1v1 Pricing Showdown
Riverside vs SquadCast (now Descript-powered)
Side-by-side pricing breakdown for Podcast Production Tools decision-makers
Prices in USD, verified from the United States. Regional pricing may vary.
When choosing between Riverside and SquadCast (now Descript-powered) for your podcast production tools stack, the right answer depends on three things: your budget, the specific features you actually use day-to-day, and your tolerance for renewal-price increases. Below we lay out the prices each vendor advertises today (verified against their live pricing pages), the plan limits that decide whether they'll fit your team, and the features that differ between them.
Riverside starts at $24/mo; SquadCast (now Descript-powered) starts at $16/mo. The cheaper headline price isn't always the cheaper total cost — renewal pricing, per-user fees, and overage charges can shift the math. Use the plan-by-plan tables below to model your actual spend.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| multi track recording | 2 hrs Free / 15 hrs Pro / Unlimited Business | All plans |
| video quality | 720p Free / 4K Pro+ | — |
| audio quality | 44.1 kHz Free / 48 kHz Pro+ | — |
| magic clips | All plans — AI short-form clip generator | — |
| magic audio | Pro+ — AI audio enhancement | — |
| eye contact | Pro+ — AI gaze correction | — |
| unlimited transcriptions | Pro+ | — |
| teleprompter | Pro+ | — |
| live streaming | Live+ | — |
| multistreaming | Live+ — YouTube + FB + LinkedIn + IG + X + Twitch | — |
| webinars | Webinar tier ($79 annual) / Business (10k registrants) | — |
| producer mode | Business only | — |
| api access | Business only | — |
| recording hours total session | Multi-guest interview = 1 hour for all participants | — |
| domain shift | riverside.fm → riverside.com 2023-2024 | — |
| cloud backup recordings | — | All plans |
| unlimited recording sessions | — | All plans |
| unlimited recording storage | — | All plans |
| guests no account required | — | Participants can join without signup |
| mainstage backstage participants | — | 10 main + 10 backstage per session |
| descript ai editing | — | Post-acquisition integration with Descript AI editing capabilities |
| text based video editing | — | Descript-inherited feature |
| ai transcription | — | Paid plans |
| acquired by descript 2023 2024 | — | Major M&A — pricing identical to Descript tiers |
Affiliate links — you pay the same price
Dive Deeper
SquadCast (now Descript-powered)
About the podcast production tools category
Podcast production tools in 2026 split by stage. 'Remote recording' (Riverside $24-34/month annual, SquadCast/Descript $16-50/month annual): record high-quality multi-track audio + video with remote guests, replacing studio sessions. 'All-in-one creator' (Async formerly Podcastle, Alitu $32/month annual): record + edit + publish in one platform, targeting solo podcasters. 'Audio post-production' (Auphonic ~$11-112/month by production hours): dedicated audio leveling + noise reduction + transcription, complementing recording tools. Major 2024-2025 M&A: SquadCast was acquired by Descript (completed 2023-2024) — squadcast.fm now operates as Descript-powered platform with tier structure identical to Descript. Podcastle rebranded to Async (2024-2025) — podcastle.ai redirects to async.com with expanded positioning beyond podcast into broader AI content creation. Riverside.fm domain shifted to riverside.com (2023-2024) — adding live streaming + webinar tiers ($39-99/month) expanding beyond podcast recording. The 2024-2026 trend: AI features (Riverside Magic Clips + transcription + eye contact, Async Magic Dust + voice cloning + revoicing, Descript AI editing via SquadCast) became standard at paid tiers. Video quality tiers (720p free → 4K paid) emerged as key differentiator. Transcription + automatic show notes + clip generation = table stakes across all five platforms.
How to choose between podcast production tools options
First: what's your primary use case? Remote recording with guests: Riverside Pro $24/month annual or SquadCast Hobbyist $16/month annual (now Descript-powered). All-in-one creator workflow: Async (formerly Podcastle) Storyteller or Alitu $32/month annual. Audio post-production only: Auphonic production-hour based subscription. Second: recording quality needs? 4K video + 48 kHz audio: Riverside Pro $24/month annual or Pro+ tiers. 1080p video + 44.1 kHz: Riverside Free (2 hrs/month with watermark) or SquadCast Free (1 hour). Audio-only podcasting: Alitu covers this well without video complexity. Third: guest frequency? Weekly guest interviews (high volume): Riverside Pro (15 hours multi-track) or SquadCast Creator (30 hours $24/month annual). Occasional guests: Riverside Free (2 hours) or SquadCast Free (1 hour) for trial. No guests (solo): Async Storyteller or Alitu solo-focused. Fourth: live streaming critical? Riverside Live at $34/month annual includes multistreaming to YouTube + Facebook + LinkedIn + Instagram + X + Twitch. Webinar at $79/month annual for up to 100 registrants. No competitor matches Riverside's streaming + recording unified platform. Fifth: AI features priority? Riverside Pro: Magic Clips + AI transcription + eye contact + Magic Audio. Async Pro: Magic Dust + voice cloning + revoicing + AI summaries. Descript-powered SquadCast: AI editing capabilities inherited from Descript. Auphonic: audio-focused AI (leveling + noise). Alitu: automatic audio cleanup included. Sixth: solo vs team? Solo podcaster: Alitu $32/month annual bundles recording + editing + hosting + website (genuine all-in-one). Team/agency: Riverside Business custom or Async Teams for multi-user collaboration. Seventh: annual vs monthly flexibility? Riverside 21% annual savings, Alitu 17% annual, Auphonic month-to-month flexibility via credit model.
Building Your Business Stack?
Decision-makers comparing tools often need more than one category. Here are related comparisons:
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Riverside cheaper than SquadCast (now Descript-powered)?
- SquadCast (now Descript-powered) is cheaper starting at $16/mo. Riverside starts at $24/mo and SquadCast (now Descript-powered) at $16/mo.
- Does Riverside or SquadCast (now Descript-powered) offer a free plan?
- Riverside and SquadCast (now Descript-powered) both offer a free plan.
- Which is better, Riverside or SquadCast (now Descript-powered)?
- Riverside scores 9.3/10 compared to SquadCast (now Descript-powered)'s 8.9/10 in our analysis. Riverside ranks higher on features and value, but SquadCast (now Descript-powered) may suit specific use cases — see the feature comparison above.
- Is Riverside cheaper than SquadCast (now Descript-powered) for a team of 5?
- For a team of 5, Riverside costs $24/mo (flat rate) and SquadCast (now Descript-powered) costs $16/mo (flat rate). SquadCast (now Descript-powered) is the cheaper option at this team size.
- Are there other podcast production tools alternatives besides Riverside and SquadCast (now Descript-powered)?
- Yes. Our [Podcast Production Tools pricing comparison](/pricing/podcast-production/) page covers all major providers with daily-verified prices. You can also see the [cheapest podcast production tools](/pricing/podcast-production/cheapest/) for budget-focused options.