Webinars · head to head
Riverside vs Whova
The short version
- Only Riverside has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Riverside the free plan gives a single one off 2 hours of recording rather than a monthly allowance; Whova mobile app experiences slow loading and occasional crashes during large events
- They diverge on capability: Riverside covers Local recording, Whova covers Event mobile app.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Riverside and Whova actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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
- YouTube
- Facebook Live
Only in Whova
- Event mobile app
- Agenda management
- Attendee networking
- Live polling
- Virtual sessions
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Mailchimp
Both cover
- Zoom
- Web support
- Ios 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 Whova
- Producing multi track recordings for editing after the sessionnot Whova
Whova
- Event planningnot Riverside
- Ticket salesnot Riverside
- Attendee managementnot Riverside
- Virtual eventsnot Riverside
- Event marketingnot 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
Whova
- Mobile app experiences slow loading and occasional crashes during large events
- Limited customization options to align with specific event branding needs
- Notification overload can overwhelm attendees with too many messages
- Default privacy settings include contact sharing concerns and data hosting in the US
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
Whova
$1500/event- Basic$1500/event
- Event app
- Agenda builder
- Networking
- Professional$3000/event
- Virtual event support
- Gamification
- Analytics
- Enterprise$6000/event
- Custom development
- API access
- Dedicated support
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.
Choose Whova if
- You need event mobile app.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want agenda management.
Questions people ask
- Is Riverside or Whova better?
- Neither clearly leads. Riverside starts at Free and Whova at $1500/event, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Riverside or Whova?
- Riverside has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Riverside and $1500/event for Whova.
- Does Riverside or Whova run on more platforms?
- Riverside runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop. Whova runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Riverside for free?
- Yes. Riverside has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Whova starts at $1500/event.
- 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 Whova is typically brought in for.
- What can Riverside do that Whova cannot?
- Riverside covers Local recording, 4K video capture, Separate audio tracks, AI transcription. Whova covers Event mobile app, Agenda management, Attendee networking, Live polling. Both handle Zoom, Web support, Ios 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.
SourceWhova: How much does Whova cost?
Whova uses a quote-based pricing model. Final cost depends on event size, frequency, and features required. Contact their sales team for customized pricing.
SourceRiverside: 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.
SourceWhova: Does Whova offer a free tier or trial?
Whova does not publish a permanent free plan, but offers no per-ticket registration fees for free events. A demo/trial is available by request.
SourceRiverside: How many studios are included in each Riverside plan?
Free: 0 studios. Pro: 1 studio. Grow: 2 studios. Webinar: 3 studios. Business: unlimited studios.
SourceWhova: What platforms does Whova support?
Whova provides native apps for iOS and Android covering 97% of mobile users, plus a web portal accessible from any device including browsers on laptops and desktops.
SourceRiverside: 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.
SourceWhova: Does Whova integrate with other tools?
Yes, Whova integrates with Zoom, Slack, and Mailchimp through Zapier for automation, enabling seamless data flow between platforms without manual data entry.
SourceRelated pages
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