Riverside pricing and what each plan costs for a weekly podcast
Riverside pricing in November 2026 is Free at $0, Pro at $29 a month ($24 billed yearly), Grow at $39 ($34 yearly) and Webinar at $99 ($79 yearly), plus a Business plan sold through sales. Plans are sized by recording hours, separate track download hours, studios and AI credits, not by clips. If you record elsewhere and open Riverside only for Magic Clips, you are paying for a recording studio to get one feature, and that is worth pricing against a tool built for clipping.
Test your own episode in our YouTube Shorts maker while you compare.
Riverside plans, as listed on its pricing page
| Plan | Monthly price | Yearly, per month | Recording hours | Track download hours | Studios | AI credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 2 hours, one-off | not stated | not stated | not stated |
| Pro | $29 | $24 | 5 a month | 15 | 1 | 2,000 |
| Grow | $39 | $34 | 15 a month | 20 | 2 | not stated |
| Webinar | $99 | $79 | Unlimited | 25 | 3 | not stated |
| Business | Sales | Sales | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 12,000 |
Free exports at up to 720p, Pro up to 4K. Pro lists unlimited transcription, Magic Clips and show notes. The page does not state a clip count for Magic Clips, and extra editor seats are an add-on. The page we checked also carried a staging banner, and it contradicts itself in places: the Free plan is described as both 2 hours one-off and unlimited recording, and the Webinar plan shows $79 a month billed yearly next to a $408 yearly total. Treat the table as a guide and confirm the live numbers on the Riverside pricing page before you pay. Third-party sites disagree on these figures too.
What a weekly 60 minute podcast costs
Take one 60 minute episode a week, four a month. If you record all four in Riverside, that is 4 recording hours, so Pro at 5 hours a month covers it with an hour to spare, at $29 a month or $288 billed yearly. A second weekly show pushes you to Grow at 15 hours and $39 a month.
The catch is what you actually use. If a recorded hour later goes through the editor, the transcript and Magic Clips, Riverside is a good deal. If you record in Zoom, a studio or a phone and upload the file, the recording hours go unused and the clipping is the only reason to pay.
| Scenario | Riverside | ShortsCreator |
|---|---|---|
| Solo host, 4 recorded episodes of 60 minutes | Pro $29 a month, 4 of 5 hours used | Studio $149 a month ($74 yearly) for 240 of 500 source minutes |
| Two weekly shows, 8 episodes | Grow $39 a month, 8 of 15 hours | Studio, 480 of 500 source minutes |
| Agency, 5 client shows recorded elsewhere | Recording plan per client, clips inside the studio | Agency $499 a month ($249 yearly), 1,800 minutes, 25 channels, reviewer approval |
Riverside is cheaper on paper for the solo host, and that is the honest reading. ShortsCreator wins where the clipping is the cost: each suggested moment arrives with the exact quote, a 0 to 100 score and the reason, autopilot clips every new upload on a connected channel from Studio up, and Agency adds client approval before anything posts.
When a clipping tool costs less than a studio
If you record in Riverside anyway, keep it and use Magic Clips. If the studio is the tool you open only to cut Shorts, the question is whether a clipping plan billed by source minutes beats paying for recording hours you never use. ShortsCreator Creator is $49 a month ($24 billed yearly) for 150 source minutes, which fits two or three 60 minute episodes. Studio at $149 a month ($74 yearly) fits a weekly show with room to spare.
For a feature-by-feature view, read the Riverside alternative page. Comparing more tools against the same month? See the Descript pricing breakdown, the AI shorts maker pricing comparison, and for team plans the best AI clipping tool for agencies. If you also need a plan for what to post after you clip, an AI marketer that builds a 30 day plan from your website can cover that side while you sort out the video.
FAQ
Riverside lists Free at $0, Pro at $29 a month, Grow at $39 and Webinar at $99, with yearly billing at $24, $34 and $79 per month. Business is sold through sales. Plans differ by recording hours, track download hours, studios and AI credits, so match the plan to hours recorded each month.
Riverside has a Free plan with 720p export and a limited recording allowance, and its page is inconsistent about whether that is 2 hours one-off or unlimited. It works for a test. A channel that wants 4K and unlimited transcription needs Pro at $29 a month. ShortsCreator has no free plan and offers a one-time demo on your own video without a card.
Riverside's pricing page lists Magic Clips on Free and Pro. It does not state a clip count or source length limit. Ask Riverside how many clips and how long a source each plan allows before you rely on it for a weekly show.
It is worth it if you record remote interviews in it, want separate tracks and use its editor. It is not the cheapest route if you record elsewhere and only want Shorts. Then a clipping tool billed by source minutes does the same job without recording hours you do not use.
ShortsCreator is built for cutting Shorts from long videos. It finds the best moments in a 30 to 120 minute episode, shows the quote, score and reason for each, and clips new uploads automatically from Studio. Riverside fits better when recording is the main need.