The Riverside Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Riverside in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Riverside
The Insider’s Guide
Remote recording studio for podcasts and video interviews
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among screen recording and video tools, read from Riverside’s own pages.
Made by RiversideFM, Inc. · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Riverside’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Riverside’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 28 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade
Riverside is a recording platform for podcasts, interviews and other video content. Each participant is recorded locally on their own device in up to 4K video and 48 kHz audio, and the result can be edited by transcript, cut into clips with AI, live streamed or published through built-in podcast hosting. It runs in the browser, with a Mac app and iOS and Android apps.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Riverside, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Guests join from a link with no account and nothing to install, which is the part that usually goes wrong with remote recording.
- 1
Best for recording remote podcasts and interviews
For quick screen recordings or a tight budget, look elsewhere.
- 2
Paid plans start at $9.99 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $9.99 per month for Mobile Plus; web plans from $24 per month, billed annually.
- 3
There is a free plan
2 hours of multi-track recording, unlimited single-track recording and editing, up to 720p video, 44.1 kHz audio and a Riverside watermark.
- 4
It runs on 4 platforms
Web, macOS, iOS and Android.
- 5
Local multi-track recording
Audio and video are recorded on each participant's own device and uploaded in the background, giving a separate track per person in up to 4K.
- 6
Text-based editor
Edit a recording through its transcript, with AI tools that remove silences and filler words. Paid web plans include unlimited transcriptions.
- 7
Magic Clips and AI show notes
AI selects short clips for social media and drafts show notes. Magic Clips is also listed on the Free plan.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 28 of 52
That is against the other screen recording and video tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Riverside you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Riverside at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $9.99 per month for Mobile Plus; web plans from $24 per month, billed annually
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial on the Pro, Grow and Webinar plans
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, iOS, Android
- Made by
- RiversideFM, Inc., since 2020
- Category
- Screen Recording & Video
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.7 on the App Store, 20,064 ratings
The report card
Best for recording remote podcasts and interviews
Riverside records podcasts and interviews on each person's own device, so a wobbly connection doesn't spoil the file, and then edits, clips and publishes. But the free plan is 720p with a watermark and 2 hours of multi-track recording in total, Pro is $24 a month on the year with capped track downloads, streaming, webinars and shared editing sit on dearer plans, and there's no Windows app. For quick screen recordings or a tight budget, look elsewhere.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | 4K, no watermark and separate tracks start on Pro at $24 a month on the year, against a $10 middle for this category. Live streaming is $34 and webinars $79. Mobile Plus at $9.99 is phone-only. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Single-track recording and editing is unlimited, but it's 720p with a watermark, and the multi-track recording that's the whole point stops at 2 hours in total. Paid plans have a 14-day trial. |
| Features | B | Each person recorded on their own track in up to 4K, transcript editing, Magic Clips, show notes, live streaming, webinars and podcast hosting. Streaming, webinars, shared editing and the API each sit on a dearer plan, and track downloads are capped every month. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.74 from 20,064 App Store ratings. Guests join from a link with no account and nothing to install, which is the part that usually goes wrong with remote recording. Reviewers complain about features moving after phone app updates. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Browser, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android, publishing to YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. The desktop app is Mac only, so on Windows you're in a browser, and API access is Business only. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Riverside is for
- Fits if you interview guests remotely and want each person on their own track
- Works for guests who aren't techy, since they join from a link with no account
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you only make quick screen recordings, where something lighter like Loom fits
- Tight if you're staying free, with 720p, a watermark and 2 hours of multi-track recording in total
- Pricey if you want to go live or run webinars: streaming starts on Grow at $34 and webinars at $79, both on yearly billing
- Not for you if two people need to edit together, which is kept for Business, a plan with no published price
- Watch out: track downloads stop at 15 hours a month on Pro, AI extras run on credits, and there's no Windows app
Good to know
Good for
- Podcasters and interviewers recording remote guests in high quality
- Marketing teams turning long recordings into social clips
- Hosts who want recording, editing, hosting and live streaming in one tool
Worth knowing
- The Free plan allows 2 hours of multi-track recording, tops out at 720p and puts a Riverside watermark on exports.
- Separate-track downloads are capped each month: 15 hours on Pro, 20 on Grow and 25 on Webinar.
- Live streaming starts on Grow, and registration, Q&A and polls for webinars need the Webinar plan.
- Collaborative editing, custom roles, SSO and API access are limited to Business; the desktop app is listed for Mac only.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$9.99
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Riverside has a free plan. Paid plans start at $9.99 per month for Mobile Plus; web plans from $24 per month, billed annually.
Free
$0
2 hours of multi-track recording, unlimited single-track recording, 720p video and a Riverside watermark.
Mobile Plus
$9.99
per month
For the mobile apps only: removes watermarks and exports up to 4K video and WAV audio.
Pro
$24
per month, billed annually at $288 ($29 monthly)
Up to 4K video and 48 kHz audio, no watermark, 15 hours of separate-track downloads a month and 1 studio.
Grow
$34
per month, billed annually at $408 ($39 monthly)
20 hours of separate-track downloads a month, 2 studios, and Full HD live streaming with multistreaming.
Webinar
$79
per month, billed annually ($99 monthly)
25 hours of separate-track downloads, 3 studios, and webinars with up to 100 registrants, Q&A, polls and analytics.
Business
Custom
Unlimited studios and separate-track downloads, up to 10,000 webinar registrants, API access, SSO and a dedicated CSM.
The free plan
2 hours of multi-track recording, unlimited single-track recording and editing, up to 720p video, 44.1 kHz audio and a Riverside watermark.
Trying it first
14-day free trial on the Pro, Grow and Webinar plans
Read from riverside.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save up to 20% with yearly billing
Annual billing drops Pro from $29 to $24 per month, Grow from $39 to $34 and Webinar from $99 to $79, which Riverside describes as saving up to 20%.
Stated on riverside.com
How its prices have moved
- Jul 11, 2026Grow: Live: $34 per month, billed annually at $408 ($39 monthly) → Grow: $34 per month, billed annually at $408 ($39 monthly)The archived copy of 11 July 2026 calls the plan above Pro Grow; the copy before it, of 12 May 2026, calls it Live, at the same prices. The plan was renamed between the two.
- Oct 3, 2025Webinar: new, $79 per month, billed annually ($99 monthly)The archived copy of 3 October 2025 shows a Webinar plan above Live; the copy before it, of 5 September 2025, has no such plan. It was added between the two.
- Oct 3, 2025Standard: withdrawn (was $15 per month, billed annually at $180 ($19 monthly))The archived copy of 3 October 2025 lists Free, Pro, Live, Webinar and Business; the copy before it, of 5 September 2025, also has Standard between Free and Pro. The plan was withdrawn between the two.
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “RS Mobile Plus - monthly”, against $9.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | ₱ 499.00 | $7.94 | 20% less |
| Canada | $12.99 | $9.13 | 9% less |
| Turkey | ₺449,99 | $9.15 | 8% less |
| Indonesia | Rp 169ribu | $9.45 | 5% less |
| Mexico | $199.00 | $10.93 | 9% more |
| Germany | 9,99 € | $11.19 | 12% more |
| South Africa | R199.99 | $12.10 | 21% more |
| United Kingdom | £9.99 | $13.21 | 32% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, macOS, iOS and Android
Remote recording studio for podcasts and video interviews. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, transcription, screen recording, video editing.
Streaming, webinars, shared editing and the API each sit on a dearer plan, and track downloads are capped every month.
- Local multi-track recording
- Audio and video are recorded on each participant's own device and uploaded in the background, giving a separate track per person in up to 4K.
- Text-based editor
- Edit a recording through its transcript, with AI tools that remove silences and filler words. Paid web plans include unlimited transcriptions.
- Magic Clips and AI show notes
- AI selects short clips for social media and drafts show notes. Magic Clips is also listed on the Free plan.
- Live streaming and webinars
- Grow adds Full HD live streaming to multiple destinations. The Webinar plan adds registration, Q&A, polls, email reminders and analytics.
- Podcast hosting and publishing
- Each studio has its own podcast hosting, analytics and website, and can publish to YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Instagram and LinkedIn.
- Mac and mobile apps
- The Mac app records a shared screen locally as its own track. The iOS and Android apps can record, invite guests and serve as a second webcam.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- YouTube
- Spotify
- Apple Podcasts
- Twitch
- HubSpot
- Salesforce
Riverside is made by RiversideFM, Inc., and has been around since 2020.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
28/52
Other screen recording and video tools it is graded above
Riverside's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 28 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 49 of 52) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $9.99 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 19 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Riverside’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 52
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 52
- BFeaturesAbove 26 of 52
- AEase of useAbove 49 of 52
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 15 of 52
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 46 screen recording and video tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Riverside is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Riverside you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $119.88 a year.
What you could not
- A video editor.
- Speech turned into text you can trust.
- Recording the screen with its sound, and somewhere to keep the video.
- Apps for macOS, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Riverside’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Descript, Loom and Tella
The 3 tools Riverside is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Descript
Free plan · from $16/mo
Audio and video editor that works by editing the transcript.
- Only Riverside lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Descript lists a Windows app.
- Descript also covers noise cancellation.
- 2.8GPA
Loom
Free plan · from $18/mo
Screen and camera recorder for shareable video messages.
- Only Riverside lists a web app.
- Only Loom lists a Windows app.
- Only Loom lists a browser extension.
- 2.6GPA
Tella
Free trial · from $13/mo
Screen recorder with a built-in editor, layouts and 4K export.
- Riverside has a free plan. Tella does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Riverside lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Tella lists a Windows app.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Riverside free?
Riverside has a free plan. 2 hours of multi-track recording, unlimited single-track recording and editing, up to 720p video, 44.1 kHz audio and a Riverside watermark.
How much does Riverside cost?
Riverside lists 6 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Riverside work on?
Riverside is available on Web, macOS, iOS and Android.
Does Riverside offer any discounts?
Riverside publicly lists the following: Save up to 20% with yearly billing.
How is Riverside rated?
Riverside's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 20,064 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Riverside have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Riverside is listed for Web, macOS, iOS and Android.
Does Riverside have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Riverside is listed for Web, macOS, iOS and Android.
Is Riverside open source?
Riverside is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
What does Riverside integrate with?
Riverside's listing names YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitch, HubSpot and Salesforce.
Does Riverside have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day free trial on the Pro, Grow and Webinar plans.
Who makes Riverside?
Riverside is made by RiversideFM, Inc. It dates from 2020.
What are the alternatives to Riverside?
The closest alternatives to Riverside in our directory are Descript, Loom and Tella.
How does Riverside compare with other screen recording and video tools?
Riverside's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 28 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 9.
Is Riverside good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Riverside D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $9.99 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 19 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Riverside?
To replace Riverside you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Riverside’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Based on Riverside's home, pricing, mobile, Mac app, FAQ and about pages as of 9 October 2026, and its App Store listing and reviews. Hacker News had nothing about it. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-01-17.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by RiversideFM, Inc. Prices change, so check riverside.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Riverside, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/riverside
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Riverside: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/riverside
Know someone choosing between screen recording and video tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/riverside/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded screen recording and video tools after Riverside, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Screen Recording & Video Insider's GuideEvery one of the 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, compared
- DaVinci Resolve Insider's GuideVideo editing, color, effects and audio post-production in one app3.4 GPA
- Zencastr Insider's GuideFree podcast recording, chat-based editing and hosting in one app3.4 GPA
- Cap Insider's GuideOpen-source screen recorder with instant share links and an editor3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Riverside’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Riverside is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by RiversideFM, Inc. Prices and plans change: check riverside.com before you buy.