Leading AI voice platform for text-to-speech, voice cloning, dubbing, music and voice agents.
Async vs Riverside
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Summary
Async is best for recording, cleaning up and publishing podcasts and talking-head content in one browser editor, while Riverside is best for recording remote podcasts and video interviews in high quality, then editing them by transcript. Only Async offers music generation. Both Async and Riverside offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which should you choose?
Choose Async if…
- You need recording, cleaning up and publishing podcasts and talking-head content in one browser editor
- Music generation matters to you
- You're one of: podcasters, solo video creators, small marketing teams
- Recording, editing and AI voice tools in one workspace
Choose Riverside if…
- You need recording remote podcasts and video interviews in high quality, then editing them by transcript
- You're one of: video podcasters, interview-based shows, marketing teams running webinars
- Recording quality stays high even on unstable connections
At a glance
| Async | Riverside | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Recording, cleaning up and publishing podcasts and talking-head content in one browser editor | Recording remote podcasts and video interviews in high quality, then editing them by transcript |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | From $19.99/mo | From $24/mo |
| Learning curve | Low | Low |
| Platforms | Web, API | Web, macOS, iOS, Android |
| Ideal for | Podcasters, Solo video creators, Small marketing teams | Video podcasters, Interview-based shows, Marketing teams running webinars, YouTube creators |
Feature comparison
| Async | Riverside | |
|---|---|---|
| Text-to-speech | Yes | Own cloned voice only |
| Voice cloning | Yes | Yes |
| Languages | 30+ (dubbing) | 100+ (transcription) |
| Dubbing / translation | Yes | Yes |
| Voice changer / speech-to-speech | — | No |
| Music generation | Yes | No |
| Recording / editing studio | Yes | Yes |
| Noise removal | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Async | Riverside | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | — | Business plan |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | Business plan |
| SOC 2 | — | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | — | Yes |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | — | Yes |
| Data residency options | — | — |
| No training on your data | — | — |
| Audit logs | — | — |
| Admin controls | — | Business plan |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools
What each tool does
Async
Async is the new name (since January 2026) for Podcastle, a browser-based studio for recording, editing and enhancing audio and video. It combines remote recording and transcript-based editing with AI voices, voice cloning, dubbing, music and sound-effect generation, plus a voice API for developers. It is mainly used by podcasters and small content teams.
Key features- Remote recording studio in the browser
- Magic Dust one-click audio cleanup
- Text-to-speech and voice cloning
- AI dubbing and lip-sync
- Music and sound-effect generators
- Developer voice API
Riverside
Riverside is a browser-based recording studio that captures each guest locally in up to 4K video and separate audio tracks, so quality does not depend on internet speed. Recordings flow into a text-based editor with AI tools for clips, audio enhancement, filler-word removal, captions, translation and an AI voice clone of the host. Podcasters, video creators and marketing teams use it for interviews, webinars and live streams.
Key features- Local recording up to 4K with separate tracks per guest
- Text-based video and audio editor
- Magic Clips for short social clips
- AI audio enhancement and filler-word removal
- AI Voice to generate speech in your own cloned voice
- Multistreaming to YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitch and more
Pricing
Async
Free plan; Essentials ~$19.99/mo monthly or ~$11.99/mo annual
Riverside
Free plan (2 hrs multitrack, watermark); Pro $24/mo billed annually
Prices last checked September 2026. Plans change often — confirm on each vendor's site.
Pros and cons
Async
Strengths- Recording, editing and AI voice tools in one workspace
- Magic Dust cleans noisy recordings with one click
- Existing Podcastle accounts and projects carried over after the rebrand
- Has a free plan
- Rebrand and expansion into video make the product scope broad and the interface busy
- Voice library and TTS quality trail specialist TTS tools
- Web-only editor; no desktop app
- Fewer third-party integrations than larger audio platforms
Not ideal for: Teams that only need high-end text-to-speech or API voices at scale are better served by a dedicated TTS platform.
Riverside
Strengths- Recording quality stays high even on unstable connections
- Recording, editing, clipping and streaming in one tool
- iOS and Android apps let guests join from phones
- Has a free plan to try recording
- Free plan adds a watermark and limits multitrack recording hours
- No library of stock AI voices; AI Voice only clones the user's own voice
- Not built for generating narration from scripts at scale
- Desktop app is Mac-only; Windows users work in the browser
Not ideal for: Anyone who needs voiceovers from text with many voice options, or music generation, should use a TTS or music tool.
Integrations
Async
Riverside
FAQ
What is the main difference between Async and Riverside?
Async is built for recording, cleaning up and publishing podcasts and talking-head content in one browser editor; Riverside is built for recording remote podcasts and video interviews in high quality, then editing them by transcript. Key differences: Async offers music generation.
Is Async or Riverside cheaper?
Async starts from $19.99/mo and Riverside starts from $24/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, Async is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Async and Riverside have free plans?
Both Async and Riverside offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which is easier to use, Async or Riverside?
Both have a low learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Async and Riverside?
Other voice & audio tools worth comparing include ElevenLabs, Murf AI and Speechify.
