Riverside vs Zencastr (2026): the audio veteran against the video studio
Zencastr helped invent browser-based double-ender recording and still treats audio as the main event. Riverside took the same local-recording idea video-first and built a platform around it.
By Jean Luc, Riverside Reviews · Updated August 7, 2026
Quick verdict
For an audio-first podcast on a budget, Zencastr still has a real pitch: unlimited free audio recording in lossless WAV, and paid plans that bundle hosting, distribution, and dynamic ad insertion. For anything video-first, Riverside is the stronger product and the market agrees loudly: 4.8 on G2 from 1,751 reviews against Zencastr's 3.7 from 30. Riverside adds mobile apps, livestreaming, webinars, and a much larger AI suite. Zencastr works only in Chromium browsers, so Safari and Firefox guests must switch browsers before they can join.
Try Riverside free ↗At a glance
| Riverside | Zencastr | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | Pro $24/mo billed annually ($35 monthly) | Standard $16/mo billed annually ($20 monthly), 1080p video |
| 4K recording | From Pro ($24/mo annual) | From Grow ($24/mo annual, $30 monthly) |
| Free plan | 720p with watermark, 2 hrs multi-track, unlimited single-track | Unlimited audio recording; video watermarked. Availability of this free tier has been reported as tightening; verify at signup |
| Audio capture | Uncompressed WAV, 44.1 and 48 kHz, separate track per participant | Lossless 16-bit 48 kHz WAV, separate track per participant |
| Browser and app support | Chrome plus Mac app and iOS and Android apps | Chrome, Edge, or Brave only; no Safari, no Firefox |
| Livestreaming / webinars | 1080p multistreaming (Grow); webinar plans to 10,000 registrants | Not offered |
| Hosting and monetization | Podcast hosting and publishing from Pro | Hosting plus a monetization network with dynamic ad insertion (Scale plan and up) |
| G2 | 4.8 (1,751 reviews) | 3.7 (30 reviews) |
| Trustpilot | 3.8 (486 reviews) | Only a handful of reviews, too few to score meaningfully |
| Company | RiversideFM, Inc., founded 2020, $47M raised, Spotify partner | Zencastr, Inc., Utah, founded ~2014, $4.6M seed plus a 2022 crowdfunding round, ~36 employees |
Prices and figures checked 2026-08-07, from each vendor's own published pages. Both change; verify before you buy.
Recording: honors even on audio, daylight on video
Both tools record each participant locally in lossless WAV with separate tracks, the architecture that makes remote recordings survive bad connections. On pure audio capture there is little to choose between them, and Zencastr's audio pedigree is real: it was doing this before most competitors existed.
Video is where the products diverge. Zencastr's Standard plan records 1080p and 4K starts at Grow, while Riverside records up to 4K from Pro with a mature multi-camera pipeline, mobile apps for iOS and Android, and in-person multi-cam recording. Zencastr also only works in Chromium browsers: a guest on Safari or Firefox has to install Chrome before your session starts, which is exactly the kind of friction remote recording tools exist to remove.
The ratings gap deserves attention
Zencastr's G2 profile holds a 3.7 from just 30 reviews, against Riverside's 4.8 from 1,751. Its Trustpilot presence is a handful of reviews, most of them complaints about slow email-only support and billing. Small samples deserve caution, and we flag that honestly, but the direction and the volume difference are both signals: one product has a large, mostly satisfied reviewer base, the other has a small and lukewarm one.
Company scale tells the same story. Zencastr raised a $4.6M seed in 2021 and a small crowdfunding round in 2022, and employs a few dozen people. Riverside has raised $47M and is embedded in Spotify's creator tools. That does not make Zencastr a bad product, but it is a real difference in how much engineering and support capacity sits behind each subscription.
Where the bundle math favors Zencastr
Zencastr's paid plans fold in podcast hosting, distribution, and a monetization network with dynamic ad insertion at the Scale tier, an unusual bundle at its price point. An audio-only show that wants recording, hosting, and ads from one vendor can genuinely run cheaper on Zencastr, and its free tier's unlimited audio recording remains generous, though 2026 reports suggest the free plan has been tightening, so verify what you get at signup.
Where Zencastr wins
- Unlimited audio recording on the free tier, in lossless WAV, with no session time limit
- Cheaper entry paid plan: $16 a month billed annually for 1080p video and unlimited transcription
- Hosting, distribution, and dynamic ad insertion bundled into one subscription at the Scale tier
- Audio-first pedigree: one of the original browser double-ender tools, still respected for pure audio work
Frequently asked questions
Is Zencastr still good in 2026?+
For audio-first podcasts, yes: local lossless WAV recording with separate tracks still works well, and the hosting-plus-ads bundle is unusual at the price. The concerns are around the edges: a 3.7 G2 rating from a small review base, support complaints, Chromium-only browser support, and a small team.
Is Riverside or Zencastr better for video podcasts?+
Riverside, clearly. It records up to 4K from its $24 a month Pro plan with mobile apps and multi-cam support, and its AI editing, clips, livestreaming, and webinars have no Zencastr equivalent. Zencastr's own positioning remains audio-first.
Is Zencastr cheaper than Riverside?+
At the entry tier, yes: Zencastr Standard is $16 a month billed annually against Riverside Pro at $24, and Zencastr's free audio tier is more generous. At the 4K tier the prices converge: both charge $24 a month billed annually.
Do guests need Chrome for Zencastr?+
Effectively yes. Zencastr supports Chrome, Edge, and Brave, and does not support Safari or Firefox. Riverside also recommends Chrome on desktop but offers iOS and Android apps for guests on phones.
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