Growing an audience
Running the business
Both cover audio & podcasting. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
| Otter.ai | Riverside | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $16.99 | From $29 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | None | 14 days |
| API | Yes | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | Not stated |
| Runs on | Not stated | Not stated |
| Covers | Transcription & Show Notes, AI Content Tools, Audio & Podcasting | Audio & Podcasting, Video Editing |
| Works with | Podcast | YouTube, Podcast |
| Founded | Not listed | Not listed |
| Reader rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| Live deals | None right now | None right now |
Searchable transcripts of calls and recordings
Otter sits in a meeting or takes a file and returns a transcript with the speakers separated, which is where show notes, a follow-up post or a list of clips can start. Search across everything you have ever recorded is the part people keep paying for. Three hundred free minutes a month is five hours, so a weekly interview show fits and a daily one does not.
Our note
Otter for talking, Descript for publishing. If the transcript is the product this is faster and cheaper, and if the transcript is how you edit the audio, pay for Descript instead and skip this one.
Only on this side
Remote recording captured locally in full quality
Riverside records every participant on their own machine, so a bad connection during the call does not ruin the file. Up to 4K video and separate audio tracks. Guests need a reasonably modern browser and some patience with the upload.
Our note
The one to buy if the video matters as much as the audio. If you only ever publish audio, the local-recording safety net is still the reason to be here, but a cheaper recorder plus good habits gets close.
Only on this side
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.