Riverside vs Zencastr at a Glance
Both products record remote interviews locally on each participant's device rather than capturing the compressed call, which is the main reason podcasters use them instead of a video-call app. They differ in session size, how they price, and how much of the publishing stack they bundle. “Winner” is marked only where published pages show a real difference. Pricing checked October 2026, in U.S. dollars.
| Category | Riverside | Zencastr | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Shows and teams that want larger sessions, webinars and a paid upgrade path | Small shows that want full-quality recording on a free plan | Depends |
| Starting price | Free; paid plans from $24/month, per Riverside (check its pricing page for billing terms) | Free (“Vibecastr”); Enterprise custom | Zencastr |
| Recorded participants | Up to 10 (9 guests plus host) | Up to 6, including the host | Riverside |
| Local recording | Yes, with real-time background upload | Yes, with cloud backup as you record | Tie |
| Video and audio | Up to 4K, 48 kHz WAV (free plan exports: 720p with watermark) | Up to 4K, 48 kHz WAV and 44 kHz MP3 on free plan | Zencastr on free tier |
| Recording time | No limit per track; total hours “may depend on your plan” | “Without a time limit” | Zencastr |
| Transcription | Included; limits vary by plan (see pricing page) | “Unlimited” transcription hours, 10 languages, on free plan | Zencastr |
| Webinars and live | Live streaming and webinars on paid plans | Live streaming at 1080p listed on free plan | Riverside for webinars |
| Team features | Team and enterprise features on higher and custom tiers | 4 seats on free plan; roles on Enterprise | Depends |
| Overall | Better for scale and structured production | Better value for small shows | Depends |
What Is Riverside?
Riverside is a browser-based recording and editing platform for podcasts and video that records each participant locally, then adds text-based editing, AI clip tools, hosting, live streaming and webinars by plan.
Riverside's FAQ says “each participant’s audio and video are recorded directly on their own device” and that it “uploads everything to the cloud in the background, in real-time”. Guests need only the link, with “no sign-up or installation required”, and audio is recorded as “uncompressed 48kHz WAV audio” with video “up to 4K” when equipment allows (Riverside FAQ).
What Is Zencastr?
Zencastr is a browser-based podcast recording and hosting platform that records each participant locally with cloud backup, and bundles editing, transcription, hosting, distribution and live streaming, much of it on its free plan.
Zencastr's recording FAQ says it supports “up to 6 participants, including the host”, that “you can record without a time limit”, and that “each track records locally in full quality and backs up to the cloud as you record”. It supports Chrome, Edge and Brave on desktop plus an iOS app (Zencastr Help). Its recording page says you can “record up to 4K video and up to 48kHz WAV and MP3 audio” (Zencastr recording).
Riverside vs Zencastr: Pricing
Riverside offers a free plan, self-serve paid plans and a custom-priced Business plan. Its overlays page says “Paid plans, starting at $24/month, allow exports up to 4K and remove the watermark.” When we read riverside.com/pricing on October 10, 2026, the page displayed a notice that it was being viewed “in the staging environment, so the information shown may not be up to date”, and some of its figures did not agree with each other. We therefore do not print Riverside's plan-by-plan prices or hour caps here: check the live pricing page before you buy.
Zencastr's pricing page, as served to us, lists a free plan called Vibecastr and an Enterprise plan marked “Custom” with “Talk to sales”, plus a column label “Producer” with no price or features. Third-party sites list paid Zencastr tiers, but we could not confirm them on Zencastr's own pages, so we do not repeat them (Zencastr pricing, read October 10, 2026).
| Item | Riverside | Zencastr |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes; exports limited to 720p with a Riverside watermark | Yes; 6 participants, 4K, unlimited track storage and transcription hours, 4 seats |
| Paid self-serve | From $24 a month, per Riverside; confirm plans and billing terms on its pricing page | None shown on the pricing page |
| Enterprise | Business, custom | Enterprise, custom |
Limits That Matter
Riverside's FAQ says “There’s no limit to how long you can record on a single track” but that “the total number of hours you can record may depend on your plan” (Riverside FAQ). The plan-by-plan hour and separate-track download limits on the pricing page we fetched were inconsistent and carried a staging notice, so we do not repeat them. If you record many hours a month, confirm the limit for your plan on the live pricing page or with Riverside before you commit.
Zencastr's free plan lists “Track Storage: Unlimited”, “Transcription Hours: Unlimited”, 5 podcast shows, and video hosting figures of 6,000 for video RSS and 60,000 for video views, which the page does not explain further.
People, including the host
Source: Riverside FAQ (“up to 10 participants (9 guests + the host)”); Zencastr Recording FAQs (“up to 6 participants, including the host”). Read October 10, 2026.
Riverside says extra viewers can join a live session without being recorded. Other Riverside support pages have cited different figures; we could not read them.
Recording Quality and Reliability
On paper the two match: local recording, up to 4K video, 48 kHz WAV audio, and continuous upload so a dropped connection does not lose the session. Riverside's FAQ says a browser crash during a session will not lose your files. The difference is on the free tiers: Riverside says its free plan limits exports to 720p with a watermark, while Zencastr's free plan lists 4K. Neither vendor publishes independent reliability data, so run a test session with your actual guests' setups. For prepping a guest before the call, see how to prepare an executive for a podcast interview.
Editing, Transcripts and Clips
Riverside offers text-based editing, transcription and AI tools such as Magic Clips and Magic Audio, with allowances that vary by plan; check its pricing page for current limits. Zencastr's free plan lists text-based and multi-track editing, unlimited transcription hours in 10 languages, chapter and title generation, filler-word removal and background-noise removal. Transcripts are worth publishing in their own right; see how to add transcripts to your podcast and why transcripts may matter more to AI than the audio.
Hosting, Live and Distribution
Both now go beyond recording. Riverside offers podcast hosting, live streaming and multistreaming on paid plans; which tier includes what is listed on its pricing page. Zencastr lists audio and video hosting, distribution to major podcast platforms, social scheduling and 1080p live streaming on its free plan. If you already host elsewhere, you can ignore these features; see Buzzsprout vs Spotify for Creators for hosting, and how to create a YouTube channel for a podcast for video distribution.
Where Riverside Wins
- Session size: up to 10 recorded participants against 6.
- Self-serve paid plans that Riverside says start at $24 a month.
- Webinars: a dedicated webinar tier with registration features.
- Enterprise option: a custom-priced Business plan for larger teams.
- Guests join with a link, no sign-up or install, per its FAQ.
Where Zencastr Wins
- Free plan quality: 4K video and 48 kHz WAV on a $0 plan.
- No stated time limit on recording.
- Unlimited transcription hours and track storage on the free plan.
- Four seats on the free plan for a small team.
- Bundled extras on the free plan: hosting for up to 5 shows, distribution to podcast platforms and 1080p live streaming.
Who Should Choose Riverside?
Choose Riverside if: you regularly record panels of more than six people, run webinars, or need team workspaces and compliance features.
Avoid it if: you need full-quality recording at no cost, or you record many hours a month and cannot confirm your plan's hour limit.
Best for: companies, agencies and shows with several producers.
Starting price: free; paid plans from $24 a month, per Riverside (confirm on its live pricing page).
Primary strength: larger sessions and a complete paid production stack.
Main limitation: 720p watermarked free exports and plan-dependent hour limits.
Verdict: the stronger choice for scale.
Who Should Choose Zencastr?
Choose Zencastr if: you record one host and a few guests, want 4K and WAV without paying, and do not need webinars.
Avoid it if: you need more than six people on the recording, or a published paid plan with a known price.
Best for: independent podcasters and small company shows.
Starting price: free (checked October 2026).
Primary strength: a free plan with few published limits.
Main limitation: six-person cap and no published paid tiers.
Verdict: the stronger choice for value.
How to Choose Between Riverside and Zencastr
| If you need... | Choose |
|---|---|
| Full-quality recording at no cost | Zencastr |
| Seven to ten people recorded in one session | Riverside |
| Webinars with registration | Riverside |
| Unlimited transcription without paying | Zencastr |
| A custom enterprise plan with more than six people per session | Riverside (Business) |
| A guest one-sheet to send before booking | How to write a podcast guest one-sheet |
Final Verdict: Riverside or Zencastr?
For a small show recording a host and a few guests, Zencastr is the better choice on published information: its free plan lists 4K video, 48 kHz WAV audio, unlimited transcription and no recording time limit. For larger sessions, webinars or a team that needs workspaces and compliance, Riverside is the better choice, with paid plans it says start at $24 a month and up to 10 recorded participants. The decision depends on session size and whether you want to pay for a bundled production stack. Test both with a real guest before committing, because recording reliability depends on guests' devices and connections, which neither vendor controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zencastr really free?
Zencastr's pricing page lists a free plan called Vibecastr with 6 participants, 4K video, unlimited track storage and unlimited transcription hours, and an Enterprise plan with custom pricing. We found no self-serve paid price on its page in October 2026.
How much does Riverside cost?
Riverside has a free plan, and its overlays page says paid plans start at $24 a month. Business is custom-priced. Riverside's pricing page showed a staging notice when we read it in October 2026, so check current plan prices on its live pricing page.
How many guests can I record on Riverside and Zencastr?
Riverside's FAQ says up to 10 participants, 9 guests plus the host. Zencastr's help centre says up to 6 participants including the host. Each person is recorded on a separate track.
Do both record locally?
Yes. Both say each participant is recorded on their own device and uploaded to the cloud during the session, so a weak connection affects the live call more than the final recording.
Does Riverside limit recording hours?
Riverside's FAQ says there is no limit to how long you can record on a single track, but that total recording hours may depend on your plan. Confirm the limit for your plan on its live pricing page or with Riverside.
Do guests need an account?
Riverside says guests need only the link, with no sign-up or installation. Zencastr's pages we read did not say; its guests record in Chrome, Edge or Brave on desktop, or in its iOS app.
Which is better for video podcasts?
Both list up to 4K recording. On free plans Zencastr lists 4K, while Riverside says its free plan limits exports to 720p with a watermark. Riverside's paid plans remove the watermark and add editing, AI tools and hosting.
How We Compared Riverside and Zencastr
Criteria: published pricing, participant limits, local recording, quality, time and download limits, transcription and editing, hosting and live features. When: vendor pages were read on October 10, 2026 with a standard HTTP client, without signing in. Zencastr's pricing page renders with JavaScript; we read the text served without it, which showed only the free and Enterprise plans.
Limitations: we did not buy, install or test either product, and did not request quotes. Riverside's pricing page displayed a staging notice and internally inconsistent figures, so we did not use its plan prices or hour caps and used the starting price stated on its overlays page instead; one Riverside support article on participant limits blocked our request, so we relied on its FAQ. We could not confirm any paid Zencastr tier on Zencastr's own pages. Quality and reliability claims are the vendors' own. Prices and features change; this describes public pages as of October 10, 2026.
Sources
- vendor Riverside pricing. Plan names and free-plan details; page showed a staging-environment notice, so plan prices were not used. Read October 10, 2026.
- vendor Riverside Frequently Asked Questions. Participants, local recording, upload, guest access, audio format, resolution, recording length. Read October 10, 2026.
- vendor Riverside, Video Overlay. Free plan export limit (720p, watermark) and paid starting price. Read October 10, 2026.
- vendor Zencastr pricing. Free (Vibecastr) and Enterprise plans and listed features. Read October 10, 2026.
- vendor Zencastr Help, Recording FAQs. Participants, time limit, local recording, browsers. Read October 10, 2026.
- vendor Zencastr, Studio-Quality Podcast Recording. 4K video, WAV and MP3 audio, free plan claims. Read October 10, 2026.