⚡ Quick Verdict:
- Pricing: Zencastr paid plans start at $24/month. Castr pricing starts at $12.5/month.
- Best for: Zencastr for podcast recordings and remote interviews. Castr for live streaming to multiple platforms at once.
- Key difference: Zencastr records each guest locally. Castr broadcasts a live signal from your encoder.
- Our pick: Zencastr, because most people searching this comparison want a podcast, not a live stream.
These two names look almost identical. The products are not.
Zencastr records a podcast. Castr broadcasts a live stream.
One saves a clean audio file to each person’s computer.
The other pushes one live video streaming signal to Facebook, YouTube and 30 other platforms.
So the real question is not which tool is better. It is which job you have.
Overview
This Zencastr vs Castr comparison covers pricing, core features and ease of use.
We break down who each service actually fits.
Our sources include published specs, documentation and G2 reviews.
Our writers also spent hands-on time inside both dashboards.
Those notes appear in the “What Our Team Noticed” sections below.
What is Zencastr?
Zencastr is a browser-based recording studio built for podcasters.
It captures each person’s voice locally on their own device.
That local storage step is why the audio quality survives a bad call.
Zencastr records a lossless 16-bit 48k WAV audio track for every guest.
Video goes up to 4K if your webcam or camera supports it.
Over 100,000 podcasters and creators use the platform worldwide.
Here is a walkthrough of how a session runs from start to finish.
🏆 Winner: Zencastr
Record studio quality tracks without asking a guest to install software. The free plan is enough to publish your first few podcasts.
Zencastr Pricing
Here is what a Zencastr account costs in 2026.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Testing a first show with a guest |
| Grow | $24/month | Weekly podcast interviews and hosting |
| Scale | $40/month | Teams that need more seats and storage |
Pricing verified August 2026.
Free trial: 14 days on paid plans, with no credit card required at signup.
Money-back guarantee: No published refund window. The free plan is the safer way to test first.
📌 Note: Hosting is included in the price. Bought separately, podcast hosting usually runs $12 to $15 per month, so paid plans absorb a cost you would pay elsewhere.
⚠️ Pricing conflict: Some sources list a Professional plan at $18/month ($216/year) and a Growth plan at $45/month ($540/year), plus two free tiers. Our CSV records Free, Grow at $24/month and Scale at $40/month. We use the CSV figures throughout. Check the pricing page for the current lineup and any coupon code before you subscribe.
Key Benefits of Zencastr
Here is what makes Zencastr worth a look:
- Local capture: Each mic is recorded on that person’s computer. A weak internet connection no longer ruins the take.
- Separate tracks: Every participant gets an isolated audio track. You can cut one voice without touching the others.
- Real-time cloud upload: Files upload while you record, which gives you redundant backups if a computer crashes mid session.
- Automatic post-production: Zencastr levels audio, removes background noise and normalizes volume after you stop.
- Text-based editing: AI tools let you edit the recording by editing its transcript, including filler words.
- Virtual green room: Guests test mic and camera before the recording session starts.
- Publishing built in: Hosting and distribution reach Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube from one dashboard.
What Our Team Noticed
Our writer set up a Zencastr account, invited a guest by link and ran two test podcast interviews. Here is what stood out:
Zencastr Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Records a lossless 16-bit 48k WAV track for every guest
- Guests join from a link with no app to download
- Separate tracks per participant make editing much simpler
- Automatic post-production levels audio and removes background noise
- Free plan covers two guests for 8 hours per month
❌ Cons
- Some users report technical glitches during sessions
- Not available on every platform, which limits some setups
- Dropouts during calls have been reported by reviewers
- No live broadcast to social platforms during a recording
What is Castr?
Castr is a live streaming platform for broadcast media and media production teams.
It takes one signal from your encoder and sends it to many places at once.
You connect streaming software such as OBS through the Castr dashboard.
From there Castr streams to over 30 supported sites, including Facebook pages and YouTube.
Delivery runs on the Akamai CDN, which keeps buffering and latency low for viewers.
It also pulls RTSP supported IP cameras straight into the platform.
This video shows the dashboard and the setup flow in practice.
Runner Up: Castr
Push one live stream to Facebook, YouTube and Twitch together. Add a paywall or advertising when you want to charge your audience.
Castr Pricing
Castr sells five tiers. You can upgrade or downgrade at any time with no contract.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $12.5/month | A first livestream on a small budget |
| Standard | $33.5/month | Regular multistreaming with video hosting |
| Professional | $62.5/month | Paywall standard use and heavier bandwidth |
| Premium | $104.5/month | Multiple concurrent streams for a business |
| Ultra | $250/month | Large events and high video storage needs |
Pricing verified August 2026.
Free trial: 7 days on the Starter plan, with limited bandwidth and storage during the trial.
Money-back guarantee: No standing refund policy is published. A custom plan is available on request.
📌 Note: Plans differ mainly by concurrent streams, multistream destinations, bandwidth and video storage. The feature list stays similar as you move up.
⚠️ Warning: There is no permanent free tier here. Once the 7-day trial ends you pay to keep streaming, so plan your first event around that window.
Key Benefits of Castr
Here is where Castr earns its place:
- Multistreaming: One broadcast reaches Facebook, YouTube and Twitch together. That is the core reason people sign up.
- Flexible ingest: RTSP, RTMP, HLS and MPEG-TS are all supported. A failover ingest keeps a backup stream ready.
- Cloud recording: Record up to 72 hours in the cloud, with files kept for a maximum of 3 days.
- OTT delivery: An HLS URL for live and on demand content works with Roku and Apple TV.
- Monetization: In-stream advertising and a paywall let you charge viewers directly.
- Analytics: Real-time video analytics with a 30-day retention window show how your audience behaves.
- Custom galleries: Build video galleries on your own website to showcase work or a brand.
What Our Team Noticed
Our writer connected OBS to Castr, pushed a test broadcast to two destinations and watched the analytics. Here is what stood out:
Castr Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Streams to more than 30 destinations at the same time
- Akamai CDN delivery keeps playback stable during live events
- Support team is responsive over live chat
- Paywall and in-stream advertising are built in
❌ Cons
- No free plan, only a 7-day trial on Starter
- Needs separate streaming software such as OBS to work
- Cloud recordings are stored for a maximum of 3 days
- Some reviewers want more features at the lower tiers
Feature Comparison
These two products barely overlap. The table below shows where each one actually competes.
| Feature | Zencastr | Castr |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $24/month | $12.5/month |
| Free Plan | ✅ | ❌ |
| Local Recording | ✅ | ❌ |
| Multistreaming | ❌ | ✅ |
| Separate Guest Tracks | ✅ | ❌ |
| Transcription and Text Editing | ✅ | ❌ |
| Paywall / Ads | Ad marketplace | Paywall and ads |
| Encoder Required | ❌ | ✅ (OBS or similar) |
| Best For | Podcast recordings | Live video streaming |
1. Recording vs Broadcasting
Zencastr: Nothing goes out live. Each person’s mic is captured on their own machine, then uploaded. That design is why the platform can record high quality audio even when someone’s connection wobbles mid call.
Castr: Everything goes out live. You point an encoder at Castr, and Castr fans that signal out to your chosen platforms. There is no local capture, so your upload speed sets the ceiling.
⚠️ Warning: If you want both a live audience and a clean archive, you need two tools. Neither one covers the other’s job.
2. Audio and Video Quality
Zencastr: Every guest gets a 16-bit 48k WAV file, the standard for studio quality work. Video reaches 4K with the right camera. Because it saves your voice locally, crystal clear audio does not depend on internet speeds.
Castr: Quality is whatever your encoder sends. The transcoder then builds adaptive bitrate renditions so viewers on slow connections still watch without buffering.
3. Editing and Post-Production
Zencastr: AI tools generate a transcript, then you delete text to delete audio. Filler words come out in a click. Automatic post-production levels tracks and strips background noise, and live editing lets you trim during the recording process.
Castr: No editor at all. Whatever you broadcast is what people see, so any polish has to happen in OBS before the signal leaves your computer.
4. Clips, Repurposing and Scheduling
Zencastr: AI clipping pulls short vertical cuts out of a full video for social. It is the fastest route from a long episode to something you can post the same day.
Castr: Cloud TV Playout runs a scheduled channel from files you already made. Scheduling a playlist to go live at a set hour is something Zencastr simply cannot do.
5. Hosting and Distribution
Zencastr: Hosting sits inside the same account, and distribution reaches Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. You do not pay a separate host, which is a real saving for a new podcast host.
Castr: Video hosting covers on demand files as well as live streams. Storage limits climb with each tier, and the top plan is where large bandwidth allocations kick in.
6. Monetization
Zencastr: An ad marketplace matches your show with advertisers. You do not chase sponsors yourself, but you also do not set the rate.
Castr: You charge viewers directly through a paywall, or run in-stream advertising. For paid workshops and ticketed entertainment events, that control matters more than a marketplace.
7. Devices and Inputs
Zencastr: An iOS app records on iPhone and iPad at the same local multi-track quality. Mobile devices are treated as real recording sources, not a fallback.
Castr: Inputs lean hardware. An RTSP camera can feed the platform directly, which suits a venue, a church or a fixed camera position more than a mobile setup.
8. Player and Embedding
Zencastr: An embeddable player drops an episode onto your website. Zencastr streams finished episodes through that player, so listeners never leave your page.
Castr: The white label OTT layer goes further. You can build branded video galleries and ship an HLS URL to Roku or Apple TV, with your own elements on the player.
9. Automation Under the Hood
Zencastr: Transcription runs automatically after you stop, and unlimited transcriptions come with the paid tiers. Those transcripts feed the editor, the clips and your show notes.
Castr: The cloud transcoding server handles the heavy processing so your machine does not. Failover ingest reduces the risk of a dead broadcast if the primary feed drops.
10. Pricing & Cost
Side by side, the plans are hard to compare directly because you are buying different things.
| Tier | Zencastr | Castr |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free: $0 | ❌ (7-day trial only) |
| Entry paid | Grow: $24/month | Starter: $12.5/month |
| Mid | Scale: $40/month | Standard: $33.5/month |
| Upper mid | ❌ | Professional: $62.5/month |
| High | ❌ | Premium: $104.5/month |
| Top | ❌ | Ultra: $250/month |
Zencastr: Two paid tiers, and the cheaper one already includes hosting. The free plan covers two guests for 8 hours a month, which is enough to publish real episodes before you spend anything.
Castr: Starter undercuts Grow by about half, but the ladder climbs fast. Pro plan users pay $62.5/month, and the jump to Ultra is where a business with heavy bandwidth ends up.
Different Scenarios
| If You Need… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Remote interviews for a podcast | Zencastr | Local tracks per guest |
| One broadcast on multiple platforms | Castr | 30+ destinations at once |
| To spend nothing this month | Zencastr | Free plan, no card needed |
| To charge viewers for access | Castr | Built-in paywall |
| Editing without an audio degree | Zencastr | Edit the text, not the waveform |
| IP camera or venue streaming | Castr | Direct RTSP ingest |
💰 Your Budget
Castr’s entry price is lower, but there is no free tier to fall back on. If you just started podcasting, Zencastr lets you publish for $0 first.
🔌 Your Tech Stack
Castr assumes you already run an encoder and can manage stream keys. Zencastr assumes nothing beyond a browser and a decent mic.
🎙️ Your Format
A weekly two-person conversation belongs in Zencastr. A monthly event you want people to watch live belongs in Castr.
🎓 Your Experience Level
Beginners get further with Zencastr because the setup is one link and a green room check. Castr rewards people who already understand bitrate and latency.
🆓 Free Trials and Demos
Zencastr gives 14 days on paid plans with no credit card required. Castr gives 7 days on Starter, so explore it during a week you actually have an event.
🛟 Support Options
G2 reviews single out Castr’s live chat as responsive and continuously available. Zencastr support is slower to reach but the product needs less hand-holding.
Switching Guide
Already paying for one of these? Here is what switching actually costs you.
🔄 Switching from Zencastr to Castr?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- Simultaneous broadcast to Facebook, YouTube and Twitch
- A paywall and in-stream ads you control yourself
- OTT delivery to Roku and Apple TV
❌ What you’ll lose:
- Local recording and separate guest tracks
- Transcripts, AI clips and easy editing by text
- Podcast hosting and the free tier
📋 How to switch:
- Download every finished audio file before you cancel
- Install OBS and start a Castr trial
- Add each destination’s stream key in the dashboard and test
🔄 Switching from Castr to Zencastr?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- Lossless local tracks that survive a dropped call
- Automatic transcription, clipping and noise removal
- Podcast hosting bundled into the same price
❌ What you’ll lose:
- Live output to multiple platforms
- Paywall, ad insertion and viewer analytics
- IP camera ingest and scheduled channels
📋 How to switch:
- Pull any cloud recordings before the 3-day window closes
- Create a free Zencastr account and log in
- Send your co-host an invite link and run a green room test
What Our Review Didn’t Cover
We focused on solo creators and small teams. We did not test enterprise contracts, custom plans, or peer to peer failover across multiple internet sources. Long-run reliability over months of weekly shows is outside what we can claim here. Reports of audio quality issues and dropouts come from user reviews, not from a controlled test on our side.
Final Verdict
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| 💰 Entry Pricing | Castr |
| 🎧 Audio Quality | Zencastr |
| ✂️ Editing Tools | Zencastr |
| 📡 Live Distribution | Castr |
| 👶 Ease of Use | Zencastr |
| 💵 Monetization Control | Castr |
| 📦 Value Included | Zencastr |
| 🏆 Overall Winner | Zencastr |
🏆 WINNER: ZENCASTR
Zencastr wins 4 of 7 categories.
Best for: Remote podcast interviews, multi-guest shows, creators who want recording and hosting in one bill
Zencastr wins here because most people typing this comparison want a podcast, and it does that job with fewer moving parts. Zencastr makes a good recording almost automatic.
Castr is not the weaker product. It is a different one, built for livestreaming to an audience in real time.
If you run ticketed events, church services or gaming livestreams, Castr is the correct pick and the rating gap is irrelevant.
For everyone else recording conversations, Zencastr is the safer place to start.
More of Zencastr Compared
Here is how Zencastr holds up against the other names people shortlist:
Zencastr vs Riverside
Zencastr wins on: lower entry price for hosting plus recording, a usable free tier, and a simpler dashboard for a first-time podcast host
Riverside wins on: higher ceiling on video work, stronger clip tooling for short form, and a wider set of export options for editors
Zencastr wins on: lossless local capture per guest, bundled distribution to major podcast apps, and an ad marketplace for monetization
Podcastle wins on: voice cloning and text-to-speech, a more forgiving editor for beginners, and cheaper entry for solo creators
Zencastr vs Streamyard
Zencastr wins on: archive quality that ignores connection drops, per-guest tracks for editing, and automatic transcripts after every session
Streamyard wins on: going live without an encoder, on-screen branding and overlays during a broadcast, and live comment display for viewers
More of Castr Compared
And here is where Castr sits among other streaming services:
Castr vs Restream
Castr wins on: Akamai-backed delivery, IP camera and MPEG-TS ingest, and OTT output for Roku and Apple TV
Restream wins on: a browser studio that needs no encoder, unified chat across destinations, and a free tier for testing
Castr vs Streamlabs
Castr wins on: multistream capacity at higher tiers, paywall monetization, and video hosting for on demand libraries
Streamlabs wins on: gaming-first overlays and alerts, tighter tipping and donation tools, and a desktop encoder built into the product
Castr vs Ecamm
Castr wins on: platform independence, cloud transcoding that spares your machine, and scheduled channel playout
Ecamm wins on: Mac production features, live scene switching and guest layouts, and one-time-feel pricing rather than tiered bandwidth
💡 Pro Tip: Whichever service you pick, book a quiet recording room and test your gear first. Recording over Skype or Zoom compresses your sound, which is the single biggest shortcut people regret in the podcast production process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Zencastr do?
It records remote podcast interviews. Each participant is captured on their own device, then the files upload to your project for editing and publishing.
Is Zencastr still free?
Yes. The free plan covers two guests for 8 hours per month. The temporary unlimited recording allowance offered during the pandemic has since ended.
Does Zencastr record separate tracks?
Yes. Every participant gets their own track, so you can cut one person’s mistake without touching anyone else’s audio.
What is Castr used for?
Live streaming one signal to many destinations at once. Common uses include events, church services, gaming and IP camera feeds, with hosting for on demand video.
Which is better, Castr or Restream?
Castr suits teams needing OTT output and camera ingest. Restream suits creators who want a browser studio and a free tier. Both push to other platforms reliably.
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