Riverside vs Async (Podcastle): podcast studios compared
Two remote recording and AI editing studios compared on recording, editing style, repurposing, streaming and free plans.
Riverside and Podcastle became popular as browser studios for recording remote podcasts and video interviews. Podcastle is now part of Async, which adds chat-based AI editing to the original studio. Both record guests in high quality, edit with AI and help repurpose episodes, but they differ in editing approach and in live features.
The short answer
- Choose Riverside if you also need live streaming, multistreaming or webinars alongside recording and AI editing.
- Choose Async (formerly Podcastle) if you want to edit by chatting with an AI and by editing the transcript like a document.
Side by side
| Riverside | Async (formerly Podcastle) | |
|---|---|---|
| Recording | Local multi-track recording in the browser | Remote guests in 4K, tolerant of weak connections |
| Editing | AI removes silences and filler words, fixes eye contact, adds B-roll | Chat-based AI editing, transcript editing, Magic Dust audio cleanup |
| Repurposing | Clips, posts, thumbnails and headlines | Clips, show notes and blog posts |
| Publishing | YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Instagram, LinkedIn and more | YouTube, Apple and Spotify in one click |
| Live | Multistreaming and webinars | Not its focus |
| Free option | Free plan with watermark and 2 hours of multi-track | Free single-purpose AI tools; paid plans with credits |
Recording quality
Both platforms record each participant locally so the final file does not depend on the live connection. Riverside provides separate tracks per speaker, which helps editors; Async highlights 4K capture even when a guest’s internet is unstable.
Editing style
Riverside offers AI editing tools inside a simple editor, with features such as filler-word removal and eye-contact correction. Async lets you describe edits in conversation and handles cuts, pacing, music sync and audio cleanup, while still allowing transcript-based editing. Teams that prefer giving instructions will like Async; those who prefer direct control may prefer Riverside.
How to decide
- Record a test episode with a remote guest on each free option.
- Compare audio and video quality on the raw tracks.
- Edit the same segment in both and time how long it takes.
- Check whether you need live streaming or webinars.
- Review AI credit allowances against your publishing schedule.
Tools to explore
Sources
Official vendor pages consulted for this analysis in October 2026. Plans, limits and features change: check the vendor’s page before you buy.
- Riverside: official site riverside.com
- Riverside: pricing riverside.com
- Async (formerly Podcastle): official site podcastle.ai
- Async (formerly Podcastle): pricing podcastle.ai