Descript vs. Riverside

Descript wins out over Riverside

Seamless, collaborative recording for up to 10 people, easy-to-use editing tools, and plenty of AI to help you along the way. If you care at all about editing or quality, Descript is the obvious choice.

Collab on recordings

Send your guests an invite link, then instantly record 4k video with up to 10 people—conveniently, right where you’ll be editing. Descript will transcribe your recording and set it up for multitrack audio and video editing. And remember: Descript is the original text-based editor. Simple, powerful, fun.

Learn more

Make it pretty in a click

After you’re finished your recording, quickly beautify your video with dozens of built-in designs for B-roll, multi-cam views, on-screen text, or whatever. Plus, silky smooth transitions, added automatically when you apply layouts.

Learn more

Instant editing with AI

Descript comes with Underlord, a built-in editing assistant; Riverside doesn’t. Clean up your look, fix your audio, and let Underlord make all the tedious, annoying edits in just a few clicks.

Learn more

Quick comparison guide

Sure, Descript and Riverside can do some of the same things. But if you want to make a podcast that sounds and looks great, Descript comes out on top.

Riverside
Recording time
15 hours (25 for business, unlimited for enterprise)
15 hours
Maximum resolution
4K
4K
People recorded in a single session
10
10
Progressive uploads for each guest
Separate audtio and video tracks for each guest
AI text-to-speech
All plans
Pro only
Automatic transcriptions
Multi-track timeline editor
Filler word removal
Blur background
Green screen background
Studio sound
Eye contact correction
AI speakers
AI avatars
Underlord editing
Total monthly cost (Creator)
$24 per user / month
$24 per user / month

See pricing

Don’t just take our word for it

With a 4.6-out-of-5-star rating and a bunch of distinctions on G2, Descript’s users have declared it an industry standard in the video and podcasting world.

2025

Best Software

Video Editing

Text to Speech

Screen and Video Capture

“With Descript I'll be able to at least double my content output since editing is taking one-quarter the time it used to.”

Donna B.

“With Descript we can create videos for our YouTube channel and our LinkedIn page much faster and with high quality.”

Balázs N.

“Descript has made cleaning up and creating my educational videos into professional presentations [possible] without needing extensive technical computer skills.”

Barbara C.

“Descript makes recording and editing audio and video a breeze. It's advanced features have streamlined my workflows, saving me a lot of time usually spent editing.”

Roderick F.

“The collaborative tools streamline teamwork, allowing my team and me to work efficiently together on projects. Overall, Descript enhances productivity and simplifies the editing process.”

Aldrich M.

“Transcription based editing makes the process much faster…All in all, a must have editor for most audiences, especially in SaaS marketing.”

Nidhin M.

Frequently asked questions

Is Descript Free?
Start your journey with fast, text-based editing on Descript completely free. From there, we have several pricing tiers with additional features to match your needs. Unlock more usage and premium AI powered features by upgrading to a paid plan.
What does Descript do?
Read your mind, make your dreams come true. Need we say more? But really, Descript can do a lot. Record and edit right on the platform or import your own recording, collaborate with your team, create beautiful layouts and branded templates, translate your video into different languages, use text to speech, and share directly from Descript.
Is Descript better than Riverside?
Hands down. Descript’s text-based editor allows you to edit your video just like you would a doc. It also comes with an AI assistant who can filter out filler words, change eye contact in a video, or spiff up your audio with Studio sound. Oh, and we’ll also translate your video into 20+ languages with dubbing and captions. Riverside would never.
Does Descript have a mobile app?
Descript lets you record your podcast, or video, through your phone’s web browser. And it doesn’t take up space on your phone. Plus, it’s easier for your guests—they don’t have to install anything just to be on your show.

Descript vs. Riverside

Descript wins out over Riverside

Quick comparison guide

More video, more engagement—faster growth

Frequently asked questions