6 Headliner alternatives ()
PodRewind wrote this list and is on it. The criteria come first, so you can check the order yourself.
Headliner turns podcast audio into audiograms and captioned clips. Shows look for alternatives when a waveform isn’t enough for social feeds, or when they want the episode transcripts to do more than caption a clip.
Why people look beyond Headliner
- Headliner’s core output is the waveform audiogram. It also clips and captions full-length video, which helps when the show records video.
- Its Forever Free plan includes one unwatermarked audiogram a month, and further audiograms carry a watermark (headliner.app).
- Its transcription serves the videos. A public, searchable archive of your episodes is a different product.
How we ranked
- Does it work from audio alone, with no video recording of the show?
- What does the video show besides a waveform?
- Are captions word by word and sized for vertical feeds?
- Which plan includes video, from published prices?
- Do the transcripts do anything beyond captions?
6 options
1. PodRewind
As a Headliner alternative, PodRewind starts from the transcript: you pick the moment by its words, and the same transcripts also build a searchable archive of the show.
PodRewind makes captioned videos from audio-only episodes: pick a moment in the transcript, or let PodRewind pick it, and get a vertical video with word-by-word captions over your episode artwork or a template background. No video footage is needed. Video clips come with the Pro plan ($39/mo) (PodRewind pricing). Free and Creator do not include video.
A fit when the show is audio-only and you want captioned video without filming.
PodRewind publishes Free (5 episodes per feed), Creator at $19/month and Pro at $39/month (PodRewind pricing).
2. Wavve
Wavve is the nearest like-for-like Headliner swap: waveform videos with captions, priced by the minutes of video you make.
Wavve turns podcast audio into shareable "Wavve videos": animated waveforms with captions, sized for social platforms. It accepts audio files such as MP3, M4A and WAV and also offers a Wavve.Link page for the podcast (get.wavve.co).
A fit when the goal is a branded waveform video for each episode, priced by the minutes of video you make each month.
Wavve publishes Free at $0, Creator at $12.99 monthly or $10.99 annually, Influencer at $19.99 or $16.99, Agency at $32.99 or $27.99, and Network at $59.99 or $49.99, checked September 27, 2026 (get.wavve.co).
3. Castmagic
Castmagic offers audiograms and clips too, but the reason to pick it over Headliner is the written content it produces from each episode.
Castmagic turns uploaded audio or video, RSS imports and platform links into transcripts, show notes, written posts, media clips and audiograms. Plans are sized by transcribed hours, with 60+ transcription languages and API access from the Starter plan (castmagic.io).
A fit for teams that write a lot from each recording (posts, newsletters, articles) and want a single transcript-led workspace for it.
Castmagic publishes Hobby at $19/month billed annually ($239/year), Starter at $48/month ($579/year), Team at $139/month ($1,669/year) and Business & Scale from $699/month, checked September 27, 2026 (castmagic.io).
4. Swell AI
Swell AI pairs audiograms and clips with show notes and has a free tier with one upload a month (swellai.com).
Swell AI repurposes audio or video content for marketing. It accepts file uploads and RSS, Apple Podcasts or YouTube links, and produces transcripts, show notes, audiograms and video clips.
A fit for marketers who want written assets and short clips from each episode, with a free tier to try one upload a month (swellai.com).
Swell AI publishes Hobby at $0/month (one upload a month), Studio at $29/month (300 transcription minutes), Agency at $49/month (600 minutes) and pay as you go at $8.99 per 60 minutes, checked September 27, 2026 (swellai.com).
5. Podsqueeze
Podsqueeze counts clips per plan, from eight a month on Starter (podsqueeze.com), which suits a steady weekly show.
Podsqueeze creates podcast content from uploaded audio: transcripts, show notes, clips or audiograms, and a podcast website or landing page. Plans are sized by minutes of podcast time and a count of clips each month, and unused minutes can build up to three times the monthly amount (podsqueeze.com).
A fit for a single show that wants written assets, a handful of clips and a simple website from each weekly upload.
Podsqueeze publishes Starter at $8.99/month, Pro at $49/month, Agency Lite at $89/month and custom Enterprise pricing, checked September 27, 2026 (podsqueeze.com).
6. OpusClip
OpusClip fits a narrow case: if your show is audio-only, its workflow starts from video, so it suits shows that also film.
OpusClip is a video clipping tool. Its podcast clip workflow starts with "Upload Your Podcast Video" and cuts short captioned clips from it. If your show is audio-only, an audio-only path is not verified on its pages, so it fits shows that already record video.
A fit if you record video of the show and want it cut into short clips.
OpusClip publishes Free at $0, Starter at $15/month, Pro at $29/month and custom Business pricing, checked September 27, 2026 (opus.pro).
Match the need
| If you need | Shortlist | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Waveform audiograms on a budget | Headliner or Wavve | Both publish free tiers for waveform videos. |
| Captioned video from an audio-only episode | PodRewind Pro | Made from the audio and transcript, no footage needed. |
| Written posts plus clips | Castmagic or Swell AI | Both produce text and clips from each upload. |
| Clips cut from filmed episodes | OpusClip | Its podcast workflow starts from video. |
Questions answered
What is the difference between an audiogram and a captioned video?
An audiogram animates the sound as a waveform over artwork. A captioned video puts the spoken words on screen as they are said, which reads better with the sound off.
Is there a free Headliner alternative?
Wavve, Swell AI and OpusClip publish free tiers. PodRewind video clips come with the Pro plan, so they are not free.
Do I need video of my podcast for these tools?
Not for Headliner, Wavve or PodRewind, which work from audio. OpusClip’s podcast workflow starts from a video upload.
Sources
Competitor facts come from each company's own pages, checked . Prices change; follow the links for current figures.
- headliner.app Headliner plans and limits (accessed )
- headliner.app Headliner features (accessed )
- learn.headliner.app Headliner audio upload (accessed )
- get.wavve.co Wavve for podcasters: plans and features (accessed )
- castmagic.io Castmagic plans and hours (accessed )
- castmagic.io Castmagic podcast workflow (accessed )
- swellai.com Swell AI plans and outputs (accessed )
- swellai.com Swell AI supported sources (accessed )
- podsqueeze.com Podsqueeze plans and limits (accessed )
- podsqueeze.com Podsqueeze audio workflow (accessed )
- opus.pro OpusClip plans and free terms (accessed )
- opus.pro OpusClip podcast clip workflow starts from video (accessed )
Turn an audio episode into a captioned video
Video clips come with the Pro plan. Start free with your archive, then upgrade when you want video.