Overview

Async lets users direct video edits through chat, including removing filler, pauses, repeated lines, bad takes, and awkward moments. It also supports generating assets and turning longer footage into short clips. Putting these jobs together can suit a creator producing a podcast episode, explainer, or ad; it is less persuasive if you need only a narrow audio or recording tool.

Key features

Editing, generation, and repurposing

Async can generate B-roll, visuals, scenes, or music in chat without leaving the edit. Captions and short-form clips extend the same workflow from editing into preparing footage for reuse. This breadth is useful when a project needs several kinds of AI assistance, though the recurring credit allowance makes the amount of work each subscription supports an important consideration.

Audio cleanup and recording

Magic Dust removes background noise and makes voices clearer, addressing a common weakness in spoken-word footage. Browser-based remote recording supports up to 10 participants, with separate tracks for each; local recording, automatic transcription, separate audio tracks, and WAV and MP3 audio exports are also supported. The plan tiers set different recording-hour limits, so teams recording frequently should compare those quotas with their session needs.

Voice API and support

The Async Voice API supports text-to-speech and speech-to-text, including streaming over WebSockets. Its documented integrations include Pipecat, LiveKit, Twilio, n8n, and Picsart Flow, making the API relevant to developers building voice workflows rather than only video editors. The help center covers accounts and billing, recording, editing, and AI generation. Async’s privacy policy says it uses commercially acceptable means to protect personal data but cannot guarantee absolute security.

Pricing

Async is freemium. Free costs 0.00 USD per free and includes 10 lifetime AI credits, one hour of media upload to AI chat for the lifetime of the account, exports up to 720p, and 2 GB of storage. Those lifetime caps make Free a limited starting point, not a recurring monthly allowance.

Essentials offers 450 AI credits per month, 20 GB of storage, unlimited media upload minutes, and exports up to Full HD. Pro raises the allowance to 1,200 AI credits per month and 120 GB of storage, adds exports up to 4K, and includes 20 hours of remote recording. Teams provides 3,000 AI credits per month, 1 TB of storage, collaboration and team workspaces, and 50 hours of remote recording. These tiers are billed monthly or yearly, with yearly-plan credits added monthly rather than all at once; subscription credits reset each billing cycle. Essentials and Pro suit individual use at different levels of volume, while Teams is the clearer fit for shared work and higher recording needs. Each has custom pricing? Business has custom pricing, custom AI credit limits and recording hours, advanced security and compliance, and dedicated onboarding and support. Essentials, Pro, and Teams have no published price.

The paid pricing note starts at $11.99/mo (annual), but that starting price is not assigned to a particular tier. New subscriptions have a 7-day refund policy, excluding AI credits used, and cancellation is handled through Profile Settings.

Platforms

Async is available on the web, iOS, and as an API. There is currently no Android version, which rules it out for users who need a native Android app.

Who it's for

Async makes the most sense for creators and teams producing ads, vlogs, explainers, podcasts, or other video that benefits from cleanup, generated assets, captions, and clips. Its recording and editing combination is useful when those tasks belong in one workflow. It is a weaker fit for Android-first users, people who need only audio recording, or anyone whose expected volume exceeds the available plan quotas.

Pros and cons

Pro: Chat-based editing, audio cleanup, asset generation, captions, and clips span several stages of video production.
Pro: Remote recording supports up to 10 participants with separate tracks, useful for interviews and group sessions.
Pro: Free includes 2 GB of storage and exports up to 720p, giving users a way to try the workflow without a recurring charge.
Con: Free AI credits and media uploads are lifetime allowances, sharply limiting sustained use.
Con: Essentials, Pro, and Teams have no published tier prices, so it is difficult to compare their cost directly before choosing.
Con: No Android app is available, despite iOS and web access.

Alternatives

Riverside is worth considering if you want multi-track recording on Android, iOS, desktop, or web; its free plan includes two hours of multi-track recordings and up to 720p video, with a watermark.
Iris.fm is an option for browser-based guest recording with Android support; its free plan lets guests join in a browser without a credit card.
Zencastr may suit users prioritizing generous recording allowances, with its free plan supporting six participants, unlimited recording and downloads, and up to 4K video.
Spreaker is another freemium podcast option, with its Free Speech plan allowing one podcast and unlimited episodes.
Podsplice is a paid alternative with a Creator plan at 29.00 USD per month for recording from a screen, mic, webcam, and tab.
Cleanfeed is an alternative to consider for a different recording workflow.
NowMax is another alternative.
Adobe Podcast is a web-based freemium alternative to consider for podcast audio work.

For a broader comparison, see Podcast Recording Software, AI Sound Effect Generators, AI Podcast Editing Software, Text-to-Speech Software, Video Podcast Software, and AI Music Generators.

Verdict

Choose Async if you want chat-based editing, audio cleanup, generated assets, and remote recording together, especially for spoken-word video that needs to be clipped and captioned. Its main advantage is the breadth of that workflow; look elsewhere if you need Android support, transparent tier pricing, or more generous recurring allowances than the plan limits provide.

	Async	Sonex Labs
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	Free	$5/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	api, iOS, Web	api, Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	11.99 /mo	5 /mo
Voice cloning	—	Yes
API access	—	Yes
Maximum input	—	5,000 characters
Export formats	—	WAV, MP3, OGG, Opus, μ-law
Platforms	—	web, api

Async vs Sonex Labs

Async

Sonex Labs