Riverside alternative
PandaStudio vs Riverside
Riverside records your podcast in the cloud and bills per seat. PandaStudio records it peer-to-peer, keeps every file on your machine, and edits it too — for a one-time price.
What is Riverside?
Riverside is a remote recording studio for podcasts and interview-style video — each guest's audio and video records locally in their browser, then uploads to the cloud after the call. Built around the multi-guest, broadcast-quality recording problem. Some editing features layered on top.
- Pricing
- Free tier (limited recording hours). Standard / Pro / Business plans from ~$15-$80/seat/month.
- Platforms
- Web · iOS · Android
Where Riverside is genuinely strong
- Best-in-class remote multi-guest recording — separate tracks, local capture, post-call upload
- Guests don't need an account or install — just a browser
- Strong podcast/interview workflow — chapters, sponsor markers, AI clips
- 4K video tracks per participant
- Magic Editor for AI-generated clips
Where Riverside comes up short
- Editing surface is limited compared to a dedicated editor — you'll often export and finish in something else
- Cloud-bound — recordings stored on Riverside's servers
- Per-seat SaaS recurring
- Not optimised for screen recording / tutorials / solo creator content
- No agent / CLI / MCP automation
Side-by-side comparison
| Criterion | Riverside | PandaStudio |
|---|---|---|
| Remote guest recording | Best-in-class — multiple guests, 4K per guest, very mature | Host + one guest by browser link; both record locally, guest track transfers peer-to-peer to your timeline |
| Editor depth | Limited | Full timeline + transcript editing + motion graphics |
| Where recordings live | Cloud-bound — stored on Riverside's servers | Local-first — guest track arrives peer-to-peer, nothing on a third-party server |
| Agent / CLI automation | None | Full CLI + MCP |
| AI-clip generation | Magic Clips (Pro+) | AI Shorts generation built into the export library |
| Best for | Podcasters with remote guests | Solo creators editing screencasts and tutorials |
| Pricing | Per-seat SaaS, $15-$80/mo | Free tier or one-time purchase |
When Riverside is the right choice
You run a show with three or more remote guests, need 4K per participant, record from mobile, or rely on Riverside's mature cloud workflow (team collaboration, sponsor markers, broadcast features). At that scale Riverside is purpose-built and more mature — buy it, don't fight it.
When PandaStudio is the right choice
You record a two-person remote podcast or interview and want to keep every file on your own machine, skip per-seat fees, and edit + publish in the same tool. PandaStudio now records remote guests: the guest joins from a browser link (no install, no account), both sides capture locally at full quality, the guest's track ships to you peer-to-peer (nothing stored on a third-party cloud), and both land on your timeline with transcripts, ready to edit.
Frequently asked questions
Can PandaStudio record a remote podcast like Riverside?
Yes, for a two-person show. Your guest opens a browser link (no install, no account), and both of you record locally at full quality. The guest's track transfers to you peer-to-peer over the internet, then both videos land on your timeline already transcribed, ready to edit and publish. For three or more remote guests, 4K-per-participant, or mobile recording, Riverside is still the more mature choice.
Can I edit a Riverside recording in PandaStudio?
Yes. Download the source MP4 (or per-participant tracks) from Riverside, import into PandaStudio, and you have access to the full transcript editor, motion graphics, lower thirds, captions, and YouTube publishing. The transcript regenerates locally via the bundled Whisper model.
Where are my podcast recordings stored?
On your own machine. Both the host and guest record locally at full quality, and the guest's recording is sent to the host peer-to-peer, so nothing is stored on a third-party cloud. That keeps your raw footage private and means there are no per-recording storage fees, which is why PandaStudio can ship podcast recording on a one-time license instead of a per-seat subscription.
What about AI clip generation?
PandaStudio has 'AI Shorts' in the export library — point it at a long-form export, get back suggested 30-90s vertical clips ready to post to TikTok / Reels / Shorts. Each clip ships with auto-generated captions and a fitting motion-graphic title card.
Try PandaStudio yourself
Free download, three free exports, no credit card required. macOS and Windows.
Download PandaStudio