Best free tools for recording remote podcast guests
Remote interviews need separate tracks per speaker, so a bad connection or a cough can be fixed without wrecking the other voice. On free plans the real difference is how much separate-track recording you get, and whether it resets.
Short answer
For an ongoing show on $0, Zencastr is the only tool here whose free plan lists unlimited separate-track recording (up to 6 participants, up to 4K video). Riverside gives a one-off 2 hours of multi-track recording, which is enough to trial its workflow but not to run a weekly show on separate tracks. Async gives 1 hour of remote multitrack recording, lifetime.
Note: this is a reading of published limits, not a recording-quality test. We haven't measured audio quality, reliability or upload behaviour.
Side by side
| # | Tool | Separate-track allowance | Other free limits | Source · verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Zencastr | Unlimited separate audio and video recording and download | Up to 6 participants. Up to 4K video. Unlimited transcription hours. | Official pricing |
| 02 | Riverside | 2 hours, one-off | Up to 720p, 44.1 kHz, watermark. Unlimited single-track recording and editing. | Official pricing |
| 03 | Async (formerly Podcastle) | 1 hour, lifetime | 1 export file, MP3 up to 160 kbps. Transcription 1 h lifetime. | Official pricing |
| 04 | Descript | Draws on 60 media minutes per month (recorded or imported media) | 720p export. Watermark-free export not included. 100 AI credits one-time. | Official pricing |
How to choose
- Weekly or more often, $0 budget: start with Zencastr. Its free plan is the only one here without a published cap on separate-track recording.
- You want to edit in the same app you record in: Descript's 60 media minutes a month covers about one hour of recorded or imported media. Recording and editing draw on the same pool.
- Trying a tool before paying: Riverside's one-off 2 hours is a fair test of its multi-track workflow. Plan for single-track recording after that.
- Video podcasts: check resolution. Zencastr lists up to 4K on Free. Riverside and Descript list up to 720p.
Ask every guest to wear headphones, whichever tool you pick. It is the cheapest fix for echo and bleed, and no free plan replaces it.
Other best-for pages
- AI audio cleanup
Adobe Podcast, Auphonic, Cleanvoice, Audacity plugins.
- Transcript editing
Descript, Zencastr, Headliner, Async.
- Clips & audiograms
Headliner, OpusClip, Riverside Magic Clips.