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Research · head to head

Marvin vs Riverside.fm

Marvin logo

Marvin

Research

Qualitative research repository with AI notetaking, and an MCP server you can query from Claude

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Riverside.fm logo

Riverside.fm

Video Production

High-quality remote podcast and video recording platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Marvin transcription is inconsistent, with missing punctuation and specifically poor Portuguese accuracy reported, so non-English research teams spend the time cleaning up that the licence was meant to save.; Riverside.fm free plan limited to 2 hours of multi-track recording and adds a watermark
  • They diverge on capability: Marvin covers AI Notetaker, Riverside.fm covers Remote recording.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Marvin and Riverside.fm differ
AttributeMarvinRiverside.fm
Pricing modelquotefreemium
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryResearchVideo Production
FoundedUnknown2019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Marvin

  • AI Notetaker
  • AI Moderated Interviewer
  • Ask AI
  • Deep Research
  • Thematic and emotion analysis
  • Clips and highlight reels
  • Virtual observation room
  • MCP server and API

Only in Riverside.fm

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

What people use each for

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

Marvin

  • A two-person research team that needs interviews transcribed, tagged and searchable without hiring an analyst or buying an enterprise repository.not Riverside.fm
  • A product organisation where findings are never read, wanting product managers to query past research from Claude or ChatGPT instead of logging into a research tool.not Riverside.fm
  • A team running discovery at volume that wants an AI moderator to conduct unmoderated interviews overnight and have them analysed by morning.not Riverside.fm
  • A researcher who needs to send stakeholders a highlight reel of customer quotes rather than a slide deck summarising them.not Riverside.fm

Riverside.fm

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

Where each one falls short

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

Marvin

  • Transcription is inconsistent, with missing punctuation and specifically poor Portuguese accuracy reported, so non-English research teams spend the time cleaning up that the licence was meant to save.
  • Speaker diarisation errors attribute moderator speech to the participant, and a misattributed quote propagates into themes and into the insight report you show stakeholders, which is a research credibility risk rather than a cosmetic bug.
  • SSO, EU or US data residency, PII redaction and a HIPAA BAA are bundled into a paid Compliance add-on available only from Pro upwards, so the headline Pro quote is never the real price for a regulated or European buyer.
  • Starter includes only two full seats, so a four-researcher team is forced to Pro on seat count alone, and the three-way split between full, collaborator and viewer seats makes cost modelling awkward when no paid tier is priced publicly.
  • Every paid tier is sales-gated with annual commitment typically required, so there is no monthly paid trial and no published seat cost to budget against before entering a sales cycle.
  • Integration coverage has gaps, with no Intercom connector despite repeated requests from teams wanting support conversations in the same repository, and reviewers describe the tags versus labels distinction in the interface as confusing.

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

Marvin

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2 full seats and 3 collaborator seats
    • 5 file uploads per month
    • AI notetaking and transcription
  • Starter$undefined/year
    • 2 full seats, 10 collaborator seats, 50 viewer seats
    • Unlimited uploads
    • Thematic analysis
  • Pro$undefined/year
    • 5 full seats, 15 collaborator seats, 100 viewer seats
    • Agentic Ask AI and Deep Research
    • Marvin MCP server and API
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • 5 full seats, 15 collaborator seats, unlimited viewer seats
    • Salesforce integration included
    • Dedicated support

Riverside.fm

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2 hours of multi-track recordings
    • 720p video quality
    • 44.1 kHz audio
  • Pro$29/month
    • $24 per month annual
    • 4K video and 48kHz audio
    • No watermark
  • Grow$39/month
    • $34 per month annual
    • 1080p live streaming
    • Social media scheduling
  • Webinar$99/month
    • $79 per month annual
    • Host webinars up to 100 registrants
    • Lead capture tools

Which should you pick?

Choose Marvin if

  • You need ai notetaker.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want ai moderated interviewer.
Marvin review

Choose Riverside.fm if

  • You need remote recording.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want high-quality capture.
Riverside.fm review

Questions people ask

Is Marvin or Riverside.fm better?
Neither clearly leads. Marvin starts at Free and Riverside.fm at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Marvin or Riverside.fm?
Marvin starts at Free and Riverside.fm at Free.
Does Marvin or Riverside.fm run on more platforms?
Marvin runs on Web. Riverside.fm runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Marvin for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Marvin best used for?
Marvin is most often used for a two-person research team that needs interviews transcribed, tagged and searchable without hiring an analyst or buying an enterprise repository., a product organisation where findings are never read, wanting product managers to query past research from claude or chatgpt instead of logging into a research tool., a team running discovery at volume that wants an ai moderator to conduct unmoderated interviews overnight and have them analysed by morning., a researcher who needs to send stakeholders a highlight reel of customer quotes rather than a slide deck summarising them.. Of those, a two-person research team that needs interviews transcribed, tagged and searchable without hiring an analyst or buying an enterprise repository. and a product organisation where findings are never read, wanting product managers to query past research from claude or chatgpt instead of logging into a research tool. are not what Riverside.fm is typically brought in for.
What can Marvin do that Riverside.fm cannot?
Marvin covers AI Notetaker, AI Moderated Interviewer, Ask AI, Deep Research. Riverside.fm covers Remote recording, High-quality capture, Automatic transcription, Video editing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Marvin: Is there a genuinely free plan?

Yes. Two full seats, three collaborator seats and five file uploads a month at no cost. It is enough to evaluate the analysis quality on real interviews.

Riverside.fm: How much does Riverside FM cost?

Pro plan is $29/month ($24 annually), Grow is $39/month ($34 annually), and Webinar is $99/month ($79 annually). A Free plan with 2 hours recording is available. Business plan requires contacting sales.

Source
Marvin: What does Pro cost?

Not published. Only the Free tier carries a price. Starter, Pro and Enterprise are all quoted.

Riverside.fm: Does Riverside FM offer annual billing discounts?

Yes, annual billing provides up to 20% discount compared to monthly rates. Specific savings vary by plan tier.

Source
Marvin: Can I get SSO and EU data residency?

Yes, but as a separately priced Compliance add-on from Pro upwards, not included in any base tier. Price it into the quote from the start.

Riverside.fm: What is included in the Free plan?

The Free plan includes 2 hours of multi-track recordings, 720p video quality, 44.1 kHz audio, unlimited single-track recording, and a Riverside watermark on exports.

Source
Marvin: What is the MCP server for?

It lets Claude, ChatGPT or Copilot query your research repository directly with cited answers, so stakeholders get findings without opening Marvin.

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