Descript vs Riverside

Descript (Text-based video and audio editor with an AI co-editor.) and Riverside (Browser studio for recording podcasts and video, with AI editing and clips.) compared side by side: plans and prices, vendor-stated features, platforms and sign-in, with the date each fact was checked. Matches based on official product information.

Based on official vendor pages, linked below
Descript pricing checked: 2026-10-30
Riverside pricing checked: 2026-10-27

At a glance

Descript

AI video editing tools

What it does: Text-based video and audio editor with an AI co-editor.
Strong at: Well suited to editing video or audio by editing its transcript like text, with an AI co-editor to help.
Free plan: Yes - ongoing free plan
Paid plans from: US$24 / month

Pricing checked 2026-10-30 · Full Descript record · Official site

Riverside

AI video editing tools

What it does: Browser studio for recording podcasts and video, with AI editing and clips.
Strong at: A good fit for recording podcasts and video in the browser, then turning them into edited clips with AI.
Free plan: Yes - one-time free allowance
Paid plans from: US$29 / month

Pricing checked 2026-10-27 · Full Riverside record · Official site

Plans & pricing

Descript plans & pricing

Checked 2026-10-30. · Vendor pricing page Confirm prices and terms with the vendor before buying.

Free

$0 / month

60 media minutes/mo.

Hobbyist

$16 /person/month billed annually

10 media hrs, 400 AI credits per person. Monthly-billed price not confirmed (the page also shows $24).

Creator

$24 /person/month billed annually

30 media hrs, 800 AI credits, 4K. Monthly-billed price not confirmed (the page also shows $35).

Business

$50 /person/month billed annually

40 media hrs, 1500 AI credits. Monthly-billed price not confirmed (the page also shows $65).

Enterprise

Custom

Custom.

Riverside plans & pricing

Checked 2026-10-27. · Vendor pricing page Confirm prices and terms with the vendor before buying.

Free

$0 / month

2 hours one-off multitrack recording.

Pro

$29/month ($24/month billed annually)

Billed $288 annually. AI credits: 2,000 included.

Grow

$39/month ($34/month billed annually)

Billed $408 annually.

Webinar

$99/month ($79/month billed annually)

Needed for audience registration, Q&A, polls.

Business

Custom

Contact sales; 12,000 AI credits; collaborative editing.

Side-by-side facts

	Descript	Riverside
Free plan	Yes - ongoing free plan	Yes - one-time free allowance
Paid plans from	US$24 / month	US$29 / month
Platforms	Desktop web editor, Mac and Windows apps. Mobile/tablet editing is not officially supported.	Computer web browser, Mac app, iOS and Android apps. Mobile browsers do not support recording.
Sign-in	Yes, sign in with a Descript account to use the editor.	Hosts need an account. Invited guests can join and be recorded without signing up.
API	Yes. API imports and edits can use plan media minutes and AI credits.	Yes, for select Business accounts. Contact the customer success manager for access.

What each tool says it does

Descript - vendor-stated features

AI co-editor

Riverside - vendor-stated features

Local recording
Text-based editor

Worth knowing before you choose

Descript - worth knowing

Free 60 media minutes renew monthly.
Header: saving up to 35% over monthly.
Media hours and credits per person; top-ups on Creator/Business.

Riverside - worth knowing

Free 2 hours recording is a one-off allowance, not monthly.
USD 29/month is stated in the vendor FAQ. The period for the separate 2,000 AI-credit allowance is not stated.
The vendor FAQ lists monthly to annual-billed equivalents as Pro USD 29 to 24, Grow USD 39 to 34, and Webinar USD 99 to 79.
Extra editor seats are an add-on on Pro/Grow/Webinar.
Magic Clips, Magic Audio and AI Co-Creator need no credits.

Common questions

Is Descript or Riverside free to use?

Descript: Yes - ongoing free plan (checked 2026-10-30). Riverside: Yes - one-time free allowance (checked 2026-10-27).

What do Descript and Riverside cost?

Descript's entry paid plan is US$24 / month and Riverside's is US$29 / month, from each vendor's pricing page (2026-10-30 and 2026-10-27 respectively). The tables above list every plan each vendor published.

Which is better, Descript or Riverside?

It depends on the job. Descript: Well suited to editing video or audio by editing its transcript like text, with an AI co-editor to help. Riverside: A good fit for recording podcasts and video in the browser, then turning them into edited clips with AI. The feature and pricing tables above show where they differ.

Where do these facts come from?

Every fact on this page is read from the vendors' own product and pricing pages, with the checked date shown beside it. Links to both official pages are at the top of each column.

Keep comparing

This comparison is not a recommendation: it sets out what each vendor states on its own pages, with the dates those pages were checked. Prices and features change - confirm with the vendor before buying.