Async
- Post-production
- Web · iOS
- Free tier
Formerly Podcastle, same product: record and clean anywhere, Magic Dust in one tap.
| Platforms | Web + mobile app (iOS) |
|---|---|
| Price | Storyteller $11.99/mo annual ($14.99 monthly) — tiers carried over unchanged |
| Free tier | Yes — unlimited audio recording; caps on storage (2 GB) & transcription |
| Direction | Recordings only |
| Mechanism | AI — Magic Dust one-tap enhancement (noise, levels, clarity) |
| Founded / status | 2020 as Podcastle · renamed Async on Feb 4, 2026 — active |
| Data processing | Cloud — recording and Magic Dust both run through Async's servers |
| Best for | Phone-first creators who want capture and cleanup in the same app, no desktop required |
Every figure above was checked against vendor pages — pricing, help center, release notes — on the printed date. Tables are re-verified quarterly; a tool that dies between passes is removed from the index, not annotated.
In one paragraph
Async is the platform that spent its first six years as Podcastle: capture in the browser or the iOS app, then one tap of Magic Dust handles noise, levels and clarity together. The February 2026 rebrand changed the name and the domain — async.com — and nothing else this table cares about: accounts, projects, plans and prices carried over intact. The free plan records unlimited audio with caps on storage and transcription; Storyteller at $11.99/month annual lifts them. The old profile URL stays live as a signpost for Podcastle searchers. Best at: phone-first creators who clean where they record.
Strengths
- Records and cleans in one place — phone included
- Magic Dust is genuinely one tap, not a settings tree
- The free plan records unlimited audio at 160 kbps MP3, with no monthly ceiling
Limitations
- Free plan caps storage at 2 GB and transcription at lifetime totals
- Cloud processing only — there is no offline path
- Fresh off the rebrand — vendor links and docs still say Podcastle in places
Best alternative
Mini-FAQ
Is Async free?
The free plan survived the rebrand untouched: unlimited audio recording at 160 kbps MP3, with 2 GB storage and lifetime caps on video and transcription. Storyteller ($11.99/mo annual) lifts the caps. Verified Jul 29, 2026.
Is Async safe to use?
Recording and Magic Dust run through the platform's cloud, now under the Async name — same accounts and terms as before the rename. Export and delete projects if you'd rather nothing stays resident.