Auphonic vs Zencastr Comparison 2026
Both cover audio & podcasting and transcription & show notes. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
Automatic levelling and noise removal, by the hour
Remote recording with a local track each side
At a glance
- Auphonic starts cheaper, at $11.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
Auphonic | Zencastr | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $11 | From $24 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Not stated |
| Free trial (they differ) | None | 14 days |
| API | Yes |
Shaded rows are where the two answers disagree and both listings have answered. A row where one side has not stated a fact is left plain, because silence is not a difference.
Auphonic
Automatic levelling and noise removal, by the hour
Auphonic does one job on a finished file: loudness normalisation to a broadcast target, noise and reverb reduction, and a transcript if you want one. It is the step between a recording that is done and a file that sounds like somebody mastered it. Billing counts processed audio hours rather than seats, which suits a show that publishes irregularly. Two hours a month are free, and free productions carry a jingle.
Zencastr
Remote recording with a local track each side
Zencastr records each guest on their own machine and uploads the file afterwards, so a bad connection ruins the live monitor rather than the recording. That is the whole reason to use a tool like this instead of a call recorder. Video is recorded the same way. Editing, transcription and distribution sit on top, which means a short interview show can start and finish in one place rather than moving files between four tools.
Our note
Compare the hours each tier includes against how often you actually record before choosing, because that is what moves you up a band rather than audience size. Riverside is the closer comparison if video quality is the deciding factor.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.