Best Podcast Recording Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Async is ranked #1 of 22 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Boomcaster and Riverside. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Boomcaster. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Craig at $1/mo.
A podcast recording setup has to suit both the conversation and the files you want afterward. Compared on local recording, separate participant tracks, maximum participants and recording platform, these tools let you consider how a session is captured. Automatic transcription, video recording and audio export format add useful production details, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing help frame the trade-offs. Async, Boomcaster and Riverside are among the options to weigh. Think about who will join, whether you need video or individual tracks, and which export formats fit your editing workflow before settling on a recording approach.
22 podcast recording software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Podcast Recording Software, one module each. A lit port is something its maker publishes; 4 of the 22 on this page have a public API.
- 01 Async API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.4Free
- 02 Boomcaster API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.4$20/mo
- 03 Riverside API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.4$19/mo
- 04 OpenStudio API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.3Free
- 05 Adobe Podcast API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0$19.99/mo
- 06 Iris.fm API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0$9/mo
- 07 Spreaker API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0$20/mo
- 08 Airtape Studio API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 09 Craig API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9$1/mo
- 10 Waveroom API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 11 Zencastr API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 12 Podsplice API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.4$29/mo
- 13 Alitu API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.2$31.67/mo
- 14 Cleanfeed API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.2
- 15 Elva API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.2
- 16 Hilite API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.2
- 17 SureTake API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.2
- 18 WesterAudio API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.2
- 19 NowMax API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.1
- 20 StreamStudio.ai API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.1
- 21 Tributary API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.1
- 22 Podcapture API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 4.9
Compare all 22 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Separate participant tracks | Local recording |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Async | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Boomcaster | 7.4 | Free plan | $20/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | Riverside | 7.4 | Free plan | $19/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | OpenStudio | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Adobe Podcast | 6.0 | Free plan | $19.99/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 6 | Iris.fm | 6.0 | Free plan | $9/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 7 | Spreaker | 6.0 | Free plan | $20/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 8 | Airtape Studio | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | Craig | 5.9 | Free plan | $1/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 10 | Waveroom | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 11 | Zencastr | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 12 | Podsplice | 5.4 | No | $29/mo | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | Alitu | 5.2 | No | $31.67/mo | No | — | No | Yes |
| 14 | Cleanfeed | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | No |
| 15 | Elva | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 16 | Hilite | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 17 | SureTake | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 18 | WesterAudio | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 19 | NowMax | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 20 | StreamStudio.ai | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 21 | Tributary | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 22 | Podcapture | 4.9 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which podcast recording software is ranked first on Inferse?
Async is ranked #1 of 22 with a score of 7.4. Boomcaster is second and Riverside third.
How many of these have a free plan?
11 of the 22 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Craig has the lowest first paid tier we found: $1/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it.