Prices side by side
US dollars per month. Descript prices are per person.
| Riverside plan | Monthly billing | Yearly billing (per month) | Descript plan | Monthly billing | Annual billing (per month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pro | $35 | $24 | Hobbyist | $24 | $16 |
| Grow | $45 | $34 | Creator | $35 | $24 |
| Webinar | $99 | $79 | Business | $65 | $50 |
| Business | Contact sales | Contact sales | Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
Riverside’s plan cards show $35 and $45 monthly for Pro and Grow, while its FAQ quotes $29 and $39. Check the price at checkout. Riverside says yearly billing saves up to 20%, and Descript says annual billing saves up to 35%. Riverside offers a 14-day free trial on its paid plans. Descript has a free plan.
Recording compared
| Riverside Pro | Riverside Grow | Descript Hobbyist | Descript Creator | Descript Business | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recording hours | Unlimited | Unlimited | 5 session hours/mo | 15 session hours/mo | 25 session hours/mo |
| People per session | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Separate track downloads | 15 hrs/mo | 20 hrs/mo | Not listed as a separate limit | Not listed as a separate limit | Not listed as a separate limit |
| Max video quality | Up to 4K | Up to 4K | 1080p export | 4K export | 4K export |
| Studios | 1 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Descript’s free plan includes 2 remote recording session hours. On Riverside, recording itself is unlimited, but the separate per-person track downloads are capped by plan. Riverside says that if you hit the cap, you keep access to your content but can’t download new separate tracks until the next billing cycle or an upgrade. Riverside’s Webinar plan raises separate track downloads to 25 hours a month, and Business has no cap.
Editing compared
| Riverside | Descript | |
|---|---|---|
| Text-based editing | Unlimited on Pro and up | Core of every plan |
| Editing allowance | Unlimited text-based editing | 10, 30, or 40 media hours/mo (Hobbyist, Creator, Business); 1 hr on Free |
| AI credits | Pro starts with 2,000 credits; core AI tools like Magic Clips and Magic Audio need no credits | 400, 800, or 1,500 credits/mo; 100 one-time on Free |
| Transcription | Unlimited on Pro | 25 languages on every plan |
| Extra editors | Add-on seat on Pro, Grow, and Webinar; collaborative editing on Business | Creator scales to 3 people and Business to 5, each billed separately |
Publishing compared
Riverside Pro includes podcast hosting and analytics and publishing to YouTube, Spotify, Apple, and other platforms. Grow adds hosting for 2 shows, video hosting, publishing video to Apple Podcasts, a creator website, a newsletter, and live streaming in 1080p to multiple destinations. Each Riverside studio has its own recordings, hosting, analytics, and website.
Descript’s pricing page lists editing, recording, AI, and team features but not podcast hosting. If you edit in Descript, you’ll still need a host. See Captivate vs Transistor or Castos vs Captivate.
Cost for common setups
- Solo host, remote guests, one show, yearly billing: Riverside Pro at $24/mo ($288/yr) covers recording, editing, and hosting. Descript Creator at $24/mo plus a host such as Transistor Starter ($190/yr) totals about $478/yr.
- Two shows with video: Riverside Grow at $34/mo yearly ($408/yr) includes hosting for 2 shows and video hosting.
- Editor-led team of three: Descript Creator at $24 per person on annual billing is $72/mo for three people, before hosting.
Which to pick
- Choose Riverside if your shows are remote interviews, you want unlimited recording hours, or you’d like recording and hosting in one subscription.
- Choose Descript if you edit more than you record, already record elsewhere, or need a free plan to try transcript-based editing.
Many teams use both: record in Riverside, then edit in Descript.
Sources
- Riverside pricing: https://riverside.com/pricing (checked Oct 28, 2026)
- Descript pricing: https://www.descript.com/pricing (checked Oct 28, 2026)