Riverside is the remote recorder to beat if your show depends on guests who aren't in the room. It records each person locally, at up to 4K on paid plans, and gives you separate tracks, so the file you edit doesn't carry the call's compression. Riverside's pricing page no longer lists a free plan, only a 14-day free trial of its paid plans, and Pro costs $24 a month billed annually or $35 billed monthly.
We assessed Riverside alongside the rest of our audio & podcasting reviews, including Captivate, Transistor and Auphonic, so the score below is relative to that field.
What it does well
- Local recording. Each participant's audio and video is captured on their own device and uploaded in the background, so a shaky connection hurts the live call more than the final file.
- Studio-grade files on paid plans. Riverside's pricing page lists up to 4K video, 48kHz audio and no watermark on Pro.
- Editing in the same app. Riverside lists text-based editing, unlimited transcriptions, silence and filler-word removal, audio enhancement, Magic Clips and AI show notes on Pro. The clip picker is a useful first pass; treat its picks as a draft, not a final cut.
- Hosting included. Pro includes podcast hosting and analytics and publishing to YouTube, Spotify, Apple and social platforms. Grow adds a second show, video on Apple Podcasts, 1080p multistreaming, a newsletter and a creator website.
- A quick exit. Riverside's docs say a redirect away from its hosting takes effect within an hour, with podcast apps catching up in 24 to 48 hours.
Where it falls short
- Guests carry part of the load. Local recording depends on the guest's device and browser. Ask guests to close other apps and let the upload finish before they leave.
- Download caps, not recording caps. Riverside says recording is unlimited, but separate-track downloads are capped at 15, 20 or 25 hours a month. Hit the cap and you wait for the next billing cycle or upgrade.
- No free plan on the pricing page. As of Oct 31, 2026, Riverside's pricing page lists only paid plans, each with a 14-day free trial; its help center says the trial needs a credit card. The old free sampler (two hours of multitrack recording, one time only, at 720p with a watermark) no longer appears there.
- Moving a show in has gaps. Riverside's import doc says video episodes aren't imported, and hosting needs a paid plan.
- Confirm prices at checkout. On Oct 31, 2026, the monthly plan cards showed Pro at $35 and Grow at $45, while the pricing FAQ still quoted $29 and $39. The annual prices ($24 and $34 a month) match in both places.
Pricing in practice
| Plan | Monthly | Billed annually | Separate-track downloads | Studios |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pro | $35/mo | $24/mo | 15 hrs/mo | 1 |
| Grow | $45/mo | $34/mo | 20 hrs/mo | 2 |
| Webinar | $99/mo | $79/mo | 25 hrs/mo | 3 |
| Business | Custom | Custom | Unlimited | Unlimited |
A studio is one show's space, with its own recordings, hosting, analytics and website. Extra editor seats are paid add-ons on Pro, Grow and Webinar.
Example: a weekly one-hour interview with one guest produces about 4.5 hours of recordings a month. Assuming you download each session's separate tracks once, that sits well inside Pro's 15 hours. At $288 a year billed annually with hosting included, Riverside can also stand in for a separate hosting plan.
Content and AI-training terms
Section 6.1 of Riverside's Terms and Conditions (page dated Oct 5, 2026, read Nov 7, 2026) gives Riverside a licence to use what you upload for the service and for training, testing, developing and improving its AI and machine-learning models. Riverside's Privacy Policy (last revised Jun 15, 2026) excludes content from business-plan customers who opted out of AI training under a written agreement with Riverside, and says the service providers that handle voice and face data are barred from using it for training. The pages read list no self-serve opt-out for other plans. AI features such as AI Translation and AI B-Roll draw on monthly AI credits; Riverside's pricing page lists 2,000 on Pro and 12,000 on Business.
Who should pick it (and who shouldn't)
Pick Riverside for interview shows with remote guests, video-first podcasts headed for YouTube, and creators who want record, edit, clip and publish in one subscription.
Skip it if your guests are often on weak connections (their local file still has to upload), if you only record solo audio (a cheaper host plus a DAW will do), or if your budget is zero: Riverside lists no free plan, while Zencastr's free plan records locally.
Alternatives worth comparing
- Zencastr: a free plan with local recording, 4K video and hosting.
- SquadCast: another local-recording option. Compare all three in Riverside vs SquadCast vs Zencastr.
- Descript: deeper editing if you record elsewhere. See Descript vs Riverside.
- More options in Riverside alternatives, and hosting-only picks in best podcast hosting.
If you also stream live, compare StreamYard vs Restream and read the livestreaming software guide.
What changed (Oct 7, 2026)
- Plan names, prices and limits now match Riverside's official pricing page as checked on Oct 7, 2026.
- We revised the pros and cons to match current features and pricing.
- The link to Riverside now points to its current domain.
What changed (Oct 31, 2026)
- Re-checked Riverside's pricing page on Oct 31, 2026. It no longer lists a free plan, and the monthly plan cards show Pro at $35 and Grow at $45 (the pricing FAQ still says $29 and $39). Annual prices are unchanged at $24 and $34 a month.
- Updated the pricing table, the summary and the pros to match. The score and verdict are unchanged.
SOURCES (CHECKED OCT 31, 2026)
| Claim | Source URL | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Plans and prices on the rendered plan cards: Pro $35/mo or $24/mo billed annually ($288/yr), Grow $45 or $34, Webinar $99 or $79, Business custom; 14-day free trial on each paid plan; no free plan card shown | https://riverside.com/pricing | 2026-10-31 |
| Pricing FAQ still quotes monthly Pro at $29 and Grow at $39 | https://riverside.com/pricing | 2026-10-31 |
| The 14-day free trial needs a credit card | https://support.riverside.com/hc/en-us/articles/22576984609949-Can-I-try-Riverside-for-free | 2026-10-31 |
| Official product site | https://riverside.com | 2026-10-19 |
| Terms 6.1 AI-training licence, Privacy Policy business-plan opt-out and AI credits (2,000 Pro, 12,000 Business) | https://riverside.com/terms-conditions , https://riverside.com/privacy-policy and https://riverside.com/pricing (curl and Chrome) | 2026-11-07 |
| PLAN | PRICE | WHAT YOU GET |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | $35 /mo ($24 /mo billed annually) | 15 hrs/mo separate-track downloads, up to 4K and 48kHz, 1 studio, unlimited transcriptions; 14-day free trial |
| Grow | $45 /mo ($34 /mo billed annually) | 20 hrs/mo separate-track downloads, up to 4K, 2 studios, 1080p multistreaming; 14-day free trial |
| Webinar | $99 /mo ($79 /mo billed annually) | 25 hrs/mo separate-track downloads, up to 4K, 3 studios, webinars up to 100 registrants; 14-day free trial |
| Business | custom | unlimited separate-track downloads, unlimited studios |
Remote podcast and video interviews.
Skip it if your guests have unreliable internet, since local recording quality depends on their upload at the end. — if that's a dealbreaker, see every audio & podcasting tool we've reviewed.
- Is Riverside worth it in 2026?
Remote recording that doesn't sound like a Zoom call. We rate it 8.6/10, and it's the strongest pick for remote podcast and video interviews.
- How much does Riverside cost?
Riverside's pricing page lists Pro at $35/mo ($24/mo billed annually), Grow at $45/mo ($34/mo billed annually), Webinar at $99/mo ($79/mo billed annually) and Business at custom pricing, each paid plan with a 14-day free trial. The page no longer lists a free plan, and its pricing FAQ still quotes $29 and $39 for monthly Pro and Grow (checked Oct 31, 2026), so confirm the price at checkout.
- What are the downsides of Riverside?
Guests need to behave (close other apps). The browser studio has requirements: Chrome, Edge or Safari 18.2+ (Safari lacks some studio features), no private mode, and about 5 GB of free browser storage.
- How did BestCreates review Riverside?
Editorially reviewed: An editorial evaluation of verified product information, official documentation, pricing and features, informed by Carlos Gil's professional experience. Available demos and screenshots may inform the review; documented product use is required for a hands-on label. The score is relative to the other tools we cover in this category.
Remote recording that doesn't sound like a Zoom call.
Editorially reviewed. An editorial evaluation of verified product information, official documentation, pricing and features, informed by Carlos Gil's professional experience. Available demos and screenshots may inform the review; documented product use is required for a hands-on label. Read our review standards.
BestCreates is written and edited by Carlos Gil. Every tool is assessed against the same documented framework — the jobs creators hire it for, ease of use, pricing accuracy, support and integrations — and each review states in the open how it was assessed.
LAST UPDATED OCT 31, 2026
SIGNED BY CARLOS GIL · FOUNDER & EDITOR, THE BEST NETWORK · OUR DISCLOSURE POLICY