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Webinars · head to head

Anchorfree vs Riverside

A

Anchorfree

Webinars

Platform for hosting and distributing live events

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Riverside logo

Riverside

Webinars

Studio-quality remote podcast and video recording

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Anchorfree the vendor's own domain (anchorfree.com), as captured by the Internet Archive on 11 January 2023, redirects to and displays the Pango Group corporate site, stating Pango Group is owned and operated by Aura and describes itself as a portfolio of consumer security brands; AnchorFree's original product (Hotspot Shield) survives only under the Pango/Aura ownership structure, confirming the acquisition in the vendor's own words rather than a third party account; Riverside the free plan gives a single one off 2 hours of recording rather than a monthly allowance
  • They diverge on capability: Anchorfree covers Audience management, Riverside covers Local recording.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Anchorfree and Riverside actually diverge.

Attributes where Anchorfree and Riverside differ
AttributeAnchorfreeRiverside
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
Founded20172020

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Webinars).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Anchorfree

  • Audience management
  • Recording
  • Analytics
  • Multi-platform delivery
  • Facebook
  • Twitch
  • Zapier

Only in Riverside

  • Local recording
  • 4K video capture
  • Separate audio tracks
  • AI transcription
  • Magic Editor
  • Zoom
  • Facebook Live
  • Descript

Both cover

  • Live streaming
  • YouTube
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Anchorfree

  • Professional Worknot Riverside
  • Content Creationnot Riverside

Riverside

  • Recording remote podcast and video interviews in local quality per participantnot Anchorfree
  • Producing multi track recordings for editing after the sessionnot Anchorfree

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Anchorfree

  • The vendor's own domain (anchorfree.com), as captured by the Internet Archive on 11 January 2023, redirects to and displays the Pango Group corporate site, stating Pango Group is owned and operated by Aura and describes itself as a portfolio of consumer security brands; AnchorFree's original product (Hotspot Shield) survives only under the Pango/Aura ownership structure, confirming the acquisition in the vendor's own words rather than a third party account

Riverside

  • The free plan gives a single one off 2 hours of recording rather than a monthly allowance
  • Free exports are capped at 720p, so remote recording quality is the paid feature
  • Separate track recording is metered monthly, at 5 hours on Pro and 15 on Grow
  • Downloadable separate tracks are metered on a different allowance again, at 15, 20 and 25 hours
  • Removing all time limits requires the Webinar plan at $79 a month or a custom Business contract

Pricing, plan by plan

Anchorfree

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic streaming
    • Limited audience
  • Professional$49/month
    • Advanced features
    • Larger audience
  • Enterprise$199/month
    • Custom solutions
    • Premium support

Riverside

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2 hours of multi-track recordings (one-time)
    • Up to 720p video quality
    • 44.1 kHz audio quality
  • Pro$29/month
    • 5 hours per month of multi-track recordings
    • Up to 4K video quality
    • 48kHz audio quality
  • Grow$39/month
    • 15 hours per month of multi-track recordings
    • Everything in Pro plus
    • Social media scheduling
  • Webinar$99/month
    • Everything in Grow plus
    • Webinar hosting (up to 100 registrants)
    • Pre-record & stream as live

Which should you pick?

Choose Anchorfree if

  • You need audience management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want recording.
Anchorfree review

Choose Riverside if

  • You need local recording.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want 4k video capture.
Riverside review

Questions people ask

Is Anchorfree or Riverside better?
Neither clearly leads. Anchorfree starts at Free and Riverside at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Anchorfree or Riverside?
Anchorfree starts at Free and Riverside at Free.
Does Anchorfree or Riverside run on more platforms?
Anchorfree runs on Web. Riverside runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
Can I use Anchorfree for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Anchorfree best used for?
Anchorfree is most often used for professional work, content creation. Of those, professional work and content creation are not what Riverside is typically brought in for.
What can Anchorfree do that Riverside cannot?
Anchorfree covers Audience management, Recording, Analytics, Multi-platform delivery. Riverside covers Local recording, 4K video capture, Separate audio tracks, AI transcription. Both handle Live streaming, YouTube, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Riverside: How much does Riverside Pro cost?

Riverside Pro costs $29/month (monthly) or $24/month when paid annually ($288/year). It includes 5 hours of multi-track recordings per month, 4K video, 48kHz audio, no watermark, teleprompter, 1 studio, and podcast hosting.

Source
Riverside: What are the recording hour limits for Riverside plans?

Free plan: 2 hours total. Pro: 5 hours/month. Grow: 15 hours/month. Webinar: 15 hours/month. Business: unlimited. Download limits range from 15-25 hours depending on plan, except Business which is unlimited.

Source
Riverside: How many studios are included in each Riverside plan?

Free: 0 studios. Pro: 1 studio. Grow: 2 studios. Webinar: 3 studios. Business: unlimited studios.

Source
Riverside: Does Riverside offer webinar hosting?

Yes, webinar hosting is available starting at the Webinar plan ($99/month or $79/month annually). It supports up to 100 registrants, with the Business plan supporting up to 10,000 registrants.

Source
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