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Yes, Riverside has a free plan with no time limit. It includes unlimited recording with up to 10 people in 720p video and 44.1 kHz audio, text-based editing, and AI-powered chat-based editing and clip generation.
Paid plans start at $29 per month (or $24 per month when paid annually) and offer 4K recording, watermark removal, podcast hosting, AI-powered audio enhancement, and more.
Here’s exactly what’s free in Riverside compared to our paid plans.
What’s free vs. what’s paid
Here’s an overview of the main features and differences between Riverside’s free and paid plans:
Want the exact breakdown by plan? Jump to full pricing below.
Riverside free plan: Key features breakdown
Here’s a breakdown of Riverside’s free plan key features, covering recording, editing, screen sharing, and using your mobile device as a webcam.
Recording
Riverside’s free plan lets you create professional recordings with up to 10 remote participants.
The free plan gets you access to the following recording features:
High-resolution video and audio
Record in up to 720p video resolution and 44.1 kHz audio, which is suitable for most social media and podcast streaming platforms.
Local recording
Riverside records each participant's audio and video directly on their device rather than over the internet. This helps ensure you don’t have to worry about freezes, quality drops, or connection issues ruining your recording.
Automatic file uploading
While Riverside records locally on each participant’s device, it automatically uploads everyone’s tracks to the cloud as you record. This means you can find your files online immediately after your session.
This keeps your files safe, and you don’t need to remember to upload them manually later. You also won’t have to rely on your guests sending you their recording files before you can start editing.
Multi-track recording downloads
The free plan includes 2 total hours of multi-track downloads, letting you export separate audio and video tracks for each guest.
But note this cap only applies ot exports, and not to recording or editing. You can record and edit as many separate tracks as you want in Riverside's built-in multitrack editor on the Free plan. The 2-hour limit only kicks in when you export the separate tracks to use in another editor.
This is helpful for editing one track without affecting others. For example, you can mute one guest or adjust their volume without impacting the other guests’ audio.
Media board
With our media board, you can add sound effects, background music, images, and/or overlays live while recording.
Editing
Streamline post-production with our easy-to-use video editor, which offers these key features under the free plan:
Chat-based editing with AI Co-Creator
Prompt Co-Creator, our AI agent, to perform full edits for you. Ask it to trim recordings, remove filler words, add captions, music, and more. It can also create full episodes, clips, blog posts, post captions, and other repurposed assets.
Text-based editing
With our text-based editor, trimming and polishing your content is as simple as editing a document. The editor transcribes your recording, and when you delete words from the transcript, the corresponding video footage gets removed automatically.
Multi-track editing timeline
The multi-track editing timeline displays each participant’s video and audio on separate tracks, making them easy to edit without inadvertently affecting anyone else’s recording.
The timeline creates automatic chapters to help you segment and organize your recording.
It includes a conventional splitting tool, plus options for adding chapters and scenes.
Layouts
Choose how to display your episode’s visuals, with options like full screen, picture-in-picture, split screen, and grid. Or, use an AI-powered smart layout that switches to the active speaker automatically.
Audio cleanup tools
On the free Riverside plan, you can clean up audio with:
- Automatic filler-word removal to cut out words like “ums” and “ahs”
- Silence removal, where you can set the pace and trim long pauses.
- Audio normalization to level out volume across your tracks.
- Background noise removal for clear audio.
The main limitation is that you don’t get access to Magic Audio, which automatically enhances your audio.
Branding
Brand your videos with logos, custom text colors, and intro and outro segments for a signature look and feel.
Animated captions
Add animated captions to improve your episodes’ accessibility and watch rate.
Our animated, AI-generated captions are available in multiple styles and over 100 transcription languages. They’re also highly accurate. See for yourself with our free transcription tool.
Generate promotional clips using Magic Clips
The Magic Clips tool uses AI to turn highlights from your recordings into short, engaging snippets that you can post on social media to promote your episode.
The only upgrade on paid plans is that you can customize and personalize these clips more.
Screen sharing
Share and record your screen simultaneously, which is great for video interviews, tutorials, or showcasing pages on a website. You can choose whether to share your entire screen, a specific window, or just a single browser tab.
Mobile app
On our free plan, you can skip expensive cameras and use your mobile phone as a high-res webcam for video episodes.
Riverside mobile app supports both iOS and Android phones.
6 things you can do with Riverside for free
From podcasts to internal communications, Riverside’s free plan has the main tools you need to start producing high-quality content. Here are 6 types of content you can create with Riverside for free:
1. Podcasts
Riverside's free plan covers everything you need to record and edit a podcast. Hosting isn’t included in the free plan, but you can publish through our Spotify integration or through export and upload to your own host. (Podcast hosting is included on all Riverside paid plans.)
You’ll get local recording, where each participant’s audio and video records to their own device to ensure high-quality results even on a poor internet connection. And, 44.1 kHz audio recording also means your episodes sound professionally produced from day one.
After recording, you get access to the editor where you can chat with the AI Co-Creator to clean your episode’s audio, remove filler words or add captions. You can also brand your podcast with music, your logo, and video, image, or text overlays. And the text-based editor means you can trim your recording using its transcript.
To promote your episodes, use Magic Clips to automatically generate highlight reels from your full recording, and then post these on social media.
Some of the best podcasters, like Gary Vaynerchuk and Guy Raz, record with Riverside. And you can, too.
Podcast use cases for Riverside’s free plan:
- Recording audio and/or video podcasts
- Recording split-screen podcasts with multiple guests
- Generating social media clips for promoting your episodes
2. Video marketing
Even on Riverside’s free plan, you can support your revenue pipeline by creating advertisements, product demos, and other video marketing assets.
720p video resolution keeps your footage crisp, and you can use color correction, layout switching, and text, video, or image overlays for a professional look. Add AI-generated animated captions to make your videos accessible to all audiences, including those watching without sound.
Plus, you can turn every recording into multiple pieces of content. Use Magic Clips to create hook-worthy short videos for social media. Or, ask Co-Creator to turn your videos into blogs, social posts, and more.
Video marketing use cases for Riverside’s free plan:
- Advertisements
- Product demos
- Before-and-after comparisons
- Industry expert endorsements
3. Customer testimonials
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Make recording customer testimonials a frictionless experience. Just invite customers to your Riverside studio, hit record, and you’ll have a new testimonial in minutes.
Don’t worry about your customers’ connection stability. Whether they’re across the street or across the globe, Riverside records their audio and video tracks locally to maintain quality before uploading the files to the cloud.
Refine your testimonial videos with Co-Creator or the text-based editor, and then add captions and your brand’s logo. Finally, use Magic Clips to turn the testimonial’s best quotes into short social media clips that drive engagement.
Customer testimonial use cases for Riverside’s free plan:
- Case studies
- Customer success stories
- Product reviews and feedback
- Customer service experiences
4. Split-screen video
Split-screen video lets you feature multiple participants in interviews, panel discussions, and project collaborations simultaneously.
On our free plan, you can capture split screen videos in up to 720p with local recording, maintaining crisp and smooth quality throughout.
Editing a split-screen video you recorded in Riverside is also easy. Choose from multiple grid layouts, depending on how many speakers you have or your aspect ratio. Plus, add a background and border to split your screens apart in your style.
Split-screen video use cases for Riverside’s free plan:
- Recording video podcasts
- Interviews
- Video conferencing
- Recording webinars
5. Learning and development
Riverside is an excellent free tool for creating professional-quality learning and development content to upskill your team.
Host a recording session and invite up to 9 other guests to deliver the material. Record the training in up to 720p video resolution, with the option to record your screen shares as well.
After recording. Clean up in the editor, which generates automated chapters, making it easy to navigate topics during editing. You can add titles and AI-generated captions to help learners follow the material, plus your logo to reflect your brand.
And you can turn your lesson recordings into key takeaways using Co-creator.
Learning and development use cases for Riverside’s free plan:
- Self-paced courses
- Training sessions
- Team onboarding
- Skill development workshops
6. Internal communications
You can also use Riverside’s free plan to record internal communications. For example, company-wide announcements, team updates, and executive messages to improve your processes and training.
Record internal communications with up to 10 active speakers and 100 audience members. Local recording also means no connection issues will hamper recording quality. You’ll just get high-quality video, ready to share straight after recording.
Add your company logo or branding in the editor to give your communications a more professional, branded feel.
Internal communications use cases for Riverside’s free plan:
- Company announcements
- Team updates
- Briefings
- Feedback sessions
Is Riverside’s free plan actually worth it?
Yes, Riverside’s free plan is worth it because you get to use some of our best features at zero cost.
In fact, our free plan offers more value than many other free software options. Here’s what a free Riverside account offers you.
Seamless workflow
Riverside provides seamless workflows to create multi-participant content for free. Guests can easily join via desktop or mobile with an invite link, while you effortlessly record and edit in one platform.
No recording limits
Unlike the free versions of internal communications tools like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, Riverside has no time limit on recording sessions and meetings. This way, all participants can focus on the discussion without constantly checking the clock.
Note: While the free plan offers unlimited recordings, you can download only up to 2 hours of separate audio and video tracks. Upgrade to a paid plan for 15+ hours per month of separate audio and video track downloads.
Powerful editing tools
Riverside’s free plan includes powerful chat- and text-based editing tools for trimming and cleaning up your recording.
You can edit without usage limits or time restrictions, unlike software that offers only a short free trial. For example, Adobe Premiere’s trial period is only 7 days.
Also, instead of manually identifying and editing highlight clips, you can use Riverside’s Magic Clips to generate social media-ready snippets from your recording.
Repurposable clips for social media
With a free Riverside account, you can easily transform one long recording into multiple attention-grabbing social media posts.
Magic Clips creates captivating, highly shareable short clips from full-length videos. Add overlays, music, and sound effects to make your content even more engaging. Meanwhile, colorful auto-generated captions make your content more accessible even when viewers watch with the sound muted.
Flexible branding features
Riverside provides an excellent starting point for building your brand image. You can record and edit an unlimited amount of content for free, plus brand your videos with a logo and custom intro and outro segments.
Upgrading to a paid plan: Riverside pricing and paid plan features
Here’s how muchRiverside’s paid plans cost and the main features each tier adds to the free plan. Visit Riverside’s pricing page for the full details.
FAQs about Riverside’s free plan
How much does Riverside cost?
Riverside costs $29 per month for the Pro plan, $39 per month for the Grow plan, and $99 per month for the Webinar plan (on monthly billing). A discount of up to 20% applies for annual billing. The Business plan’s pricing is available on request. Riverside also offers a free plan with no trial length limitations.
What are the limits of the Riverside free plan?
The limits of Riverside’s free plan include 2 hours of separate audio and video track downloads, 720p video resolution, and a Riverside watermark on your recordings. Upgrade to a paid plan to enjoy 15+ hours per month of track downloads, 4K video resolution, watermark removal, and other premium features.
How many people can use Riverside under the free plan?
Up to 10 people, including the host, can join a Riverside recording under the free plan. This makes Riverside the perfect tool for recording podcasts, video marketing assets, customer testimonials, team meetings, and more. The free plan also offers 1 user seat and 1 editor role.
Can I use Riverside’s free plan on my phone?
Yes, you can use Riverside’s free plan on your phone by downloading either the Riverside iOS or Android mobile app. With the app, you can record, edit, and manage your content on the go for free.
Does Riverside’s free plan have a watermark?
Yes, Riverside’s free plan adds a watermark to your recordings. To remove the watermark, upgrade to a paid plan (starts at $29 per month for the Pro plan on monthly billing).
Is Riverside free forever?
Yes, Riverside is free forever when you stay on the free plan. This plan has no time limit and offers unlimited recording in 720p video and 44.1 kHz audio for up to 10 people at once. It also includes AI features, like Co-Creator chat-based editing and the Magic Clips clip maker.
All these features make Riverside’s free plan the perfect starting point for collaborating with others to create high-quality video and audio content.
Does Riverside have a free trial?
No, Riverside doesn’t have a free trial. Instead, we have a free plan with no time limit and unlimited recording and editing. You’ll be able to create your content without worrying about your account expiring.
Is the Riverside video editor free?
Yes, Riverside’s video editor is included in the free plan. There are no time limits, and you can trim, clean up, and enhance videos of any length. The free plan also includes time-saving editing features, like AI chat-based editing, text-based editing, and the Magic Clips clip maker.
To unlock certain AI features, like eye gaze correction and Magic Audio enhancer, you’ll need a paid plan.
Is Riverside easy to use?
Yes, Riverside is easy to use. The platform’s interface is as simple and user-friendly as it can get, making it suitable for both professionals and beginners. Whether you’re taking your first steps in the world of content creation or are a seasoned pro, you’ll appreciate Riverside’s straightforward and intuitive design.
Sign up for your Riverside account to start using Riverside for free today. No credit card required.
Compare all Riverside plans to see what’s included in every tier.
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