Guide
Best AI video editors for podcasts: Descript, Riverside and 4 more
Descript is the best AI video editor for editing a podcast episode, and Riverside is best for recording remote guests. OpusClip and Vizard cut clips, and Cutroom makes a vertical ad for your show.
In short
- The best AI video editors for podcasts are Descript, Riverside, Zencastr, OpusClip, Vizard and Cutroom.
- Descript is best for editing the episode, because you cut the video by deleting sentences.
- Riverside and Zencastr record each remote guest on a separate track, and both are free to start.
- OpusClip and Vizard cut an episode into short clips for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
- Cutroom makes a short vertical ad for your show from one clip of you talking.
- tools compared
- 6
- to start on all six
- $0
- the longest clip Cutroom accepts
- 3 min
The best AI video editors for podcasts at a glance
Here is what each tool does, what it costs and who it suits.
AI video editors for podcasts compared
Prices and plans read from each vendor's own pricing page on 21 September 2026.
| Tool | Best for | Editing approach | Platform | Pricing from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Editing the whole episode as text | You edit the transcript and the video follows | Web, Mac, Windows | Free plan; Hobbyist $16/person/month, annual | |
 Riverside | Recording remote guests on separate tracks | Records each guest on their own device, then you edit by text | Web, Mac app, mobile apps | Free plan; Pro $24/month, annual |
| Zencastr | Free multi-track recording and hosting | Records each guest locally; AI cleans the audio and writes show notes | Web, iOS app | Free; Enterprise on request |
 OpusClip | Cutting an episode into many social clips | AI finds the best moments, turns them vertical and adds captions | Web, mobile | Free plan; Starter $15/month |
| Vizard | Clipping episodes and trimming clips by transcript | AI cuts clips from a long video; you trim them as text | Web | Free plan; Creator $14.50/month, annual |
| Cutroom | A vertical ad for the show from one clip | You upload the clip; Cutroom adds b-roll, captions and a hook | Web browser | First video free, no card; Lite $19.99/month |
Descript
- Best for
- Editing the whole episode as text
- Approach
- You edit the transcript and the video follows
- Platform
- Web, Mac, Windows
- Pricing from
- Free plan; Hobbyist $16/person/month, annual
- Riverside
- Best for
- Recording remote guests on separate tracks
- Approach
- Records each guest on their own device, then you edit by text
- Platform
- Web, Mac app, mobile apps
- Pricing from
- Free plan; Pro $24/month, annual
Zencastr
- Best for
- Free multi-track recording and hosting
- Approach
- Records each guest locally; AI cleans the audio and writes show notes
- Platform
- Web, iOS app
- Pricing from
- Free; Enterprise on request
- OpusClip
- Best for
- Cutting an episode into many social clips
- Approach
- AI finds the best moments, turns them vertical and adds captions
- Platform
- Web, mobile
- Pricing from
- Free plan; Starter $15/month
Vizard
- Best for
- Clipping episodes and trimming clips by transcript
- Approach
- AI cuts clips from a long video; you trim them as text
- Platform
- Web
- Pricing from
- Free plan; Creator $14.50/month, annual
Cutroom
- Best for
- A vertical ad for the show from one clip
- Approach
- You upload the clip; Cutroom adds b-roll, captions and a hook
- Platform
- Web browser
- Pricing from
- First video free, no card; Lite $19.99/month
What each tool does for a podcast
Making a video podcast has five jobs: record, edit, clip, publish and promote. Each tool here is best at one or two of them.
- Riverside, Zencastr and Descript record each guest on their own device, so a bad connection does not ruin the file.
- Riverside and Zencastr also host the show and publish it to Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. Riverside includes hosting on paid plans, and Zencastr on its free plan.
- Descript does not host the show, but it can send the finished episode to a host such as Buzzsprout, Captivate or Transistor.
- OpusClip and Vizard only work on an episode you already have.
- Cutroom works on a separate short clip you film to promote the show.
Podcast video jobs and the tools that do them
| Job | What it means | Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Record | Each guest on a clean, separate track | Riverside, Zencastr, Descript |
| Edit | Cut the episode by deleting text | Descript, Riverside |
| Clip | Short vertical moments with captions | OpusClip, Vizard, Descript, Riverside |
| Publish | Send the episode to Spotify and Apple Podcasts | Riverside, Zencastr |
| Promote | A short filmed ad that says why to listen | Cutroom |
Job: Record
- What it means
- Each guest on a clean, separate track
- Tools
- Riverside, Zencastr, Descript
Job: Edit
- What it means
- Cut the episode by deleting text
- Tools
- Descript, Riverside
Job: Clip
- What it means
- Short vertical moments with captions
- Tools
- OpusClip, Vizard, Descript, Riverside
Job: Publish
- What it means
- Send the episode to Spotify and Apple Podcasts
- Tools
- Riverside, Zencastr
Job: Promote
- What it means
- A short filmed ad that says why to listen
- Tools
- Cutroom
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
AI features compared
This is what the AI in each tool does for you.
AI help in each podcast tool
A dash means the company does not list this feature.
| Tool | Records guests | Edit by transcript | Makes clips | Other AI features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Descript | Yes, up to 10 guests | Yes | Yes | Underlord, its AI assistant; Studio Sound; filler-word removal |
| Riverside | Yes, separate local tracks | Yes | Yes, Magic Clips | Show notes; filler-word and silence removal and audio cleanup on Pro |
| Zencastr | Yes, up to 6 people free | No | – | Removes filler words and noise, fixes eye contact |
| OpusClip | No | – | Yes, finds the moments | Captions, keeps the speaker in frame |
| Vizard | No | Yes, for clips | Yes | Captions in 100+ languages |
| Cutroom | No | Yes | No | B-roll, captions and a hook |
Tool: Descript
- Records guests
- Yes, up to 10 guests
- Edit by transcript
- Yes
- Makes clips
- Yes
- Other AI features
- Underlord, its AI assistant; Studio Sound; filler-word removal
Tool: Riverside
- Records guests
- Yes, separate local tracks
- Edit by transcript
- Yes
- Makes clips
- Yes, Magic Clips
- Other AI features
- Show notes; filler-word and silence removal and audio cleanup on Pro
Tool: Zencastr
- Records guests
- Yes, up to 6 people free
- Edit by transcript
- No
- Makes clips
- –
- Other AI features
- Removes filler words and noise, fixes eye contact
Tool: OpusClip
- Records guests
- No
- Edit by transcript
- –
- Makes clips
- Yes, finds the moments
- Other AI features
- Captions, keeps the speaker in frame
Tool: Vizard
- Records guests
- No
- Edit by transcript
- Yes, for clips
- Makes clips
- Yes
- Other AI features
- Captions in 100+ languages
Tool: Cutroom
- Records guests
- No
- Edit by transcript
- Yes
- Makes clips
- No
- Other AI features
- B-roll, captions and a hook
Prices and free plans
Every price comes from the tool's own pricing page. Yearly means the monthly price when you pay for a year.
AI video editors for podcasts: price and tradeoff
| Tool | Free option | Paid from | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Descript | 60 minutes a month, 720p, watermark | $16/person/month yearly, $24 monthly | Priced per person |
| Riverside | 2 hours of multi-track recording | Pro $24/month yearly, $29 monthly | Free plan stops at 720p, with a watermark |
| Zencastr | Up to 6 people, unlimited transcription, 5 shows | Enterprise on request | No plan between free and Enterprise |
| OpusClip | 1080p, watermark on animated captions | Starter $15/month | Needs a full episode |
| Vizard | 60 credits (minutes) a month, 720p, watermark | Creator $14.50/month yearly, $29 monthly | Free storage lasts 3 days |
| Cutroom | First video free, no card, 7 days | Lite $19.99/month | One clip of up to 3 minutes |
Tool: Descript
- Free option
- 60 minutes a month, 720p, watermark
- Paid from
- $16/person/month yearly, $24 monthly
- Tradeoff
- Priced per person
Tool: Riverside
- Free option
- 2 hours of multi-track recording
- Paid from
- Pro $24/month yearly, $29 monthly
- Tradeoff
- Free plan stops at 720p, with a watermark
Tool: Zencastr
- Free option
- Up to 6 people, unlimited transcription, 5 shows
- Paid from
- Enterprise on request
- Tradeoff
- No plan between free and Enterprise
Tool: OpusClip
- Free option
- 1080p, watermark on animated captions
- Paid from
- Starter $15/month
- Tradeoff
- Needs a full episode
Tool: Vizard
- Free option
- 60 credits (minutes) a month, 720p, watermark
- Paid from
- Creator $14.50/month yearly, $29 monthly
- Tradeoff
- Free storage lasts 3 days
Tool: Cutroom
- Free option
- First video free, no card, 7 days
- Paid from
- Lite $19.99/month
- Tradeoff
- One clip of up to 3 minutes
Descript
Descript turns your episode into a text document. Delete a sentence and the video and audio are cut with it.
- Descript is best for shows that edit every episode and would rather edit a transcript than a timeline.
- Underlord, Descript's AI assistant, makes a shorter first version of the episode. Studio Sound fixes room echo, and filler words go in one click.
- Rooms records you and up to 10 guests, each on a separate track, in up to 4K.
- The free plan gives you 60 minutes a month at 720p, with a watermark.
- Hobbyist costs $16 per person a month billed yearly, or $24 month to month, for 10 hours a month at 1080p.
- Creator costs $24 per person a month billed yearly, for 30 hours a month, 4K and unlimited stock footage.
- Each person on the account pays, so a host and an editor pay twice.
Riverside
Riverside is a recording studio in your browser. Each guest is recorded on their own device, so a bad connection does not spoil the file.
- Riverside is best for interview shows with a remote guest in every episode.
- It includes text-based editing, Magic Clips and show notes. Pro also removes filler words and silences, cleans up the audio, corrects eye contact and adds AI b-roll.
- Paid plans include podcast hosting, and Riverside publishes the show to Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
- The free plan gives you 2 hours of multi-track recording in 720p, with a watermark.
- Pro costs $24 a month billed yearly, or $29 month to month. It removes the watermark and records up to 4K video and 48kHz audio. Grow costs $34 a month billed yearly, or $39 month to month.
- Descript has more editing tools on top, such as Underlord, its AI assistant, and dubbing on its Creator plan and up.
Zencastr
Zencastr is a free recording studio with podcast hosting built in.
- Zencastr is best for new shows that want to record, clean up and host without paying yet.
- It records up to 6 people on separate audio and video tracks, in up to 4K and 48kHz.
- Its AI removes filler words and noise, and corrects eye contact and face centering.
- It writes transcripts, cover art and show notes, and publishes to Spotify, Apple and YouTube.
- The free plan includes unlimited transcription and 5 shows. Enterprise is priced on request.
- Zencastr cleans the episode but does not cut it, and there is no plan between free and Enterprise.
OpusClip
OpusClip finds the best moments in a finished episode and turns them into captioned vertical clips.
- OpusClip is best for shows with many past episodes that want to post clips every week.
- It keeps the speaker in the centre when it turns a clip vertical. OpusClip says its captions are over 97% accurate.
- The free plan takes uploads of up to 10 GB and exports 1080p, with a watermark on animated captions and a 3-day export window.
- Starter costs $15 a month. It removes the watermark, scores how likely each clip is to do well and posts to Shorts, TikTok and Reels.
- Pro costs $29 a month and adds a social scheduler, AI b-roll and a team workspace.
Vizard
Vizard cuts clips from your episode like OpusClip. You can trim each clip by deleting words from its transcript.
- Vizard is best for podcasters who want clips and scheduling in one browser tab.
- It translates captions into 100+ languages.
- The free plan gives you 60 credits a month, where one credit is one minute, in 720p with a watermark and 3-day storage.
- Creator costs $14.50 a month billed yearly, or $29 month to month. It removes the watermark, exports in 4K and schedules posts to 6 accounts.
- Business costs $19.50 a month billed yearly and adds a shared workspace.
Cutroom
Cutroom does not edit your episode. It makes the short video that tells people why to listen.
- Cutroom is best for a show trailer, a sponsor read or a launch ad.
- You upload one clip of up to 3 minutes where you say what the show is and who it is for.
- Cutroom cuts it, places stock video clips over the words they match, and adds captions in 40 styles and a hook. You can switch on music too.
- You change the video by editing the transcript.
- Your first video is free, with no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark, and Lite at $19.99 a month removes it.
- Basic costs $39.99 a month and adds avatars and generated music. Premium is $79.99 a month.
- Cutroom does not accept a full episode. The limit is 3 minutes.
A show ad from one clip
Film one clip
Why people should listen
Upload it
Up to 3 minutes
Cuts and b-roll
Over the words they match
Captions and a hook
40 caption styles
Finished ad
9:16 MP4
Which one should you choose?
It comes down to the job that takes most of your time.
Which AI video editor for podcasts to choose
Choose Riverside if you record remote guests and want each one on a clean local track.
Choose Zencastr if you want recording, hosting and AI cleanup without paying anything yet.
Choose Descript if you edit every episode and want to cut it by deleting sentences.
Choose OpusClip if you have many past episodes and want captioned clips posted on a schedule.
Choose Vizard if you want clips you can trim by transcript and schedule from one tab.
Choose Cutroom if you film one short clip to promote the show or a sponsor and want it back as a finished 9:16 ad.
Questions people ask
- What is the best AI video editor for podcasts?
- Descript is the best for editing the episode, and Riverside is the best for recording remote guests. Zencastr records for free, OpusClip and Vizard cut clips, and Cutroom makes a vertical ad for the show from one clip.
- Which AI tool turns a podcast into clips?
- OpusClip and Vizard. Both scan a finished episode, pick the best moments, turn them to 9:16 and add captions. Both have a free plan with a watermark. Descript and Riverside also make clips inside their editors. Cutroom does not clip episodes.
- Can AI edit a whole podcast episode?
- Partly. Underlord, Descript's AI assistant, makes a shorter first version of the episode, and Studio Sound and filler-word removal fix the audio. Riverside Pro also removes filler words and silences. You still decide what stays by deleting text. Zencastr cleans the recording and writes show notes but does not cut the episode.
- Do I need both Riverside and Descript?
- Not always. Riverside Pro edits by text and removes filler words and silences, so you can record and edit in Riverside alone. Descript has more editing tools, and its Rooms feature records remote guests too, so you can also use Descript alone.
- Are there free AI video editors for podcasts?
- Yes. Zencastr records up to 6 people for free, with unlimited transcription. Riverside gives you 2 hours of free multi-track recording with a watermark. Descript, OpusClip and Vizard have free plans with a watermark or a cap. Cutroom's first video is free, with no card.
- Can these tools publish my podcast to Spotify and Apple Podcasts?
- Riverside and Zencastr can. Both host the show and publish it to Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, Riverside on paid plans and Zencastr on its free plan. Descript sends the episode to a host such as Buzzsprout or Transistor. OpusClip and Vizard post clips to social media, and Cutroom makes one short video you post yourself.
- Can Cutroom edit a podcast episode?
- No. Cutroom takes one clip of up to 3 minutes and returns one finished 9:16 ad. It does not record, clip or host an episode. Use it for a trailer, a sponsor read or a launch ad.
Film one short clip that tells people why to listen, and see it as a finished vertical ad. Your first video is free.
Try for freeYour first video is free, no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark; Lite at $19.99/month removes it