Riverside
Riverside is studio recording with separate-track transcription — free 2 hours to try, Pro $24/mo annual, unlimited separate audio/video transcripts on paid plans.
Verified against: riverside.fm as of 2026-09-22
Quick verdict: Riverside is the pick when capture and transcription are one job: studio-grade separate tracks with transcripts included from $24/mo annual, 2 free hours to test. Choose it for podcasts and interviews you record on the platform; for converting existing files at a per-minute or per-hour rate, Rev or Sonix are the right tools. The tier set is Pro $29/mo ($24/mo annual, $288/yr), Grow $39/mo ($34/mo annual, $408/yr) and Webinar $99/mo ($79/mo annual, $408/yr), with a 14-day trial on paid plans. The free plan is two hours of one-time multi-track recording — a real test drive, not a credit drip. Transcription is bundled into the recording product rather than priced per minute, which is why the math works for a regular show and breaks for one-off file conversion: you are buying a workflow, not transcript volume. Pro includes unlimited separate audio and video transcription, so a weekly podcast can scale without watching the meter.
- Our rating: 4.1/5
- Strongest dimension: Collaboration (5/5, research only)
- Weakest dimension: Localization (3/5, research only)
- Pricing: Free plan · $24/mo (Pro, annual)
- Verification: Research-only pass over official sources, last checked 2026-09-22. Sources: riverside.fm
Riverside pricing details
- Free plan available
- 14-day trial on paid plans
- paid plans from $24/mo (Pro, annual)
- pro $29/mo · Grow $39/mo · Webinar $99/mo
- pro $24/mo ($288/yr) · Grow $34/mo ($408/yr) · Webinar $79/mo ($408/yr)
Free plan = 2 hours one-time multi-track; paid plans monthly or ~20% less annually with unlimited separate audio/video transcription on Pro, plus recording and live features. Transcription is bundled into a recording product, not sold per minute.
In our index: Pro $29/mo · Grow $39/mo · Webinar $99/mo
How Riverside scores across our 6 index dimensions
- Functionality: 4/5 (research only)
- Usability: 4/5 (research only)
- Stability: 4/5 (research only)
- Collaboration: 5/5 (research only)
- Localization: 3/5 (research only)
- Value: 4/5 (research only)
Score rationale: The record-and-transcribe pick: capture studio-quality separate tracks and get transcripts included, $24/mo annual. Free 2 hours. Research sweep; choose it when recording and transcription are one job, not for back-catalog files.
What Riverside does well
- Record separate high-quality tracks and transcribe in the same workflow
- Unlimited separate audio/video transcripts on Pro
- Good live-call and collaboration features
Where Riverside falls short
- Built for recording new sessions, not transcribing a back catalog
- No pay-as-you-go for files alone
- Transcription languages trail Sonix/Trint
How Riverside compares to other AI Transcription Services tools
Our index tracks 5 AI Transcription Services tools. Riverside sits at 4.1/5, with pro $24/mo ($288/yr) · grow $34/mo ($408/yr) · webinar $79/mo ($408/yr). Here are the 4 closest alternatives we hold pricing and scoring evidence for.
- Rev — 4.5/5 · Free plan · $0.25/min AI (or Pro subscription)
Rev is the pay-per-minute transcription service — AI at $0.25/min and 99% human at $1.99/min, plus a free 45-minute/month tier and Rev Pro subscription. - Descript — 4.3/5 · Free plan · $16/mo (Hobbyist, annual)
Descript is text-based audio/video editing with transcription built in — free plan, Hobbyist $16/mo annual, editing the transcript edits the media. - Sonix — 4.2/5 · Free trial (limited) · $10/hr pay-as-you-go
Sonix is fast multilingual transcription by the hour — $10/hr pay-as-you-go or Core $25/mo annual including 5 hours, with 50+ language translation. - Trint — 4.0/5 · Free trial available · $52/mo annual (Starter)
Trint is the premium journalism transcription editor — Starter $80/mo (7 files) or Advanced $100/mo unlimited, with Story Builder and 54-language translation.
Frequently asked questions about Riverside
How much does Riverside cost?
Free plan available; 14-day trial on paid plans; paid plans from $24/mo (Pro, annual); pro $29/mo · Grow $39/mo · Webinar $99/mo; pro $24/mo ($288/yr) · Grow $34/mo ($408/yr) · Webinar $79/mo ($408/yr). Billing detail: Free plan = 2 hours one-time multi-track; paid plans monthly or ~20% less annually with unlimited separate audio/video transcription on Pro, plus recording and live features. Transcription is bundled into a recording product, not sold per minute. Figures verified 2026-09-22.
Does Riverside have a free plan?
Yes. Riverside has a free tier; paid plans start at $24/mo (Pro, annual).
What is Riverside rated in our index?
Riverside sits at 4.1/5 in our index, strongest on collaboration (5/5, research only) and weakest on localization (3/5, research only). Riverside is the pick when capture and transcription are one job: studio-grade separate tracks with transcripts included from $24/mo annual, 2 free hours to test. Choose it for podcasts and interviews you record on the platform; for converting existing files at a per-minute or per-hour rate, Rev or Sonix are the right tools. The tier set is Pro $29/mo ($24/mo annual, $288/yr), Grow $39/mo ($34/mo annual, $408/yr) and Webinar $99/mo ($79/mo annual, $408/yr), with a 14-day trial on paid plans. The free plan is two hours of one-time multi-track recording — a real test drive, not a credit drip. Transcription is bundled into the recording product rather than priced per minute, which is why the math works for a regular show and breaks for one-off file conversion: you are buying a workflow, not transcript volume. Pro includes unlimited separate audio and video transcription, so a weekly podcast can scale without watching the meter.
What are the drawbacks of Riverside?
Built for recording new sessions, not transcribing a back catalog No pay-as-you-go for files alone Transcription languages trail Sonix/Trint.
What does Riverside do well?
Record separate high-quality tracks and transcribe in the same workflow Unlimited separate audio/video transcripts on Pro Good live-call and collaboration features.
How was Riverside verified?
Research-only pass over official sources, last checked 2026-09-22. Sources: riverside.fm.
What are the alternatives to Riverside?
We track Rev, Descript, Sonix, Trint as the closest alternatives in our AI Transcription Services index, and 4 head-to-head comparisons against Riverside are available.