Softwr

Podcast & Audio Publishing · head to head

Captivate vs Riverside.fm

Captivate logo

Captivate

Podcast & Audio Publishing

Smart podcast hosting with AI insights

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Riverside.fm logo

Riverside.fm

Video & Audio Production

High-quality remote podcast and video recording platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Captivate has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Captivate tiers are download ceilings and nothing else: 30,000 a month on Personal, 150,000 on Professional and 300,000 on Business; Riverside.fm free plan limited to 2 hours of multi-track recording and adds a watermark
  • They diverge on capability: Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, Riverside.fm covers Remote recording.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Captivate and Riverside.fm actually diverge.

Attributes where Captivate and Riverside.fm differ
AttributeCaptivateRiverside.fm
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryPodcast & Audio PublishingVideo & Audio Production
Founded20162019

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Captivate

  • Unlimited hosting
  • AI analytics
  • Smart recommendations
  • Distribution
  • Monetization
  • Audience insights
  • All podcast platforms
  • Social media

Only in Riverside.fm

  • Remote recording
  • High-quality capture
  • Automatic transcription
  • Video editing
  • Live streaming
  • Distribution tools
  • Zapier
  • IFTTT

Both cover

  • Privacy controls
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Captivate

  • Podcast hosting with unlimited shows on any tiernot Riverside.fm
  • Distribution to the major podcast directoriesnot Riverside.fm
  • Audience analytics by episode and platformnot Riverside.fm
  • Running several podcasts under one subscriptionnot Riverside.fm

Riverside.fm

  • Remote podcast and video interview recording with multi-track separationnot Captivate

Where each one falls short

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

Captivate

  • Tiers are download ceilings and nothing else: 30,000 a month on Personal, 150,000 on Professional and 300,000 on Business
  • A show that exceeds its allowance for two consecutive months is expected to move up a tier
  • Above 300,000 downloads a month the plan is quote-only
  • Prices are quoted in euros at the yearly rate

Riverside.fm

  • Free plan limited to 2 hours of multi-track recording and adds a watermark
  • Pro plan at $29 per month caps separate-track recording at 5 hours per month
  • Business plan with unlimited storage and SSO is quote only, requiring contact with sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Captivate

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 hours storage
    • Basic hosting
    • Limited analytics
  • Professional$19/month
    • Unlimited hosting
    • AI analytics
    • Full distribution

Riverside.fm

On request
  • StarterFree
    • 1 hour/month recording
    • 1080p recording
    • Automatic transcription
  • Professional$19/month
    • 20 hours/month recording
    • 4K recording quality
    • Advanced editing
  • Studio$99/month
    • Unlimited recording
    • 4K video quality
    • Team collaboration

Which should you pick?

Choose Captivate if

  • You need unlimited hosting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want ai analytics.
Captivate review

Choose Riverside.fm if

  • You need remote recording.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want high-quality capture.
Riverside.fm review

Questions people ask

Is Captivate or Riverside.fm better?
Neither clearly leads. Captivate starts at Free and Riverside.fm at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Captivate or Riverside.fm?
Captivate has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Captivate and On request for Riverside.fm.
Does Captivate or Riverside.fm run on more platforms?
Captivate runs on Web. Riverside.fm runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Captivate for free?
Yes. Captivate has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Riverside.fm starts at On request.
What is Captivate best used for?
Captivate is most often used for podcast hosting with unlimited shows on any tier, distribution to the major podcast directories, audience analytics by episode and platform, running several podcasts under one subscription. Of those, podcast hosting with unlimited shows on any tier and distribution to the major podcast directories are not what Riverside.fm is typically brought in for.
What can Captivate do that Riverside.fm cannot?
Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, AI analytics, Smart recommendations, Distribution. Riverside.fm covers Remote recording, High-quality capture, Automatic transcription, Video editing. Both handle Privacy controls, Web support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Captivate

More on Riverside.fm

Keep looking

Other head to heads