HappyScribe

European AI transcription and subtitling platform with EU data hosting

Unbabel

Portuguese AI translation platform combining neural MT with human quality assurance

HappyScribe

Strong

18/25

Unbabel

Excellent

22/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionHappyScribeUnbabel

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

HappyScribe: EU GDPR-compliant data hosting. Irish incorporation ensures EU jurisdiction. Audio and transcript data stays within EU infrastructure.

Unbabel: EU-based infrastructure operated by a Portuguese company; limited human editor data exposure by design

4/5

EU GDPR-compliant data hosting. Irish incorporation ensures EU jurisdiction. Audio and transcript data stays within EU infrastructure.

4/5

EU-based infrastructure operated by a Portuguese company; limited human editor data exposure by design

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

HappyScribe: Irish Limited company under EU law. Full GDPR coverage. Ireland is an EU member state with strong data protection framework under the DPC.

Unbabel: Portuguese Lda, EU-incorporated, no US parent, subject to Portuguese and EU law

4/5

Irish Limited company under EU law. Full GDPR coverage. Ireland is an EU member state with strong data protection framework under the DPC.

5/5

Portuguese Lda, EU-incorporated, no US parent, subject to Portuguese and EU law

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

HappyScribe: Training data practices not explicitly disclosed. SOC 2 Type II suggests formal data handling procedures. Audio data handling policies should be reviewed for sensitive content.

Unbabel: No training on customer data; clear data segmentation in human editing workflow; DPA available

3/5

Training data practices not explicitly disclosed. SOC 2 Type II suggests formal data handling procedures. Audio data handling policies should be reviewed for sensitive content.

4/5

No training on customer data; clear data segmentation in human editing workflow; DPA available

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

HappyScribe: SOC 2 Type II certified—strong for a transcription service. Demonstrates formal security controls and independent audit. ISO 27001 would further strengthen the posture.

Unbabel: ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certified — strong for a European scale-up

4/5

SOC 2 Type II certified—strong for a transcription service. Demonstrates formal security controls and independent audit. ISO 27001 would further strengthen the posture.

4/5

ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certified — strong for a European scale-up

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

HappyScribe: Good for general business use. SOC 2 and EU hosting support enterprise requirements. Not specifically designed for highly regulated industries but suitable for general compliance needs.

Unbabel: Excellent EU fit; ISO 27001 + SOC 2 + EU jurisdiction makes it suitable for regulated industries

3/5

Good for general business use. SOC 2 and EU hosting support enterprise requirements. Not specifically designed for highly regulated industries but suitable for general compliance needs.

5/5

Excellent EU fit; ISO 27001 + SOC 2 + EU jurisdiction makes it suitable for regulated industries

Total Score

18/25

22/25

Best For

HappyScribe

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty.

Unbabel

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty; organisations requiring broad certification coverage (ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR); regulated industries (CNPD, CNIL); privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls.

Detailed Comparison

HappyScribe vs Unbabel: Trust & Compliance Comparison

HappyScribe (HappyScribe, ES) scores 18/25 overall with a Silver (Strong) trust badge. European AI transcription and subtitling platform with EU data hosting. Unbabel (Unbabel, PT) scores 22/25 with a Gold (Excellent) trust badge. Portuguese AI translation platform combining neural MT with human quality assurance.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Both score equally at 4/5.

●HappyScribe (4/5): EU GDPR-compliant data hosting. Irish incorporation ensures EU jurisdiction. Audio and transcript data stays within EU infrastructure.

●Unbabel (4/5): EU-based infrastructure operated by a Portuguese company; limited human editor data exposure by design

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Unbabel leads with 5/5 vs 4/5.

●HappyScribe (4/5): Irish Limited company under EU law. Full GDPR coverage. Ireland is an EU member state with strong data protection framework under the DPC.

●Unbabel (5/5): Portuguese Lda, EU-incorporated, no US parent, subject to Portuguese and EU law

#### Data Retention & Training

Unbabel leads with 4/5 vs 3/5.

●HappyScribe (3/5): Training data practices not explicitly disclosed. SOC 2 Type II suggests formal data handling procedures. Audio data handling policies should be reviewed for sensitive content.

●Unbabel (4/5): No training on customer data; clear data segmentation in human editing workflow; DPA available

#### Certifications

Both score equally at 4/5.

●HappyScribe (4/5): SOC 2 Type II certified—strong for a transcription service. Demonstrates formal security controls and independent audit. ISO 27001 would further strengthen the posture.

●Unbabel (4/5): ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certified — strong for a European scale-up

#### Regulatory Fit

Unbabel leads with 5/5 vs 3/5.

●HappyScribe (3/5): Good for general business use. SOC 2 and EU hosting support enterprise requirements. Not specifically designed for highly regulated industries but suitable for general compliance needs.

●Unbabel (5/5): Excellent EU fit; ISO 27001 + SOC 2 + EU jurisdiction makes it suitable for regulated industries

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	HappyScribe	Unbabel
GDPR	No	Yes
ISO 27001	No	Yes
SOC 2 Type II	Yes	Yes

Overall Verdict

Unbabel has a clear trust advantage, scoring 22/25 compared to HappyScribe's 18/25. Unbabel particularly excels in legal jurisdiction, data retention & training, regulatory fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, HappyScribe or Unbabel?

HappyScribe has a TrustKit score of 18/25 while Unbabel scores 22/25. Unbabel currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do HappyScribe and Unbabel compare on data residency?

HappyScribe scores 4/5 for data residency (EU GDPR-compliant data hosting. Irish incorporation ensures EU jurisdiction. Audio and transcript data stays within EU infrastructure.), while Unbabel scores 4/5 (EU-based infrastructure operated by a Portuguese company; limited human editor data exposure by design).

Are HappyScribe and Unbabel GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. HappyScribe has a regulatory fit score of 3/5 and Unbabel scores 5/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

Explore Each Tool