Leading AI voice platform for text-to-speech, voice cloning, dubbing, music and voice agents.
Async vs Udio
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 Udio is best for experimenting with AI-generated songs and remixes inside the Udio platform. Only Async offers text-to-speech, voice cloning, dubbing / translation, recording / editing studio, noise removal and aPI. Both Async and Udio 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
- Text-to-speech matters to you
- Voice cloning matters to you
- Dubbing / translation matters to you
- You're one of: podcasters, solo video creators, small marketing teams
Choose Udio if…
- You need experimenting with AI-generated songs and remixes inside the Udio platform
- You're one of: music hobbyists, fans experimenting with ai remixes
- Detailed audio quality across many genres
At a glance
| Async | Udio | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Recording, cleaning up and publishing podcasts and talking-head content in one browser editor | Experimenting with AI-generated songs and remixes inside the Udio platform |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | From $19.99/mo | From $10/mo |
| Learning curve | Low | Low |
| Platforms | Web, API | Web |
| Ideal for | Podcasters, Solo video creators, Small marketing teams | Music hobbyists, Fans experimenting with AI remixes |
Feature comparison
| Async | Udio | |
|---|---|---|
| Text-to-speech | Yes | No |
| Voice cloning | Yes | No |
| Languages | 30+ (dubbing) | — |
| Dubbing / translation | Yes | No |
| Voice changer / speech-to-speech | — | No |
| Music generation | Yes | Yes |
| Recording / editing studio | Yes | No |
| Noise removal | Yes | No |
| API | Yes | No |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Async | Udio | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | No |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | — | — |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | — |
| SOC 2 | — | — |
| ISO 27001 | — | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | — | — |
| Data residency options | — | — |
| No training on your data | — | — |
| Audit logs | — | — |
| Admin controls | — | — |
| Deployment | 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
Udio
Udio is an AI music generator that creates songs with vocals from text prompts and lets users extend, remix and edit tracks. After its settlement and licensing deal with Universal Music Group in late 2025, downloads of audio, video and stems were disabled, and Udio is moving toward a licensed, walled-garden platform with UMG. It is used by music hobbyists and fans who create and share inside the service.
Key features- Text-to-song generation with vocals
- Extend and remix existing generations
- Custom lyrics input
- In-platform sharing and community feed
- Licensed platform being built with Universal Music Group
Pricing
Async
Free plan; Essentials ~$19.99/mo monthly or ~$11.99/mo annual
Udio
Free plan; Standard ~$10/mo
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.
Udio
Strengths- Detailed audio quality across many genres
- Remix and extend tools for iterating on a track
- Subscribers received higher monthly credit allowances after the UMG deal
- Has a free plan
- Downloads of audio, video and stems are disabled
- Songs cannot be used outside the platform, which rules out most commercial use
- Product direction is in flux while the UMG platform is built
- No public developer API
Not ideal for: Creators who need to download songs for videos, releases or commercial projects cannot currently do so with Udio.
FAQ
What is the main difference between Async and Udio?
Async is built for recording, cleaning up and publishing podcasts and talking-head content in one browser editor; Udio is built for experimenting with AI-generated songs and remixes inside the Udio platform. Key differences: Async offers text-to-speech, voice cloning, dubbing / translation, recording / editing studio, noise removal and aPI.
Is Async or Udio cheaper?
Async starts from $19.99/mo and Udio starts from $10/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, Udio is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Async and Udio have free plans?
Both Async and Udio offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which is easier to use, Async or Udio?
Both have a low learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Async and Udio?
Other voice & audio tools worth comparing include ElevenLabs, Murf AI and Speechify.
