Riverside vs Restream: Which Podcasting Tool Wins in 2025

by | Last updated Apr 29, 2025

Winner
Riverside
8.5
  • Magic Clips
  • AI Show Notes
  • Overlays
  • Captions
  • Async Recording
  • Free plan available
  • Paid Plans from $19/month
Runner Up
Restream
7.5
  • Restream Studio
  • Engage in One Chat
  • Effortless Multistreaming
  • Upload and Stream
  • Schedule Your Live Streams
  • Free plan available
  • Paid Plans from $16/month
Fahim AI 5 30

Ever tried to make a podcast and felt like it’s a huge mess?

You want good sound and video, right? But dealing with tech stuff?

Ugh. It’s hard to pick the right tool.

Good news! You don’t have to guess.

We’re breaking down Riverside vs Restream so you can pick the perfect one.

Get clear sound, sharp video, and make your podcast shine.

Let’s see which tool wins in 2025!

Overview

We’ve spent countless hours diving deep into both Riverside and Restream.

From recording live sessions to testing post-production features, our hands-on approach ensures a thorough, practical comparison.

We’ve pushed each platform to its limits, observing real-world performance.

Riverside

Riverside is great for High-Quality Productions. It focused on delivering top-notch audio and video quality with an awesome quality.

8.5out of 10

Pricing: It has a free plan. Paid plan starts at $19/month

Key Features:

  • Local Recording
  • Separate Audio & Video Tracks
  • Remote Guest Control
restream

Want to reach a massive audience across multiple platforms? Restream’s got your back. Try it today and see the difference!

7.5out of 10

Pricing: It has a free plan. Paid plan starts at $16/month

Key Features:

  • Multi-platform streaming
  • Chat aggregation
  • Scheduling.

What is Riverside?

Riverside? It’s a platform for recording podcasts and videos.

It’s built for quality. 

Think clear sound and sharp video.

It’s all done remotely. You don’t need fancy studios. Just your computer.

Riverside
Riverside
8.5

Want pro-level recordings? Riverside offers 4K video and separate audio tracks. Thousands of creators use it. Try it free and see the difference!

Key Benefits

  • Studio-Quality Sound: Up to 48kHz audio, even with remote guests.
  • Lossless Video Recording: Capture up to 4K video resolution.
  • Magic Editor: AI-powered editing to save you time.
  • Live Streaming: Broadcast your recording to multiple platforms at once.
  • Transcriptions: Automatic, highly accurate transcripts in over 100 languages.

Pricing

  • Free: $0/month for 2 hours of recording
  • Standard: $19/month for 5 hours of recording
  • Pro: $29/month for 15 hours of recording
  • Business: Contact for pricing.
Riverside Pricing

Pros

  • Studio-quality recordings
  • Easy to use, even for beginners
  • Powerful editing features

Cons

  • Limited features on the free plan
  • It can be a bit pricey for casual users

What is Restream?

Restream is different.

It’s built for live streaming.

You can send your stream to many places at once. 

Think YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook. It’s about reaching a big audience.

restream
Restream
7.5

Ready to streamline your live streams? Millions of people use Restream to reach 30+ platforms at once. Try it today and experience seamless multistreaming.

Key Benefits:

  • Multistreaming Magic: Send your stream to over 30 platforms simultaneously, from Twitch to YouTube to Facebook and beyond.
  • Schedule Like a Pro: Plan your broadcasts ahead of time, even if you can’t be there live.
  • Data Deep Dive: Track your viewers, engagement, and more with detailed analytics to help you grow.

Pricing

  • Free Plan: Basic multistreaming to a limited number of platforms.
  • Standard ($16/month): Unlimited multistreaming, custom branding, and more.
  • Professional ($39/month): Advanced features like team management and analytics.
  • Business ($199/month): All features with eight channels.
Restream Pricing

Pros

  • Streams to many places easily.
  • Chat aggregation is very handy.
  • Scheduling saves a lot of time.
  • Good for big audiences.

Cons

  • Can get expensive quickly.
  • Interface feel overwhelming.
  • Needs a strong internet connection.

Feature Comparison

Let’s dive into the details.

We’ll compare key features. This helps you pick the right tool.

Think about your needs. We’ll cover everything from recording to live streaming.

Live Streaming Platform & Multistreaming

Restream shines with multistreaming.

It sends your live video to many platforms.

YouTube, Twitch, linkedin, and more.

Riverside.fm, while offering live streaming capabilities, emphasizes high-quality recording.

Riverside offers a streaming solution, but is not its primary focus. For pure reach, Restream wins.

Benefits of Riverside

Recording Quality

Riverside.fm records locally.

This gives amazing audio and video quality, even with bad internet.

Platforms like Streamyard often record in the cloud.

This risks quality drops. If quality matters most, Riverside.fm leads here.

Video Editing & Editing Tools

Riverside.fm has built-in video editing.

Think of the Magic Editor. 

Easy to use. Restream has fewer editing tools for pre-recorded content. For post-production, Riverside is much better.

Platform Purpose

Riverside.fm targets podcasters and content creators.

It values high-quality recordings. Restream focuses on live streamers.

It prioritizes reaching a wide audience. Knowing your main use case is vital.

OBS Integration

Restream integrates well with OBS.

This is key for advanced streamers.

You get more control. Riverside.fm’s simple interface is a different approach.

They don’t have similar OBS integration.

Personal Experience with Restream

Free Version Comparison

Restream offers a free version.

It’s basic. It works for starting out. Riverside has no free version. 

Their trial is limited. If you want to try, consider Restream.

Post-Production Features

Riverside. FM’s editing tools are robust. You can trim, add overlays, and more.

Restream emphasizes live features. It doesn’t have the same level of post-production. Each platform has it’s strength.

What to Look For When Choosing a Podcasting Tool?

  • Audio Quality: Prioritize local recording for clarity.
  • Video Resolution: Higher resolution means better visuals.
  • Multistreaming Needs: How many platforms do you need to reach?
  • Editing Features: Do you need robust post-production tools?
  • Ease of Use: Is the interface intuitive for your skill level?
  • Budget: Compare free versions and paid tiers carefully.
  • Customer Support: Quick and helpful support is essential.
  • Integration: Consider integrations with other tools like OBS.

Final Verdict

After testing both, we lean towards Riverside.

For podcasters and content creators valuing top-tier audio and video, it’s the clear winner.

Though Restream excels in multistreaming, Riverside’s local recording and editing tools are unmatched.

If quality is king, Riverside delivers.

We’ve seen firsthand how its features streamline production.

Our experience proves it’s a solid choice.

Trust our insights; your content deserves the best.

More of Riverside

Let’s see how Riverside stacks up against these other recording and streaming platforms:

  • Riverside vs Podcastle: Riverside focuses on high-quality local recordings for each guest, especially for video. Podcastle emphasizes ease of use and AI-powered editing tools to enhance your audio and video.
  • Riverside vs Streamlabs: Riverside is designed for professional-quality podcast recording, particularly with video. Streamlabs is popular for live streaming with overlays and widgets, offering recording mainly for streaming purposes.
  • Riverside vs Streamyard: Riverside records separate, high-quality audio and video tracks locally. Streamyard is a browser-based tool focused on easy live streaming and recording of conversations with guests.
  • Riverside vs Zencastr: Both Riverside and Zencastr prioritize high-quality remote audio recording with local track capture. Riverside also offers robust video recording capabilities, which Zencastr lacks.
  • Riverside vs Ecamm: Riverside is a dedicated platform for high-quality remote recording and live streaming. Ecamm Live is macOS software with extensive live production features, including recording.
  • Riverside vs Castr: Riverside focuses on high-fidelity recording and live streaming with an emphasis on quality. Castr is more geared towards reliable live video streaming to various destinations.

More of Restream

Let’s see how Restream stacks up against these other streaming and recording platforms:

  • Restream vs Podcastle: Restream focuses on live video multistreaming, sending your live feed to many platforms at once. Podcastle is mainly for recording and editing podcasts with AI tools, not really for live video.
  • Restream vs Streamlabs: Both Restream and Streamlabs let you stream to multiple platforms. Streamlabs offers more tools for on-screen graphics and alerts, popular with gamers. Restream is simpler for just getting your stream to different places.
  • Restream vs Streamyard: Both Restream and Streamyard are easy to use for multistreaming. Streamyard is browser-based and great for having guests on your stream. Restream is also browser-based and focuses on reliable delivery to many platforms.
  • Restream vs Zencastr: Restream is for live video streaming. Zencastr is specifically for recording high-quality audio for podcasts with remote guests, not for live video.
  • Restream vs Ecamm: Restream is a platform for sending your stream to many places. Ecamm Live is software for Macs with lots of tools to control and enhance your live streams and recordings.
  • Restream vs Castr: Both Restream and Castr are built for reliable live video streaming to multiple platforms. Castr is often seen as a direct competitor with similar features and pricing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for live streaming, Riverside or Restream?

Restream is better for live streaming. It excels at multistreaming to many platforms at once. Riverside focuses more on high-quality recording. If your main goal is reaching a large live audience, Restream is the stronger choice.

Can I use Riverside for free?

No, Riverside does not offer a free version. They have paid plans with different tiers. Each plan offers varying features and recording limits. You can try a limited trial.

Does Restream offer video editing tools?

Restream’s strengths are in live streaming, not video editing. It focuses on multistreaming and chat aggregation. Riverside is the better option for robust editing tools.

Is Riverside or Restream easier to use for beginners?

Both platforms aim for user-friendly interfaces, but Riverside’s focus on recording and editing might be slightly more intuitive for beginners, especially podcasters. Restream has a learning curve for some of its multistreaming features.

Which platform offers better audio quality?

Riverside offers better audio quality due to its local recording. This ensures high-quality audio even with poor internet connection. Restream’s video and audio quality can vary depending on the platform you are streaming to.