A first interview goes wrong in two places: the guest can't join, and you end up with one mixed track you can't repair. Riverside's free plan avoids both: guests click a browser link, and each person records locally to their own track. Podcastle's free tier gives unlimited audio recording plus 3 hours of video for life, and Iris hands you an hour of 4K multitrack without a card. If you want to narrow the field further, run a side-by-side comparison between your top picks or browse the full creator software directory for options outside this category. Every listing is scored using the same review methodology.
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10 best for beginners highlighted below, plus 0 more in this category.
Published price means the vendor states a figure; quote only means it does not. The best-fit line is each tool’s own authored sentence, not a description of its deployment model.
| Tool | Published price | Pricing model | Deployment | Free trial | Best for | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Riverside | $0 (watermarked, limited recording) | Free plan + paid tiers | Cloud | Yes | Remote interviews recorded for editing | Read review |
 Cleanfeed | $0 (Lite, three participants, mixdown) | Free plan + paid tiers | Cloud | Yes | Audio-only interview shows | Read review |
 Cleanvoice AI | $11/mo for 10 hours of audio processed | Usage-based pricing | Cloud | Yes | Cleanup bolted onto an existing workflow | Read review |
 Iris | $0 (1 recording hour a month) | Flat monthly fee | Cloud | Yes | Quality-focused shows recording a few hours a month | Read review |
 Podcastle | $0 (unlimited audio, 3 hours of video for the account lifetime) | Free plan + paid tiers | Cloud | Yes | One subscription from recording to published feed | Read review |
 Remotely.fm | $19/mo Audio, 5 recording hours | Flat monthly fee | Cloud | Yes | Shows that want the mix done automatically | Read review |
 Ringr | $0 for a 30-day Premium trial, no card recorded | Flat monthly fee | Cloud | Yes | Budget audio interviews with mobile guests | Read review |
 Spreaker Studio | $0 (one podcast, unlimited episodes, automatic ads) | Free plan + paid tiers | Cloud | Yes | Podcasters who want hosting and ad monetisation in one place | Read review |
 Squadcast | $0 (one hour a month, watermarked) | Free plan + paid tiers | Cloud | Yes | Interview podcasters who cannot risk losing a session | Read review |
 Zencastr | $20/mo Standard ($18/mo billed annually) | Free plan + paid tiers | Cloud | Yes | Weekly interview shows consolidating onto one platform | Read review |
Showing 10 of 10
Free plan + paid tiers · Cloud · Free trial
Riverside is a cloud-based podcast and video recording platform that captures audio and video locally on each participant's device, delivering up to 4K video and uncompressed 48kHz WAV audio regardless of internet quality. Guests join via a browser link with no downloads required. Plans start at $19/month with a limited free tier.
Free plan + paid tiers · Cloud · Free trial
Cleanfeed is a browser-based remote podcast recording platform that captures studio-quality audio through direct connections with ultra-low latency. Guests join via a link with no downloads required. The free tier covers basic recording, while Cleanfeed Pro ($36/month) adds <a href="/glossary/multitrack-recording">multitrack recording</a>, noise removal, and audio repair. It is audio-only. There is no video.
Usage-based pricing · Cloud · Free trial
Cleanvoice AI is an automated podcast editing tool that uses artificial intelligence to remove filler words, background noise, and dead air from audio recordings. It also generates transcriptions, summaries, and show notes. Processing starts at $11/month for 10 hours, with a free trial offering 30 minutes.
Flat monthly fee · Cloud · Free trial
Iris is a browser-based podcast recording platform that captures 48 kHz lossless audio and 4K video locally on each participant's device with separate tracks for every speaker. It includes free transcription on all plans. Paid plans start at $9/month for 2 recording hours, with a free tier offering 1 hour.
Free plan + paid tiers · Cloud · Free trial
Podcastle is a browser-based podcast recording and editing platform that combines remote recording, AI-powered audio cleanup, text-to-speech with 1,000+ voices, and built-in hosting in one place. It records separate tracks for up to 10 guests. Plans start free, with paid tiers from $11.99/month annually.
Flat monthly fee · Cloud · Free trial
Remotely.fm is a browser-based podcast recording platform that captures studio-quality audio and video locally on each participant's device, with automatic post-production that mixes separate tracks into a publish-ready file. Plans start at $19/month for audio-only or $35/month for audio and video.
Flat monthly fee · Cloud · Free trial
Ringr is a remote podcast recording app that captures both sides of a conversation locally on each device, then syncs and uploads the audio to the cloud. It works on iOS, Android, and web browsers. Plans start at $7.99/month with a 30-day free Premium trial available.
Free plan + paid tiers · Cloud · Free trial
Spreaker Studio is a podcast recording, live broadcasting, and hosting platform with built-in monetization. The Studio app (free on desktop, iOS, and Android) lets you record, add sound effects, and broadcast live. Hosting plans range from free to $250/month. The free plan includes unlimited episodes on one podcast with automatic ad placement.
Free plan + paid tiers · Cloud · Free trial
Squadcast is a browser-based podcast recording platform that captures each participant's audio and video locally on their device, then progressively uploads separate tracks to the cloud in real time. Acquired by <a href="/software/descript">[Descript](/software/descript)</a> in 2023, it integrates directly with Descript's editing suite. Dolby audio processing is built in. Plans range from free to $80/month, and Squadcast is included with any Descript subscription.
Free plan + paid tiers · Cloud · Free trial
Zencastr is a browser-based podcast recording platform that captures each participant's audio and video locally, then combines recording, AI editing, hosting, distribution, and monetization into a single tool. It supports up to 12 participants, records at 48 kHz WAV audio and up to 4K video, and distributes your show to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Plans start at $20/month with a 14-day free trial.
Send the guest a browser link. Riverside, Cleanfeed and Squadcast all work this way, so your guest installs nothing, and Riverside's free plan is enough to test the flow before you pay $29 a month for Pro. Ask the guest to wear wired headphones. That single request removes most echo problems.
Each participant's audio is saved as its own file rather than one mixed stereo track, so you can fix one person's volume or cut a cough without touching the other. Iris includes multitrack on every plan from $9 a month; Cleanfeed's free Lite tier does not, which is its main catch. For interviews it is worth insisting on.
Locally. Tools that capture on each person's machine and upload afterwards (Riverside, Squadcast, Zencastr) survive a dropped connection, where recording the live call does not. Zencastr retired its free recording tier in late 2023, so the free routes to local capture now are Riverside and Podcastle.
New reviews, repriced plans and fresh comparisons in podcast recording software, as we publish them.
Read our buyer guides for deeper editorial takes, check the glossary when a term needs clarifying, or explore pricing calculators to model costs before committing.
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