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Webinars · head to head

Riverside vs Zoom Webinar

Riverside logo

Riverside

Webinars

Studio-quality remote podcast and video recording

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoom Webinar logo

Zoom Webinar

Webinars

Professional video conferencing and webinar hosting

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; Zoom Webinar free tier capped at 40 minutes per meeting with up to 100 participants
  • They diverge on capability: Riverside covers Local recording, Zoom Webinar covers HD video conferencing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Riverside and Zoom Webinar actually diverge.

Attributes where Riverside and Zoom Webinar differ
AttributeRiversideZoom Webinar
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, DesktopDesktop, Mobile, Tablet
Founded20202011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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
  • YouTube

Only in Zoom Webinar

  • HD video conferencing
  • Screen sharing
  • Recording
  • Chat
  • Breakout rooms
  • Salesforce
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams

Both cover

  • 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 Zoom Webinar
  • Producing multi track recordings for editing after the sessionnot Zoom Webinar

Zoom Webinar

  • Large-scale webinars up to 1,000 participants on Enterprise tiernot Riverside
  • Professional organisations needing end-to-end encryption and customer-managed keysnot Riverside
  • Hybrid work environments with integrated PBX phone servicenot 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

Zoom Webinar

  • Free tier capped at 40 minutes per meeting with up to 100 participants
  • Free tier lacks cloud storage and advanced AI Companion features
  • Higher tiers require commitments to larger participant counts (Business: 300, Enterprise: 1000)

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

Zoom Webinar

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoom Webinar review.

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 Zoom Webinar if

  • You need hd video conferencing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Desktop, Mobile, Tablet.
  • You also want screen sharing.
Zoom Webinar review

Questions people ask

Is Riverside or Zoom Webinar better?
Neither clearly leads. Riverside starts at Free and Zoom Webinar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Riverside or Zoom Webinar?
Riverside starts at Free and Zoom Webinar at Free.
Does Riverside or Zoom Webinar run on more platforms?
Riverside runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop. Zoom Webinar runs on Desktop, Mobile, Tablet.
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 Zoom Webinar is typically brought in for.
What can Riverside do that Zoom Webinar cannot?
Riverside covers Local recording, 4K video capture, Separate audio tracks, AI transcription. Zoom Webinar covers HD video conferencing, Screen sharing, Recording, Chat. Both handle 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
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
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
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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