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Webinar & Virtual Events · head to head

Microsoft Teams Live Events vs Riverside

Microsoft Teams Live Events logo

Microsoft Teams Live Events

Webinar & Virtual Events

Enterprise live event and webinar platform by Microsoft

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Riverside logo

Riverside

Webinar & Virtual Events

Studio-quality remote podcast and video recording

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Microsoft Teams Live Events teams live events retired on June 30, 2026, and only events scheduled before that date remain supported through February 28, 2027; Riverside the free plan gives a single one off 2 hours of recording rather than a monthly allowance
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A, Riverside covers Local recording.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Teams Live Events and Riverside actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Teams Live Events and Riverside differ
AttributeMicrosoft Teams Live EventsRiverside
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWindows, Mac, IOS, Android, WebWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
Founded19752020

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

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 Microsoft Teams Live Events

  • Live Q&A
  • Attendee engagement
  • RTMP support
  • Recording
  • Microsoft 365 integration
  • Microsoft 365
  • Azure
  • SharePoint

Only in Riverside

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Teams Live Events

  • One to many broadcast of company town halls to large internal audiencesnot Riverside
  • Streaming an externally produced RTMP feed from a hardware encoder to Teams viewersnot Riverside

Riverside

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

Where each one falls short

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

Microsoft Teams Live Events

  • Teams live events retired on June 30, 2026, and only events scheduled before that date remain supported through February 28, 2027
  • Microsoft directs users to the separate unified Teams events experience instead
  • Organizers must use the Teams web client to schedule a live event; scheduling is not available in the desktop client
  • Users cannot schedule meetings or live events when offline or running with limited bandwidth
  • Keeping internal broadcast traffic off the corporate network requires an eCDN, either Microsoft's own or a certified partner such as Hive, Kollective or Ramp

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

Microsoft Teams Live Events

Free
  • Microsoft Teams FreeFree
    • Up to 300 participants
    • Live events
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic$6/month
    • Enhanced live events
    • 10000 attendees
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard$12.5/month
    • Advanced features
    • Unlimited events

Riverside

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2 hours recording
    • 720p video
    • Separate audio tracks
  • Standard$15/month
    • 5 hours recording
    • 4K video
    • AI transcription
  • Pro$24/month
    • 15 hours recording
    • All features
    • Live streaming
  • Business$39/month
    • Unlimited recording
    • Team collaboration
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Microsoft Teams Live Events if

  • You need live q&a.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want attendee engagement.
Microsoft Teams Live Events 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 Microsoft Teams Live Events or Riverside better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Teams Live Events 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, Microsoft Teams Live Events or Riverside?
Microsoft Teams Live Events starts at Free and Riverside at Free.
Does Microsoft Teams Live Events or Riverside run on more platforms?
Microsoft Teams Live Events runs on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web. Riverside runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
Can I use Microsoft Teams Live Events for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Microsoft Teams Live Events best used for?
Microsoft Teams Live Events is most often used for one to many broadcast of company town halls to large internal audiences, streaming an externally produced rtmp feed from a hardware encoder to teams viewers. Of those, one to many broadcast of company town halls to large internal audiences and streaming an externally produced rtmp feed from a hardware encoder to teams viewers are not what Riverside is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Teams Live Events do that Riverside cannot?
Microsoft Teams Live Events covers Live Q&A, Attendee engagement, RTMP support, Recording. Riverside covers Local recording, 4K video capture, Separate audio tracks, AI transcription. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

More on Microsoft Teams Live Events

More on Riverside

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