorFonts, animations and burn-in

Kotosay

Free plan
3 files a day, first 5 minutes each
Entry plan, billed monthly
Unlimited, $9.99 a month
Entry plan, paid once a year
Unlimited, $119 a year
Included
Files up to 10 hours, 3 at once
Extra minutes
Same flat price
Human service
AI transcripts you check in the editor
Subtitle styling and burn-in
SRT and VTT to use in your editor

Happy Scribe

Free plan
10 minutes for uploaded files, one time
Entry plan, billed monthly
Basic, 17 USD a month
Entry plan, paid once a year
Basic, 102 USD a year (8.50 USD a month billed yearly)
Included
Basic: 120 minutes a month
Extra minutes
0.20 USD a minute
Human service
Human proofreading from 2.00 USD a minute
Subtitle styling and burn-in
Fonts, animations and burn-in
WHERE WE ARE DIFFERENT

Built for people who speak more than English at home.

Every page, button and help text exists in Portuguese, Spanish, Indonesian, French, Italian, German, Turkish, Arabic and Japanese. Written for each language, not run through a translator.

Short captions for vertical video

One tap gives you punchy one-line subtitles for Reels and TikTok.

Converters that stay on your device

MP4 to MP3 and audio conversion run in your browser, free.

Your files, your call

Delete any file the moment you are done with it.

What Unlimited covers

No minute count

Files up to 10 hours, 3 at once, one price. Very heavy use may be moved to a slower lane, never blocked.

Exports

TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT.

Editor

Fix any word with a click, and the timestamps stay in place.

Translation

Your recording in another language, every line keeping its timestamp.

What each Kotosay option includes

No accountFree accountUnlimited
PriceFreeFree
FilesYour first file3 a day
Transcribed per fileFirst 5 minutesFirst 5 minutes
Read, edit and copyYesYes
TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTTNoNo
TranslationNoNo

No account

Price
Free
Files
Your first file
Transcribed per file
First 5 minutes
Read, edit and copy
Yes
TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT
No
Translation
No

Free account

Price
Free
Files
3 a day
Transcribed per file
First 5 minutes
Read, edit and copy
Yes
TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT
No
Translation
No

Unlimited

Price
Files
Transcribed per file
Read, edit and copy
TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT
Translation

Unlimited counts no minutes, runs on up to 3 devices and cancels in one click. Single file opens one whole file for $4.99.

What happens to your file

Files are transcribed on secure servers. We delete the audio automatically 24 hours after transcribing it, and the transcript stays in your account until you remove it.

GUIDE · 3 min read

What a Happy Scribe alternative changes, and what it does not

A Happy Scribe alternative, the short answer

Happy Scribe has a subtitle editor with styling, burn-in and a human service. Kotosay is AI transcription with one flat plan, made for people who record a lot. If you need styled subtitles burned into the video or human proofreading, Happy Scribe fits that work. If you mostly need transcripts and SRT files, a happyscribe alternative with a flat price may suit you better.

Minutes or one flat plan

On November 9, 2026, Happy Scribe's pricing page listed its Basic plan at 17 USD monthly or 8.50 USD a month billed yearly, with 120 minutes a month for uploaded files and extra minutes at 0.20 USD each. Its Pro plan listed 600 minutes at 29 USD monthly or 19 USD a month billed yearly.

Kotosay Unlimited counts no minutes. It costs $9.99 a month, or $119 paid once a year, for files up to 10 hours. Very heavy use, around 300 hours a month, may be moved to a slower lane and is never blocked. Which plan costs less depends on how many hours you record.

A worked example with those November 9 figures: 10 hours of uploaded audio in one month is 600 minutes. Basic includes 120, and the other 480 at 0.20 USD each come to 96 USD on top of the plan. Pro includes exactly 600 minutes, so for that month Pro is the Happy Scribe plan to compare.

Is Happy Scribe free?

Happy Scribe's pricing page lists 10 free minutes for uploaded files, once. On Kotosay, the first file shows 5 minutes without an account, and a free account transcribes the first 5 minutes of 3 files every day. That makes Kotosay a Happy Scribe alternative free to start, with no card.

Testing both with one short recording

  • Pick a clip of about 10 minutes, the size of Happy Scribe's one-time free allowance.
  • Upload the same file to Kotosay. Its first 5 minutes show without an account, and Single file opens the whole clip for $4.99.
  • Compare the first 5 minutes line by line, with names and figures first.
  • For subtitles, look at where each tool breaks the lines. Kotosay's SRT uses cues of up to 2 lines with 42 characters per line.
  • Fix one name in each editor and check that the timing of the line stays where it was.

Moving your files over

Download the transcripts and subtitle files you want to keep from Happy Scribe before you change plans. If you still have the original recordings, upload them to Kotosay and transcribe them again, then export what you need with Unlimited. A folder per project keeps the old and the new files easy to find.

If you used Happy Scribe's subtitle styling or burn-in, keep those finished videos as well. An SRT file holds only the words and their timing, so the styling stays with the exported video.

Confidential files

On Kotosay, your browser normally sends only the sound of a video, and we delete that audio file automatically 24 hours after transcribing it, and your transcript stays until you delete it. You can remove a single file, your whole account, or ask support to delete your data. Happy Scribe publishes its own security terms, so read those if you compare the two for sensitive work.

Where Happy Scribe is the better fit

  • A subtitle editor where you adjust timing on the waveform and pick fonts and animations.
  • Subtitles burned into the video in one click.
  • Human-made subtitles and human proofreading, listed from 2.00 USD a minute on November 9, 2026.

Does the alternative export SRT and VTT like Happy Scribe?

Yes. Kotosay Unlimited exports SRT and VTT, plus TXT, DOCX and PDF. Fix words in the editor first, and the timing stays. For styling or burn-in, import the SRT into a video editor such as Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve or CapCut.

Switching questions

Is Happy Scribe free?

Happy Scribe's pricing page lists 10 free minutes for uploaded files, as a one-time allowance. On Kotosay, your first file shows 5 minutes without an account, and a free account transcribes the first 5 minutes of 3 files every day, to read, edit and copy.

What is a lower-priced alternative to Happy Scribe?

If your month has many hours of audio, a flat plan is worth comparing. Kotosay Unlimited is $9.99 a month, or $119 paid once a year, with no minute count. Happy Scribe's Basic plan lists 120 minutes a month, with extra minutes at 0.20 USD each.

Is Happy Scribe safe for confidential files?

Happy Scribe publishes its own security and privacy terms, so read those for your case. On Kotosay, the audio is deleted automatically 24 hours after transcription, and you can delete a single file earlier. Your transcript stays until you delete it or the whole account.

Does the alternative export SRT and VTT like Happy Scribe?

Yes. Kotosay Unlimited exports SRT and VTT, plus TXT, DOCX and PDF. Fix words in the editor first, and each line keeps its timing. For styled or burned-in captions, import the SRT into a video editor such as Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve or CapCut.

How does pricing compare?

On November 9, 2026, Happy Scribe listed Basic at 17 USD monthly or 8.50 USD a month billed yearly for 120 minutes, and Pro at 29 USD or 19 USD a month for 600 minutes. Kotosay Unlimited is $9.99 a month, or $119 paid once a year, with no minute count.

Is there a Happy Scribe alternative free to start?

Yes. Kotosay's free account transcribes the first 5 minutes of 3 files every day, with no card. Your first file needs no account at all and shows 5 minutes in full. Exports and translation come with Unlimited when you need them.

Do you have a subtitle editor like Happy Scribe?

Kotosay has an editor where you fix words and the timestamps stay in place, then you export SRT or VTT with Unlimited. For styling, timing on a waveform or burn-in, import the SRT into a video editor. Happy Scribe's editor does those steps inside its own site.

Do you offer human transcription?

Kotosay is AI transcription, which keeps the price flat, and you fix words yourself in the editor. For human-made subtitles or human proofreading, Happy Scribe's pricing page listed that service from 2.00 USD a minute on November 9, 2026, which suits files that need a person to check every line.

Can I move my Happy Scribe files here?

Download the transcripts and subtitle files you want to keep from Happy Scribe first. If you still have the original audio or video, upload it to Kotosay and transcribe it again. With Unlimited, export the results as TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT or VTT.

How do I cancel Kotosay?

Open your account and cancel in one click. Your plan stays active until the end of the period you paid for, and you can see your renewal date in your account at any time. Every payment comes with a receipt. Support replies within 24 hours.