Zencastr covers the basics. Riverside is for consistent professional podcasts and videos. Get studio-quality recording, robust AI editing, and fast repurposing. From live shows to clips to hosting, it's the end-to-end platform for creators and teams.
* No credit card needed. Free plan available.




Record up to 4K video and lossless audio on desktop or mobile. Capture everything directly on your device, so content stays crisp even if your Internet doesn’t.

Edit in minutes with text-based editing. Or ask the AI agent to create full episodes for you. Turn your video into social-ready clips, hooks, and segments instantly with AI.

Stream to multiple platforms in Full HD and engage with your audience with live calls, Q&A, and polls. Then edit, host, and publish your show, all without switching tools.

No matter if you’re on iOS, Android or your desktop, record studio-quality content on any device. With local recording, record in up to 4K from anywhere.


Generate clips and full episodes with an easy click or prompt. Keep control, and refine your story with captions, text, music, and b-roll in the full editor.
No switching tools, create content in one platform.
Distribute your show to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and anywhere your audience is. Customize episode covers, generate show notes, and track analytics in the same place you record and edit.


From solo creators to global brands, Riverside grows with you. Set up collaborative workspaces, manage brand kits, assign producer roles, and keep full control of your content as your team grows.
Explore each platform’s features side-by-side.

Record directly on each persons’ device so
quality isn’t affected by internet connection.
Also offers local recording.
Capture 4K video and 48kHZ WAV audio
resolution.
Same. Record in up to 4K video and 48kHz resolution.
Record and edit with separate audio and
video tracks for each participant.
Capture separate audio and video tracks per
guest. No multi-track editing timeline.
Record and edit on any iOS, or Android mobile device.
Only has an iOS app for recording. No
Android app and no editing on mobile.
Invite up to 9 remote guests with a reusable
invite link.
Invite up to 9 guests with a reusable link.

Full multi-track timeline editor with tools for branding, audio clean up, overlays, and more.
Basic editor with capped AI tools and limited customization options.
Ask the chat-based editor to clean audio,
style videos or create full edits.
No chat-based editor.
Yes. Any text you change in your recording transcript syncs with your video.
Offers basic text-based editing.
Smart layouts with speaker detection, plus control over rhythm and scenes.
Basic speaker switching with limited layout
control. Cannot see a preview in the editor.
Audio enhancer removes background noise
and reverb, and equalizes sound.
Audio enhancement available, with usage
limits based on editing credits.
Automatic AI tools to remove filler words and
cut silences to to set the pace.
Filler word and silence removal available but
usage is limited based on editing credits.
Captions with customizable styles, fonts,
colors, and animations. Save presets to keep
on brand.
Captions are available but with limited and
less intuitive customization.
Adjust a speaker’s gaze to look directly at the camera. Apply to all tracks or a single one.
No eye gaze correction available.
Fix mistakes without re-takes. Adjust your transcript and your audio, video and lips sync.
No video dubbing features.
Turn videos into shareable clips with the AI
clipper. Set length, branding and topic focus.
Create shareable clips with AI. But limited
controls over clip settings.
Ask the chat-based AI agent to turn your video
into clips, thumbnails, blogs and more.
No AI agent.
Transcriptions available in 100+ languages with 99% accuracy.
Transcriptions available but only in a few languages.
Translations available for select languages
with video dub to sync lips.
No synced translation available.

Go live in up to 1080p HD.
No streaming capabilities.
Simultaneously stream to YouTube, Twitch,
LinkedIn and any custom RTMP platform.
No multistreaming.
Invite viewers to call in live or engage your audience with a poll, Q&A and the chatbox.
Only has a chatbox.
Track audience engagement, watch time and attendance.
No live stream analytics.

Publish to Instagram, YouTube and other social media plaforms directly from Riverside.
Posting directly to social media platforms is only available on paid plans.
Host your show and distribute it to Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and other platforms.
Yes, hosting available.
Track streams, top episodes, demographics, and what platforms your viewers most use.
Analytics for downloads, listener retention, demographics and platform usage.
*No credit card needed. Free plan available.
Riverside is better than Zencastr for creators who need reliable audio and video quality, advanced editing and repurposing tools, or host a live show. Meanwhile, Zencastr can be better for podcasters who need a basic setup and built-in monetization.
This is how they compare:
Yes, you can use Zencastr on a phone but only on iOS devices. Zencastr does not support Android or mobile web browsers.
Zencastr’s mobile app lets you and guests record and participate in sessions. But you won’t have access to any editing or hosting features on mobile. If you want a podcast app compatible with Android and iPhone, or if you want more capability than Riverside would be the better option versus Zencastr here.
Zencastr alternatives include:
Zencastr can be worth it for podcasters who want a platform that offers basic podcast recording, editing, hosting, and monetization. But it is limiting if you want advanced editing and AI features, streaming options, or if you’re looking for a podcast platform that will grow with you.
Yes, you can edit audio in Zencastr. You can trim, enhance and arrange audio tracks. But you won’t be able to make advanced audio edits like EQ effects or filters.
For more advanced edits, consider using dedicated audio editing software.
Riverside is one of the best platforms for podcasts. It stands out for its end-to-end workflow with high-quality recording, editing, streaming, and hosting in one platform.
Key features include:
It’s reliable, easy to use, and speeds up your workflow making it a good podcast maker for beginners and pros alike.
Record uncompressed video and audio in studio-quality from anywhere.

From idea to episode in minutes. Record, edit, and host podcasts in one place.

Host your show right where you create it with one-click distribution, analytics, and your own custom site.

Turn your content into endless promotional assets, like clips, blog posts, social media content, and more

Studio-quality recordings, AI-powered editing, and direct publishing in one workflow.
* No credit card needed. Free plan available.