--- title: "Zencastr Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about Zencastr Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Podcast Hosting products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/229807/Zencastr/" page_type: "product" language: "en" publication_date: "2026-09-29" --- # Zencastr Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on September 29, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Zencastr ## What is Zencastr? Zencastr is a podcasting software that makes recording, editing, distributing, and monetizing podcasts easy. The software provides studio-quality audio and video recording capabilities, including local recording with no time limits. It also offers features like video layouts, audio cleanup tools, and analytics to optimize podcast creation and growth. ## What is Zencastr used for? [Audio Editing](https://www.capterra.com/audio-editing-software/)[Podcast Hosting](https://www.capterra.com/podcast-hosting-software/) Overall rating Based on 17 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive \- Neutral \- Negative \- Starting price $20 Per User, Per Month Free trial available Free version not included Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for Zencastr?[Manage this product listing](https://www.g2.com/products/zencastr/claim_requests/new?auto=true) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Zencastr 3.6 (17) VS. [### Riverside](https://www.capterra.com/p/10004414/Riverside/) [4.8 (315)](https://www.capterra.com/p/10004414/Riverside/reviews/) Starting Price $20 Per User, Per Month Starting Price $29 Per Feature, Per Month Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 3.4 (17) Ease Of Use 4.7 (315) Value For Money 3.4 (12) Value For Money 4.7 (310) Customer Service 2.6 (10) Customer Service 4.6 (297) ## Zencastr alternatives [Hubhopper](https://www.capterra.com/p/253191/Hubhopper/) [4.6 (149)](https://www.capterra.com/p/253191/Hubhopper/reviews/) Starting price $12.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 93% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/253191/Hubhopper/) [Anchor](https://www.capterra.com/p/231030/Anchor/) [4.7 (61)](https://www.capterra.com/p/231030/Anchor/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 97% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/231030/Anchor/) [SoundCloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/231003/SoundCloud/) [4.5 (109)](https://www.capterra.com/p/231003/SoundCloud/reviews/) Starting price $12.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 83% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/231003/SoundCloud/) [Ausha](https://www.capterra.com/p/234628/Ausha/) [4.8 (78)](https://www.capterra.com/p/234628/Ausha/reviews/) Starting price $13.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 99% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/234628/Ausha/) [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/229807/Zencastr/alternatives/) ## FAQs about Zencastr Overview ### Which roles and teams benefit most from Zencastr? Zencastr is most used by podcast hosts, podcasters, webcast producers, and multimedia specialists who record remote interviews and produce audio or video episodes. Media creators, including film and TV producers, use it to capture contributor recordings, while founders, owners, executives, and operations leaders create branded content and manage communications. Answer based on 17 reviews Overview ### What company size and industries is Zencastr built for? Zencastr is for small-business podcasters, advertisers, and media companies, with 94% of reviewers from small businesses and Entertainment leading at 18%. It also serves Marketing and Advertising and Media Production organizations, each representing 12% of reviewers. Its most common use case is audio editing, reported by 88% of reviewers. Answer based on 17 reviews Features and Usability ### What are the key features of Zencastr? Zencastr offers audio recording, audio capture, and audio editor tools for producing podcast content, along with session recording and real-time broadcasting for live or remote sessions. It also includes hosting, publishing/sharing, distribution management, bulk uploading, audience analytics, performance analysis, audience engagement, and third-party integration. Integrations ### Which third-party tools and platforms does Zencastr integrate with? Zencastr integrates with 2 third-party platforms for file storage and sharing: Dropbox and Google Drive. These catalog integrations support common workflows for storing and accessing recorded audio files. ## Features AI summary Based on 638 Podcast Hosting reviews Capterra reviewers highlight these as the features buyers care about most when choosing podcast hosting software: - **Session Recording** (**62%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **Publishing/Sharing** (**51%**) - **Audio/video file upload** (**46%**) Zencastr supports **Session Recording** and **Publishing/Sharing**, so teams can capture podcast sessions and distribute finished episodes from the same platform. However, it does not include **Audio/video file upload**. Instead, it offers other important features that reviewers also value, including **Hosting** (**46%**) and **Audio Recording** (**56%**), providing teams with options to store content and record high-quality audio while managing podcast production more efficiently. Hosting 1.5 (2) 50.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Offering a platform to store, publish, and distribute podcasts. Session Recording 2.0 (2) 50.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Record active support and chat sessions for auditing and training Publishing/Sharing 3.0 (1) 100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Share pre-configured sets of data organized and presented in a specific manner with the organization Audio Recording 4.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Record and edit recorded audio and/or video Audio Capture 4.1 (9) 55.56% of 9 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Record audio or import/upload audio files Audio Editor 3.0 (4) 25.00% of 4 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Visual GUI that allows users to manage audio tracks, instruments, filters, etc. Zencastr 13 features ### All Features - Audience Analytics: Track and analyze various metrics such as demographics, psychographics, behavior and other insights - Audience Engagement: Use tools to engage with viewers (e.g., commenting, chat room, polling, and Q&A) - Audio Capture: Record audio or import/upload audio files - Audio Editor: Visual GUI that allows users to manage audio tracks, instruments, filters, etc. - Audio Recording: Record and edit recorded audio and/or video - Bulk Uploading: Upload multiple documents at once - Distribution Management: Financial management for all distribution-related activities, including inventory, warehouse, purchasing, sales, etc. - Hosting: Offering a platform to store, publish, and distribute podcasts. - Performance Analysis: Monitor and analyze the performance and status of a server or system/application - Publishing/Sharing: Share pre-configured sets of data organized and presented in a specific manner with the organization - Real-time Broadcasting: Broadcast live video streams - Session Recording: Record active support and chat sessions for auditing and training - Third-Party Integration: Addition of necessary external data, applications, tools, or features --- Features 3.4 (17) 3.4 Based on 17 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 3.4 (12) Free Trial [View pricing plan details](https://www.capterra.com/p/229807/Zencastr/pricing/) Basic $20.00 Per User,Per Month Value for money 3.4 (12) 3.4 Based on 12 reviews ## Integrations [ Dropbox](https://www.capterra.com/p/143068/Dropbox-Business/)[ Google Drive](https://www.capterra.com/p/161425/Drive/) ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 2.6 (10) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 2.6 (10) 2.6 Based on 10 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 3.6 Based on 17 reviews Filter by rating Counts reflect reviews available in this feed. 5(6) 4(4) 3(4) 2(1) 1(2) Mentioned topic Recent reviews first, then most helpful RE Reviewer Education Assistant Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Good for podcasting… " 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 September 14, 2021 I use Zencastr to record a weekly podcast. We do video and audio recording and and Zencastr does both of these for free, which I love. But I have a Mac and after about 30 minutes of recording, the computer crashes. Every time. It also forces me to use google Chrome instead of safari, which runs slower. But the software does get the jobs done. I think for free software it’s a great option, you just have to be able to put up with some small annoyances. Pros I like: - good audio quality - pretty good basic video quality - ability to record both audio and video for free - it automatically saves your recordings for download - if one computer on the recording crashes it pauses - free Cons I dislike: - it always seems to crash my Mac - no backup feature if your computer shuts down during a recording - can’t be used on safari - never sends email to you to reset passwords Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Webcast Producer Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Zencastr, The future podcast for everyone today!" 4.0 June 10, 2022 It's a very likely tool for everyone involved in remote education, podcasting and/lacks of expensive recording gear or technical resources. Pros No installation required. It's a very clear workflow for the podcast makers. Multitrack recording of participants. Cons Some small computer cameras tend to be seen a little blurry or slow movement. Not possible to change the audio source device once the recording has started. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Michael S. Host Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Run away from these scammers" 1.0 Overall Rating 1.0 1.0 Ease of Use 1.0 1.0 Features 1.0 1.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 0/10 November 20, 2024 I rarely experience a product that I struggle to say a single nice thing about. Over the years of using it it got progressively worse. They courted me to leave another service for them and went from offering a free model because I was one of their first users, to then backtracking and charging more than any other service, to then giving a brief window to download my podcasts before being held for ransom behind a paywall. They made some changes and tried to get me to come back, offering a free 14 day trial. I tested it out and the experience was even more convoluted than before and not worth 1/10 the cost so I chose not to continue with it. I got caught up with work and forgot to cancel in time and they charged an expired CC I had on file from years ago & refuse to refund it. Pros They used to be an honest company and provided a decent service. Cons They've turned into one of those companies that uses shady tactics, then hides behind their Terms of Service. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Founder Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Be careful! Free trial button immediately led to an entire year of subscription" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 2/10 July 29, 2024 Good for a long time but then heavily disappointing Pros Okay recording platform with some bugs in the past but pretty dtable Cons After a year's break, I logged into my account and was shown a one-week trial. I thought, "Oh, okay, that's a nice way to get back into it." The premium subscription was granted as soon as I clicked on the button. There was no mention of any direct payment. Later, I was shocked to find that they had deducted the entire year's worth of subscription from my bank account. I contacted customer support, assuming it was my fault for having clicked the wrong button. Therefore, I told them they could charge me for a month, but please not for an entire year. Customer support got back to me, saying that I already had a trial and should have known it would sign me up for a year-long subscription (even though their interface offered a trial). With an attitude of "you can be happy we refund you anything." They refunded me part of the money, but less than they should have, even with one month of subscription already deducted. I wrote them that money was missing, and they refused to pay the delta, referring back to "you should have known you already had a trial." But guys - you offered it to me on your website!? That is your UX bug. Plenty of great platforms like Canva offer their customers several trials. I have had 4-5 trials with Canva and have been a paying customer for many years. I told the Zencastr team this is some of the most unprofessional behavior I have experienced in years. The customer support is a real problem. I have been a happy customer of Riverside ever since #neveragain. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Wood Crafter Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "After signing up for this, you won't need anything else to record your audio or video content" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 August 31, 2021 Pros What's not to like about Zencastr??? It has a clean and intuitive interface, it makes inviting people to join you for a remote recording as easy as copying, pasting and sharing a link, and it makes sure that none of your recordings get lost thanks to its automated back-up integration with the likes of Google Drive and Dropbox. The automated post production is huge, especially if you wouldn't like to end up down the audio editing rabbit hole, and the soundboard is solid enough to let you do the majority of the editing your podcast content is probably going to need. Being able to add footnotes and comments is a nice plus, and the video recording side of things can really transform Zencastr into the ultimate platform to record your audio and video content remotely. Cons I have to be honest, it's really difficult to find something I don't like about Zencastr. I have other of some people having had some small issues depending on the web browser they were using but that hasn't been the case for me. Perhaps, having a mobile app to be able to do even just some of the things (e.g. like managing and sharing files) could be handy Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Multimedia Specialist Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "My Review" 1.0 Overall Rating 1.0 1.0 Ease of Use 1.0 1.0 Features 1.0 1.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 0/10 November 20, 2023 Customer service was terrible because of the Zencastr Customer Support Manager \[sensitive content hidden\] Pros Zencastr was a great podcast hosting site being that it was free, I could do it remotely with my guests and the recordings recorded seperate audio channels. Cons The customer service was extremely unhelpful and the #1 reason I will not continue with Zencastr as a podcast platform. I was recording a series of podcast episodes over a couple of months and did not understand that all recordings needed to be downloaded within 31 days. Once I realized this I spoke to customer service and asked for a reprieve on this as it only was an issue with one 5 minute podcast episode. I was repeatedly told by \[sensitive content hidden\] the manager of Zencastr support that she couldnt help me unless I upgraded my account. Thata was one of the worst responses I've heard from customer service to resolving an issue that they can'y help unless I give them money. I gave them multiple warnings that I will leave Zencastr for a competitor and write this review if my problem is not resolved. \[sensitive content hidden\] response was"...wish you the best of luck in your podcasting journey!". Why would I want to move forward with a company that has customer service that refuses to help? Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Blake P. Operations Manager Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Zen Out with Zencastr" 4.0 January 13, 2023 We've been able to avoid using Zoom for podcasting, and that's a gift. Our podcast requires us to capture quality audio interviews for each episode, and it's a much better alternative to Zoom. Pros Let's just get this out of the way first: it's not Zoom, hallelujah for that. We were having such a challenging time capturing quality audio with Zoom, and Zencastr made all the difference. It's a pretty simple interface that allows for easy recording, easy downloading, and creating multiple tracks for podcasting. Cons This isn't necessarily Zencastr's fault, but sometimes the audio quality captured still isn't as quality as we'd like it to be. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer CEO Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Very glitchy" 3.0 December 8, 2023 Not that great. Their free tier was retired leaving us to pay for the annual plan - even though we do very few podcasts. The interface could use a refresh to reduce complexity and make it easier to use. Pros It's easy to send a link to someone and have them record locally. Publishing podcasts is easy. Cons Connections are often lost leaving the host and guests frustrated. The interface is clumsy and requires a lot of clicking around to do simple things. The app crashes often and needs to be restarted. It once lost all my episode files and it was very difficult to figure out how to get them back. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Owner Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Very poor technical support, decent software" 2.0 Overall Rating 2.0 2.0 Ease of Use 2.0 2.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 5/10 August 22, 2024 I've used it for a year to create podcasts. It was not my choice. It is the system used by my podcasting platform Pros interface is fairly simple to understand once you are recording/ Cons support is AWFUL. you cannot speak to a person. so if an issue comes up you have to wait for a written response. this takes many hours. by that time you are doing something else, so it can take days to resolve. of course it's complicated to explain tech issues precisely with written messages, so an issue that could be resolved in a 5 minute call can take days or may never be fully resolved. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Miguel D. Desarrollo de nuevos negocios Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Zencastr is all you need to start your podcast " 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 October 11, 2022 I found Zencastr when I launched my podcast, it has been the best solution to record my episodes with guests. Been using it for almost two years and when I needed support (a couple of times) their team replied so quickly. Zencastr recently launched their own hosting, this will make the process of creating ans sharing content even easier. Pros Easy to use Inviting guest with a click Internal chat Video recording for free Save your files directly on your cloud Cons I wish the platform could work on mobile but I understand this may be a technical challenge. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/229807/Zencastr/reviews/) ## Top-rated software of 2026 ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.