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Webinars · head to head

Riverside vs StreamYard

Riverside logo

Riverside

Webinars

Studio-quality remote podcast and video recording

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
StreamYard logo

StreamYard

Webinars

Professional live streaming made easy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Riverside the free plan gives a single one off 2 hours of recording rather than a monthly allowance; StreamYard the free plan stamps a StreamYard logo on every stream, caps local recordings at 2 hours per month, allows 6 on screen participants and 1 seat
  • They diverge on capability: Riverside covers Local recording, StreamYard covers Multi-streaming.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Riverside and StreamYard actually diverge.

Attributes where Riverside and StreamYard differ
AttributeRiversideStreamYard
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, DesktopWeb
Founded20202018

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), 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 Riverside

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

Only in StreamYard

  • Multi-streaming
  • Custom branding
  • Screen sharing
  • Guest management
  • Recording
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitch

Both cover

  • YouTube
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Riverside

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

StreamYard

  • Browser based live streaming to YouTube, Facebook and other destinations at oncenot Riverside
  • Recording remote guest interviews and podcasts with on screen brandingnot Riverside
  • Running small webinars with a live viewer audiencenot Riverside

Where each one falls short

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

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

StreamYard

  • The free plan stamps a StreamYard logo on every stream, caps local recordings at 2 hours per month, allows 6 on screen participants and 1 seat
  • 1080p full HD, watermark removal and unlimited streaming require the Core plan at $44.99 per month billed monthly
  • Core limits multistreaming to 3 destinations; 8 destinations require Advanced at $88.99 per month
  • Core caps permanent recording storage at 50 hours
  • 4K local recording, on air webinars for up to 100 viewers, extra camera and transcript downloads are Advanced only
  • The free trial on paid plans runs 7 days

Pricing, plan by plan

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

StreamYard

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic studio features
    • Local recordings 2 hours per month
    • 6 on-screen participants
  • Core$44.99/month
    • Full HD 1080p
    • Multistream to 3 destinations
    • Unlimited streaming and recording
  • Advanced$88.99/month
    • 4K recording
    • Multistream to 8 destinations
    • 15 backstage participants

Which should you pick?

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

Choose StreamYard if

  • You need multi-streaming.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want custom branding.
StreamYard review

Questions people ask

Is Riverside or StreamYard better?
Neither clearly leads. Riverside starts at Free and StreamYard at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Riverside or StreamYard?
Riverside starts at Free and StreamYard at Free.
Does Riverside or StreamYard run on more platforms?
Riverside runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop. StreamYard runs on Web.
Can I use Riverside for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Riverside best used for?
Riverside is most often used for recording remote podcast and video interviews in local quality per participant, producing multi track recordings for editing after the session. Of those, recording remote podcast and video interviews in local quality per participant and producing multi track recordings for editing after the session are not what StreamYard is typically brought in for.
What can Riverside do that StreamYard cannot?
Riverside covers Local recording, 4K video capture, Separate audio tracks, AI transcription. StreamYard covers Multi-streaming, Custom branding, Screen sharing, Guest management. Both handle 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
StreamYard: Is there a free trial?

Yes, StreamYard offers a 7-day free trial and a 7-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase.

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
StreamYard: What is the annual discount for Core plan?

The Core plan costs $44.99 per month when billed monthly, but only $35.99 per month when billed annually, representing 22% savings.

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
StreamYard: What are the differences between Core and Advanced plans?

Advanced plan adds 4K recording, multistream to 8 destinations instead of 3, and 15 backstage participants. Core plan provides 1080p HD, multistream to 3 destinations, and 50 hours cloud storage.

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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