Updated October 20, 2026

The best AI podcast editors in 2026

AI podcast tools do one of three jobs: record the episode, edit the whole thing, or cut short clips from it. Some do more than one. Which is best depends on where your episode starts (in a studio, or as files you already have) and what you need at the end: a clean full episode, clips for social, or both. Here are five worth comparing.

We make MirrorCut, one of the tools on this list. Everything about the others comes from their own websites, checked on October 20, 2026, with sources linked under each one. Prices change, so check before you buy.

Quick picks

Editing the full episode and the Shorts, with every AI change reviewable: MirrorCut
Editing the episode by editing the transcript: Descript
Recording remote guests, then editing and hosting in one place: Riverside
Turning long episodes into many short clips fast: Opus Clip
Captioning podcast clips and posting them: Submagic

At a glance

Tool	Best for	Price
MirrorCut	Editing the full episode and the Shorts, with every AI change reviewable	7-day free trial of Creator, then Creator $10, Pro $30, Studio $60 a month
Descript	Editing the episode by editing the transcript	Free plan; Hobbyist $16, Creator $24, Business $50 per person a month billed yearly ($24, $35, $65 monthly)
Riverside	Recording remote guests, then editing and hosting in one place	Pro $14, Grow $19, Webinar $49 a month ($12, $16, $39 billed yearly)
Opus Clip	Turning long episodes into many short clips fast	Free plan (watermarked); Starter $15 a month; Pro $29 a month or $14.50 a month billed yearly
Submagic	Captioning podcast clips and posting them	Starter $12, Pro $23, Business $41 per member a month, billed yearly

1. MirrorCut: editing the full episode and the shorts, with every ai change reviewable

An AI video editor in the browser for recordings you already have. Its agent cleans up the whole episode (dead air, filler words, retakes and false starts, across every track in sync), switches to whoever is speaking when there's a camera file per person, adjusts voice and music levels, adds captions and chapter markers, and cuts the strongest moments into vertical Shorts. Every change is outlined on a real timeline for you to accept or revert.

Good at

· Whole-episode clean-up and Shorts from the same edit
· Every AI change shown on the timeline, one undo history
· 48 caption styles; captions export as SRT or VTT
· MP4 up to 4K without a watermark, in 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 and 4:5

Watch out for

· Doesn't record: bring the files from your recording tool
· No free plan: the free trial needs a card
· No podcast hosting: it exports video (MP4) and caption files

Price: 7-day free trial of Creator, then Creator $10, Pro $30, Studio $60 a month

MirrorCut as a podcast editor

2. Descript: editing the episode by editing the transcript

An editor built around the transcript: you edit the text and the video follows. Its AI co-editor, Underlord, works from plain-language requests, with tools such as Remove Filler Words, Studio Sound, Eye Contact and Create Clips.

Good at

· Transcript editing: delete words to cut the video
· Free plan to start
· Eye Contact and Studio Sound for talking to camera
· Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro export on Creator and Business

Watch out for

· Hobbyist exports up to 1080p; 4K starts on Creator
· AI tools draw on a monthly allowance of AI credits

Price: Free plan; Hobbyist $16, Creator $24, Business $50 per person a month billed yearly ($24, $35, $65 monthly)

MirrorCut vs Descript Source: Descript pricing Source: Descript home page

3. Riverside: recording remote guests, then editing and hosting in one place

A recording studio for remote and in-person podcasts, in up to 4K with separate tracks per person, plus a text-based editor with an AI editing agent, Magic Clips, podcast hosting, live streaming and webinars.

Good at

· Records each guest locally, in up to 4K, on separate tracks
· Remove silences and filler words, AI B-roll and captions
· Hosting, publishing, live streaming and webinars
· Mobile apps

Watch out for

· Built around recording in its studio; editing is one part of a larger product
· 14-day free trial, then paid plans

Price: Pro $14, Grow $19, Webinar $49 a month ($12, $16, $39 billed yearly)

MirrorCut vs Riverside Source: Riverside pricing

4. Opus Clip: turning long episodes into many short clips fast

An AI clipping tool: it finds moments in a long video, scores them, and turns them into vertical clips with animated captions, reframing and filler and silence removal, with posting to Shorts, TikTok and Reels.

Good at

· Fast automatic clips from long recordings
· Free plan, and a free trial with no credit card
· Premiere and DaVinci XML export on Pro

Watch out for

· Built around clips, not editing the full episode
· Free plan clips are watermarked and can't be exported after 3 days

Price: Free plan (watermarked); Starter $15 a month; Pro $29 a month or $14.50 a month billed yearly

MirrorCut vs Opus Clip Source: Opus Clip pricing

5. Submagic: captioning podcast clips and posting them

An AI editor for short-form video: animated captions, B-roll, auto zooms, and removing silences and bad takes, with publishing to social accounts. Each video's length is capped by plan.

Good at

· Caption templates built for Shorts and Reels
· AI auto zooms and eye contact correction on Pro
· Publish to social accounts from the app
· Start free with no card

Watch out for

· Videos up to 2, 5 or 30 minutes depending on plan
· Silence and bad-take removal is on Pro and above

Price: Starter $12, Pro $23, Business $41 per member a month, billed yearly

MirrorCut vs Submagic Source: Submagic pricing

How to choose

You have the recording and want the episode and the Shorts edited for you: an AI agent on a timeline (MirrorCut).
You like editing by deleting words in a transcript: Descript.
You still need somewhere to record guests, host and go live: Riverside, which records, edits and hosts.
You only need lots of short clips from long episodes: Opus Clip.
You caption and post clips, and want publishing built in: Submagic.

Edit your next episode and its Shorts

7 days free, then $10 a month.

Start your free trial

Descript, Riverside, Opus Clip, Submagic are trademarks of their owners; MirrorCut isn't affiliated with them. Details checked on October 20, 2026 from each product's own website or help centre.