Descript vs Riverside.fm

by Gralio Mar 03, 2025

Descript and Riverside.fm are both powerful tools for audio and video content creation. Descript simplifies the editing process with its unique text-based approach and AI features. Riverside.fm focuses on high-quality remote recording and provides separate audio/video tracks for greater control in post-production.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 1524 reviews and 60 websites, saving 8 hours, 58 minutes of reading.

Descript

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Riverside.fm

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About

Descript is a software tool that makes editing video and audio as simple as editing a text document. It allows you to make changes to recordings by deleting, inserting, or changing the transcribed text. Descript offers features such as transcription, audio and video editing, screen recording, and collaboration tools. It is suitable for various business uses like creating marketing materials, podcasts, and internal communications. Descript offers a user-friendly interface that is accessible to both beginners and experienced video editors.

Riverside.fm is a web-based platform designed for recording high-quality audio and video. It's ideal for podcasts, video interviews, webinars, and other content creation needs. The platform offers separate audio and video track recording, live streaming capabilities, and a suite of editing tools including transcription, captions, and AI-powered features to streamline your workflow. Riverside.fm is suitable for individuals and businesses looking for a user-friendly platform to produce professional-quality audio and video content.

Summary

Main difference

Descript is a versatile, text-based video and audio editor best suited for users who prioritize ease of use and AI-powered editing features like filler word removal and transcription. Riverside.fm excels at high-quality remote recording with separate audio/video tracks and local recording, making it ideal for podcasters and video creators who need professional-grade audio and video.

Relative strengths of Descript (compared to Riverside.fm)

Text-based editing simplifies complex audio and video edits.
AI-powered features like filler word removal and transcription streamline workflows.
Integrates seamlessly with other platforms like Squadcast and Zoom.

Relative weaknesses of Descript (compared to Riverside.fm)

Transcription accuracy can be inconsistent, especially with accents and technical terms.
Frequent updates and occasional bugs can disrupt workflows.
Limited advanced audio editing features compared to dedicated Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs).

What companies are using Descript and Riverside.fm?

Verizon Media Platform

iHEartMedia

The New York Times

MicrOsoft

Who is using Descript and Riverside.fm?

Celeste Yamile

Founder&Coach at BrandWise Accelerator

Lindsay Rosenthal

Founder at Cred.Marketing

Adam Robinson

CEO @ Retention.com & RB2B

Who should use Descript VS. Riverside.fm

Descript is an AI-powered video and audio editing software ideal for content creators. Users praise its innovative text-based editing and Studio Sound feature but note occasional bugs and inconsistent transcription accuracy. It's suitable for podcasters, video editors, and marketers seeking a streamlined editing workflow.

Riverside.fm is a user-friendly platform ideal for content creators seeking high-quality audio and video recording. Users praise its ease of use and versatility for various content needs. However, some have reported issues with audio drifting and slow processing times. It's best for small to medium businesses in media, marketing, or similar fields.

Best for small to medium-sized businesses and startups.
Ideal for media, marketing, education, and legal sectors.

Best for small to medium businesses (1-100 employees), but also suitable for larger enterprises.
Ideal for Media & Entertainment, Marketing & Advertising, and other content-heavy industries.

Descript and Riverside.fm features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Filler word removal

Supported

Descript removes filler words like "um" and "uh" without affecting timing.

Supported

Riverside.fm removes filler words like "um" and "uh" using its Smooth Speech feature.
Studio sound

Partially supported

Studio Sound cleans up audio and removes background noise. Adding music and sound effects is done separately.

Partially supported

Riverside.fm cleans up audio and removes background noise, but adding music and sound effects is not supported.
Local Recording

Not supported

Descript does not support local recording in the way described.

Supported

Riverside.fm records locally in up to 4K video and uncompressed WAV audio.
Remote Guest Direction

Not supported

Descript offers remote recording, but real-time guest direction is not explicitly supported.

Supported

Riverside.fm allows real-time monitoring of guests and muting them to ensure a smooth recording.
Real-time transcription

Not supported

Descript does not currently support real-time transcription but might in the future.

Not supported

Riverside.fm transcribes recordings right after they finish, not live.
Audio narration recording

Supported

Descript allows recording audio narration using a microphone.

Supported

Riverside.fm allows recording audio narration using a microphone.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

No data

No data
Customer Service

No data

No data
Ease of Use

No data

No data
Reliability and Performance

No data

No data
Ease of Implementation

No data

No data
Scalability

No data

No data

Descript and Riverside.fm Pricing

Descript offers a free plan and tiered subscription plans. The pricing model is seat-based, with different plans offering varying transcription hours, AI usage, and features. The Enterprise plan is custom-priced.

Plans

See full Pricing page

Riverside offers four pricing plans: Free, Standard, Pro, and Business. The Free plan offers basic features such as up to 720p video quality and unlimited single-track recordings. The Standard plan offers 4K video quality, 48kHz audio quality, and 5 hours of multi-track recording. The Pro plan offers advanced features such as AI transcriptions, AI-generated show notes, and live chat support, as well as 15 hours of multi-track recording. The Business plan offers unlimited multi-track recording, advanced editing capabilities, and priority support.

Plans

See full Pricing page

Descript and Riverside.fm review insights

Users love

Innovative text-based editing, making audio and video editing as easy as editing text.
Studio Sound feature effectively enhances and cleans up audio quality.
Seamless integration with other platforms like Squadcast and Zoom.
Powerful AI features for filler word removal, transcription, and content repurposing.

Excellent audio and video quality for remote recordings
User-friendly platform, praised for its ease of use
Versatile tool suitable for various content creation needs
Seamless integration with existing studio setups

Users dislike

Frequent updates can be disruptive and require re-learning the software.
Transcription accuracy can be inconsistent, especially with accents and technical terms.
Occasional bugs and glitches, particularly with larger files and video editing.
Limited advanced audio editing features compared to dedicated DAWs.

Audio drifting issues in exported files
Processing and uploading times can be very slow
Occasional audio glitches and sync problems, requiring re-recording sessions
Post-production editor is clunky and lacks clear explanations for its features

Descript and Riverside.fm Ratings

G2

4.6/5

(532)
Capterra

4.8/5

(168)
TrustPilot

2.1/5

(20)
Glassdoor

4.5/5

(17)

G2

4.8/5

(796)
TrustPilot

2.1/5

(18)
Glassdoor

4.6/5

(45)

Company health

Employee growth

10% increase in the last year

32% increase in the last year

Web traffic

16% increase in the last quarter

9% increase in the last quarter

Financing

July 2022 - $100M

January 2022 - $47M

How reliable are Descript's transcriptions for accented speakers?

Descript's transcription accuracy can be inconsistent, especially with accented speakers and technical terms, according to user reviews. While the software offers AI-powered transcription as a key feature, it's important to be aware of this potential limitation and factor in additional editing time for correcting errors, particularly when working with diverse accents or specialized vocabulary.

Which product offers better post-production editing capabilities for podcasts?

Descript offers superior post-production editing capabilities for podcasts. Its text-based editing approach, allowing manipulation of audio by editing the transcript, is a unique and powerful feature. While Riverside.fm provides high-quality recording, its post-production editor is noted by users as being "clunky" and lacking clear explanations. Descript's AI-powered features like filler word removal and Studio Sound further enhance its editing capabilities, making it a more robust option for polishing podcast audio.

What are the advantages of Descript?

Descript's primary advantage is its text-based editing approach, which simplifies video and audio editing by allowing changes through text modifications. It offers a user-friendly interface, AI-powered features like filler word removal and transcription, and integrates with platforms like Squadcast and Zoom. This makes it particularly appealing to content creators seeking a streamlined and accessible editing experience.

What are the disadvantages of Descript?

Descript users have reported several disadvantages. These include frequent updates that disrupt workflows and necessitate relearning aspects of the software. Transcription accuracy is sometimes inconsistent, especially with accented speech or technical terminology. Occasional bugs and glitches, particularly when working with larger files or complex video edits, have also been noted. Finally, some users find the advanced audio editing features limited compared to dedicated digital audio workstations (DAWs).

Is Descript cheaper than Riverside.fm?

Descript's paid plans start at $12/month, while Riverside.fm's paid plans start at $180/year ($15/month). While the lowest tier pricing is very similar, Riverside.fm quickly becomes more expensive at higher tiers. Therefore, at the lowest tiers, Descript is not cheaper than Riverside.fm, but has very similar pricing. At higher tiers, Descript is cheaper than Riverside.fm.

Alternatives to Descript and Riverside.fm

Minvo

Minvo is an AI-powered video editing software designed to simplify the creation of short-form videos for social media. It allows businesses to repurpose their existing video content, like podcasts or webinars, into engaging clips for platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Minvo uses AI to automate editing tasks, such as cutting segments, adding captions, and even translating languages, significantly speeding up the video creation process. It also offers social media scheduling and analytics tools, making it a comprehensive platform for managing and distributing video content.

Simplified

Simplified is an all-in-one marketing platform designed for creating and sharing marketing content. It offers tools for graphic design, video editing, AI writing, social media management, and more. This AI-powered platform aims to streamline marketing workflows, enabling teams to create, collaborate, and publish content efficiently. Key features include templates, AI content generation, scheduling tools, and performance analytics. Simplified is suitable for businesses of all sizes looking to simplify their marketing efforts from a single platform.

Konch.ai

Konch.ai is an AI-powered transcription and meeting assistant software. It converts audio and video files, like meetings and YouTube videos, into text in over 50 languages. Konch.ai offers AI-generated transcriptions as well as a "Precision" service where human transcribers review and perfect the AI output. Key features include speaker identification, time-coded editing, and translation. Konch.ai prioritizes data security and is trusted by universities and businesses.

Edworking

Edworking is an all-in-one work platform designed for teams of all sizes to collaborate and manage projects remotely. It combines communication tools like video conferencing and instant messaging with project management features like task management, file sharing, and document editing. This eliminates the need for multiple software subscriptions by providing a central hub for all work-related activities. Edworking is suitable for teams transitioning to remote work or seeking to streamline their operations from a single, unified platform.

Boomcaster

Boomcaster is a cloud-based platform designed for high-quality podcast and video recording. Ideal for remote interviews, it captures studio-grade audio and video directly from each participant's device, ensuring a clean recording regardless of internet hiccups. It offers tools like live streaming to social media, automatic post-production enhancements, and easy file management. Boomcaster simplifies technical aspects, letting you focus on creating engaging content for your audience.

Loom

Loom is a video messaging platform that allows you to record your screen, camera, or both, and easily share the recording with a link. This can be used for quick explanations, tutorials, or presentations instead of writing long emails or scheduling live meetings. Loom integrates with popular platforms like Slack and Google Workspace, and offers features like video editing, transcription, and engagement tools. It's used by individuals and teams of all sizes to communicate more effectively and save time.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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