One tool per job
| Tool | Pricing | Free plan / trial | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside | Pro $29/mo ($24 annual), Grow $39/mo ($34 annual), 14 day free trial | No free plan, 14 day free trial on paid plans | Recording remote podcasts and video interviews in studio quality |
| Descript | Free plan; Hobbyist $24/mo ($16 annual), Creator $35/mo ($24 annual) | Yes, 1 media hour/month, 720p export | Editing podcasts and talking-head video by editing the transcript |
| OpusClip | Free plan; Starter $15/mo, Pro $29/mo | Yes, watermarked exports that expire after 3 days | Turning long videos and podcasts into short vertical clips automatically |
| Castmagic | Hobby $19/mo, Starter $48/mo, Team $139/mo (billed annually) | Not listed on the pricing page | Podcasters and video creators turning recordings into newsletters, show notes and posts |
| ElevenLabs | Free (10k credits); Starter $6/mo, Creator $22/mo, Pro $99/mo | Yes, 10,000 credits/month, no commercial licence | AI voiceovers, voice cloning and audio versions of your newsletter |
Official sources, checked Nov 2026. Riverside · Descript · OpusClip · Castmagic · ElevenLabs. Prices in USD unless shown otherwise. Vendors change pricing, so confirm on their site before buying.
Riverside
Best for recordingPro $29/mo ($24 annual), Grow $39/mo ($34 annual), 14 day free trial
- Separate audio and video tracks per guest
- Podcast hosting included on Pro
- 14 day free trial on Pro, Grow and Webinar
- No free plan, you pay once the trial ends
- Live streaming needs Grow
- Webinar tools cost $99/mo
Descript
Best for editingFree plan; Hobbyist $24/mo ($16 annual), Creator $35/mo ($24 annual)
- Edit audio and video like a document
- Free plan to learn the workflow
- 4K export from Creator
- Free exports top out at 720p
- Media hours and AI credits are capped monthly
- Monthly billing costs up to 50% more than annual
OpusClip
Best for short clipsFree plan; Starter $15/mo, Pro $29/mo
- Free plan to try the auto-clipping
- Pro adds a social scheduler and multi-aspect reframing
- Pro exports to Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve
- Free exports are watermarked and expire after 3 days
- Only 9:16 output below Pro
- Cloud storage starts at Pro
Castmagic
Best for show notes & newslettersHobby $19/mo, Starter $48/mo, Team $139/mo (billed annually)
- Turns one recording into show notes, newsletter drafts and social posts
- Imports from RSS, YouTube, Zoom and Google Drive
- Unlimited AI outputs, re-generations and clips on every plan
- Prices we verified are for annual billing
- Hours are a library total, not a monthly allowance
- API access starts at Starter ($48/mo)
ElevenLabs
Best for voice & dubbingFree (10k credits); Starter $6/mo, Creator $22/mo, Pro $99/mo
- Commercial licence from $6/mo
- Annual billing gives two months free
- Generous free tier for testing voices
- Free plan has no commercial licence
- Credits are shared across all features
- Professional voice cloning starts at Creator ($22/mo)
What a lean stack costs
Start with Riverside + Descript; add the rest when the show is weekly
Recording and editing are the non-negotiables. Clips, write-ups and voice tools save hours once you publish every week, and most have a free plan or trial to prove it first.
Descript vs RiversideCastmagic alternativesElevenLabs pricing
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best free AI tool for podcasters?
Descript has a free plan for editing with 1 media hour a month. Riverside has no free plan, but you can record on a 14 day free trial of Pro before you pay.
Can AI write my podcast show notes?
Yes, Castmagic turns recordings into show notes, newsletter drafts and social posts; plans start at $19/month billed annually.
Keep comparing
Descript vs Riverside
Descript and Riverside both record and edit with AI, and both cost $24 a month on annual billing at the level most creators need.
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Castmagic alternatives
Castmagic turns recordings into written content, show notes, newsletters, posts.
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OpusClip vs Submagic
Both turn your videos into short-form clips with AI, but they start from different ends. OpusClip finds the clips in a long video; Submagic makes a…
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