Software · head to head
Fireside vs Zencastr
The short version
- Only Zencastr has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Fireside starter plan at $9 per month allows one podcast and 5 episodes per month; Zencastr the pricing page lists no dollar amount for any tier; the paid Enterprise tier is marked Custom and requires contacting sales
- They diverge on capability: Fireside covers Unlimited hosting, Zencastr covers Browser-based recording.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Fireside and Zencastr actually diverge.
Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Fireside
- Unlimited hosting
- Community features
- Distribution
- Analytics
- Listener engagement
- Monetization
- All podcast platforms
- Email services
Only in Zencastr
- Browser-based recording
- Separate tracks
- Automatic postproduction
- Video recording
- Lossless audio
- Cloud storage
- Dropbox
- Google Drive
Both cover
- Privacy controls
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Fireside
- Hosting a podcast together with a customisable podcast websitenot Zencastr
- Running several shows as a podcast network from one accountnot Zencastr
- Tracking episode download metrics and link clicksnot Zencastr
Zencastr
- Recording remote podcast interviews with separate local tracks per guestnot Fireside
- Recording video podcasts in the browser without guest software installsnot Fireside
- Publishing recorded episodes and clips from one workspacenot Fireside
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Fireside
- Starter plan at $9 per month allows one podcast and 5 episodes per month
- Custom domain with SSL requires the $19 per month Standard plan; Starter sites sit on a Fireside subdomain
- Additional podcasts beyond the one included on Standard cost $8 per month each
- Bandwidth is capped at 1TB per month on Standard and 5TB per month on Professional
- Advanced download metrics and click tracking require the $49 per month Professional plan
Zencastr
- The pricing page lists no dollar amount for any tier; the paid Enterprise tier is marked Custom and requires contacting sales
- The free tier caps a session at 6 participants
- The free tier caps video streaming quality at 1080p
- The free tier is limited to 5 podcast shows and 4 seats
Pricing, plan by plan
Fireside
$20/month- Creator$20/month
- Unlimited hosting
- Community features
- Distribution
- Network$50/month
- Multiple shows
- Team management
- Advanced analytics
Zencastr
Free- HobbyistFree
- 8 hours/month audio
- MP3 quality
- Up to 2 guests
- Professional$20/month
- Unlimited recording
- WAV lossless quality
- Video recording
Which should you pick?
Choose Zencastr if
- You need browser-based recording.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want separate tracks.
Questions people ask
- Is Fireside or Zencastr better?
- Neither clearly leads. Fireside starts at $20/month and Zencastr at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Fireside or Zencastr?
- Zencastr has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20/month for Fireside and Free for Zencastr.
- Does Fireside or Zencastr run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Zencastr for free?
- Yes. Zencastr has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fireside starts at $20/month.
- What is Fireside best used for?
- Fireside is most often used for hosting a podcast together with a customisable podcast website, running several shows as a podcast network from one account, tracking episode download metrics and link clicks. Of those, hosting a podcast together with a customisable podcast website and running several shows as a podcast network from one account are not what Zencastr is typically brought in for.
- What can Fireside do that Zencastr cannot?
- Fireside covers Unlimited hosting, Community features, Distribution, Analytics. Zencastr covers Browser-based recording, Separate tracks, Automatic postproduction, Video recording. Both handle Privacy controls, Web support.
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