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Software · head to head

Patreon vs Riverside.fm

Patreon logo

Patreon

Software

Membership platform for creators

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Riverside.fm logo

Riverside.fm

Software

High-quality remote podcast and video recording platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Patreon has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Patreon takes 10% of the income a creator earns on the platform; Riverside.fm free plan limited to 2 hours of multi-track recording and adds a watermark
  • They diverge on capability: Patreon covers Membership tiers, Riverside.fm covers Remote recording.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Patreon and Riverside.fm differ
AttributePatreonRiverside.fm
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20132019

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Patreon

  • Membership tiers
  • Exclusive content
  • Private podcast feeds
  • Community features
  • Analytics
  • Payment processing
  • Discord
  • Podcast apps

Only in Riverside.fm

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

Both cover

  • Zapier
  • Privacy controls
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Patreon

  • Running a paid membership for fans of a creator or podcastnot Riverside.fm
  • Selling recurring access to exclusive content and communitynot Riverside.fm

Riverside.fm

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

Where each one falls short

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

Patreon

  • Takes 10% of the income a creator earns on the platform
  • Payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees are charged on top of that 10% and are not quantified on the pricing page
  • The total deduction is therefore not calculable from the pricing page alone, and requires reading a separate support article

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

Patreon

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Free membership page
    • Basic features
    • Community tools
  • ProFree
    • All free features
    • Analytics dashboard
    • Priority support
  • PremiumFree
    • All Pro features
    • Dedicated partner manager
    • Custom onboarding

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 Patreon if

  • You need membership tiers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want exclusive content.
Patreon 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 Patreon or Riverside.fm better?
Neither clearly leads. Patreon 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, Patreon or Riverside.fm?
Patreon has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Patreon and On request for Riverside.fm.
Does Patreon or Riverside.fm run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Patreon for free?
Yes. Patreon has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Riverside.fm starts at On request.
What is Patreon best used for?
Patreon is most often used for running a paid membership for fans of a creator or podcast, selling recurring access to exclusive content and community. Of those, running a paid membership for fans of a creator or podcast and selling recurring access to exclusive content and community are not what Riverside.fm is typically brought in for.
What can Patreon do that Riverside.fm cannot?
Patreon covers Membership tiers, Exclusive content, Private podcast feeds, Community features. Riverside.fm covers Remote recording, High-quality capture, Automatic transcription, Video editing. Both handle Zapier, Privacy controls, Web support, Ios support.
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Related pages

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