Podcast editing software compared
"Editing" covers two different jobs. Content editing means cutting mistakes, tangents and filler words; text-based editors like Descript let you do it by editing a transcript. Audio post-production means leveling, noise reduction and loudness normalization (about −16 LUFS for stereo podcasts is a common target); Auphonic automates that. Many shows use one of each.
Descript no affiliate
Free; $16–$65/person/mo
Text-based audio/video editor. Free plan with 1 media hour/month. Hobbyist $16/person/month annual ($24 monthly) with 10 media hours; Creator $24 ($35) with 30 hours and 4K export; Business $50 ($65) with 40 hours.
Auphonic no affiliate
Free; from $11/mo
Automatic leveling, noise and reverb reduction, loudness targeting and filler/silence cutting. Free for 2 processed hours/month (adds a jingle). Recurring plans from $11/month billed yearly for 9 h; one-time credits from $12 for 5 h that never expire.
Podcastle
Free; $11.99–$49.99/mo (billing period: verify)
Browser editor with multitrack timeline, text-based audio editing, noise reduction, silence removal and auto-leveling (Magic Dust). Export up to 320 kbps MP3 or WAV on paid plans; free plan limited to one export at 160 kbps.
Alitu
$38/mo
Designed for non-technical podcasters: automatic cleanup and mastering, filler-word and silence filters, drag-and-drop episode builder, music library, and direct publishing.