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Software · head to head

Transistor vs Zencastr

Transistor logo

Transistor

Software

Professional podcast hosting for businesses and creators

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zencastr logo

Zencastr

Software

Free podcast recording in your browser

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zencastr has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Transistor starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000; 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: Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts, Zencastr covers Browser-based recording.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Transistor and Zencastr actually diverge.

Attributes where Transistor and Zencastr differ
AttributeTransistorZencastr
Starting price$19/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded20182015

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 Transistor

  • Unlimited podcasts
  • Private podcasting
  • Advanced analytics
  • Team collaboration
  • Custom branding
  • API access
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify

Only in Zencastr

  • Browser-based recording
  • Separate tracks
  • Automatic postproduction
  • Video recording
  • Lossless audio
  • Cloud storage
  • Dropbox
  • Google Drive

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Transistor

  • Hosting and distributing multiple podcasts from one accountnot Zencastr
  • Running private, subscriber-only podcast feedsnot Zencastr
  • Publishing podcast websites and inserting dynamic audio adsnot Zencastr

Zencastr

  • Recording remote podcast interviews with separate local tracks per guestnot Transistor
  • Recording video podcasts in the browser without guest software installsnot Transistor
  • Publishing recorded episodes and clips from one workspacenot Transistor

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Transistor

  • Starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
  • Private podcast subscribers are capped at 50 on Starter and 500 on Professional
  • Dynamic ad insertion and auto-posting to YouTube require the $49 per month Professional plan or higher
  • Removing Transistor branding requires the $99 per month Business plan
  • Enterprise plans above 250,000 monthly downloads start at $199 per month and require contacting the vendor

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

Transistor

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 10,000 downloads/month
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$49/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 50,000 downloads/month
    • Advanced analytics
  • Business$99/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 150,000 downloads/month
    • Full analytics
  • Enterprise$199/month
    • Unlimited everything
    • 300,000+ downloads
    • Priority support

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 Transistor if

  • You need unlimited podcasts.
  • You also want private podcasting.
Transistor review

Choose Zencastr if

  • You need browser-based recording.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want separate tracks.
Zencastr review

Questions people ask

Is Transistor or Zencastr better?
Neither clearly leads. Transistor starts at $19/month and Zencastr at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Transistor or Zencastr?
Zencastr has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $19/month for Transistor and Free for Zencastr.
Does Transistor 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. Transistor starts at $19/month.
What is Transistor best used for?
Transistor is most often used for hosting and distributing multiple podcasts from one account, running private, subscriber-only podcast feeds, publishing podcast websites and inserting dynamic audio ads. Of those, hosting and distributing multiple podcasts from one account and running private, subscriber-only podcast feeds are not what Zencastr is typically brought in for.
What can Transistor do that Zencastr cannot?
Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts, Private podcasting, Advanced analytics, Team collaboration. Zencastr covers Browser-based recording, Separate tracks, Automatic postproduction, Video recording. Both handle Web support.
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