We use provider pages as the source of truth.
Pricing, plan names, free plan availability, and trial details are checked against official provider pages before being used in ProPicked scores. Vendor relationships do not change rankings, scores, or recommendations.
Provider Pricing Facts
Provider pricing facts: Livestorm offers a free plan; Riverside offers a free plan.
Source and Freshness Note
Source and freshness note: pricing, free-plan, and feature signals are compared from public provider data and updated comparison records. Last checked May 2026.
Livestorm vs Riverside: Honest Comparison (2026)
Livestorm
Browser-based webinar and video engagement platform
Riverside
Studio-quality remote recordings and live streams
We may earn a commission through links on this page · Editorial policy
Quick Verdict:
Riverside wins with 8.7/10 vs 8.0/10. Choose Livestorm for overall value. Choose Riverside for better value for money.
Riverside wins this comparison with a score of 8.7/10 vs 8.0/10. Both offer free plans. Livestorm stands out for no-download browser experience makes it easy for attendees to join webinars, while Riverside excels at local recording ensures studio-quality audio and video regardless of internet connection quality. This is confirmed by our feature analysis where Riverside also scores higher (6.2/10).
| Feature | Livestorm | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 8.0/10 | 8.7/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8.5/10 | 9.0/10 |
| Features | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 |
| Value for Money | 7.2/10 | 8.2/10 |
| Customer Support | 8.0/10 | 8.5/10 |
| Free Plan | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ |
| Starting Price | $99/mo | $15/mo |
| Feature Score | 6.0/10 | 6.2/10 |
| Top Strength | No-download browser experience makes it easy for attendees to join webinars | Local recording ensures studio-quality audio and video regardless of internet connection quality |
| Biggest Weakness | Free plan limited to 30 participants and 20-minute sessions is very restrictive | Local recording means larger file sizes and longer upload times after sessions end |
| Best For | - | Riverside is best forteams that need team communication with proven reliability and a clear pricing model. With a generous free tier and starting price of $15/mo |
| Winner | Riverside (8.7/10) | |
What is Livestorm?
Browser-based webinar and video engagement platformLivestorm is a browser-based video engagement platform designed for webinars, virtual events, and online meetings. It requires no downloads and provides robust engagement features including polls, Q&A, chat, and call-to-action buttons. Livestorm combines the simplicity of browser-based access with marketing-focused features like registration pages, email sequences, and analytics.
- +No-download browser experience makes it easy for attendees to join webinars
- +Built-in marketing features like registration pages and email sequences save setup time
- +Engagement tools like polls, Q&A, and CTAs help convert webinar attendees into leads
What is Riverside?
Studio-quality remote recordings and live streamsRiverside is a browser-based recording and live streaming platform that captures locally recorded audio and video for studio-quality output. Unlike Zoom or Google Meet, each participant records locally at up to 4K resolution, eliminating internet quality issues. It supports multi-track recording, AI transcription, and direct streaming to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Widely used by top podcasters and media companies.
- +Local recording ensures studio-quality audio and video regardless of internet connection quality
- +AI-powered Magic Clips automatically identifies highlights and creates short-form content
- +Browser-based with no software installation required for guests, reducing friction significantly
- •Riverside is best forteams that need team communication with proven reliability and a clear pricing model. With a generous free tier and starting price of $15/mo
- •it suits individuals exploring the category as well as small businesses through enterprise.Specifically
- •Riverside works well for:(1)running daily team standups
Livestorm vs Riverside: Key Differences
Livestorm vs Riverside: Quick Verdict
Decision Summary
Who wins in each scenario? A quick look at how Livestorm and Riverside compare across different buyer needs.
Scores 8.7/10 vs 8.0/10
Scores 8.2/10 on value vs 7.2/10
Ease of use: 9.0/10 vs 8.5/10
Features + support avg: 8.5/10 vs 7.9/10
Free plan available + 8.2/10 value
Both offer free plans
Choose Livestorm if you need...
- ✓No-download browser experience makes it easy for attendees to join webinars
- ✓Built-in marketing features like registration pages and email sequences save setup time
- ✓Engagement tools like polls, Q&A, and CTAs help convert webinar attendees into leads
- !Free plan limited to 30 participants and 20-minute sessions is very restrictive
- !Pricing jumps significantly between tiers, especially for larger audiences
Choose Riverside if you need...
- ✓Local recording ensures studio-quality audio and video regardless of internet connection quality
- ✓AI-powered Magic Clips automatically identifies highlights and creates short-form content
- ✓Browser-based with no software installation required for guests, reducing friction significantly
- ✓Lower starting price ($15/mo vs $99/mo)
- !Local recording means larger file sizes and longer upload times after sessions end
- !Live streaming features are less robust than dedicated platforms like StreamYard or OBS
Our Take: Livestorm vs Riverside
Riverside edges ahead with a 8.7/10 vs 8.0/10. The gap is noticeable but not dramatic — both are legitimate options depending on what you prioritize.
Where they differ: Livestorm's biggest strengths are no-download browser experience makes it easy for attendees to join webinars and built-in marketing features like registration pages and email sequences save setup time. Riverside, on the other hand, shines with local recording ensures studio-quality audio and video regardless of internet connection quality and aI-powered Magic Clips automatically identifies highlights and creates short-form content. These reflect fundamentally different product priorities.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each one with zero risk before committing. We recommend trying both for a week with real data.
Livestorm vs Riverside Score Comparison
| Category | Livestorm | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
🏆Overall Score | 8.0 | ▲8.7 |
💫Ease of Use | 8.5 | ▲9.0 |
⚙Features | 7.8 | ▲8.5 |
💰Value for Money | 7.2 | ▲8.2 |
💬Customer Support | 8.0 | ▲8.5 |
Why These Scores? Our Reasoning
- +No-download browser experience makes it easy for attendees to join webinars
- +Built-in marketing features like registration pages and email sequences save setup time
- +Engagement tools like polls, Q&A, and CTAs help convert webinar attendees into leads
- -Free plan limited to 30 participants and 20-minute sessions is very restrictive
- -Pricing jumps significantly between tiers, especially for larger audiences
- +Local recording ensures studio-quality audio and video regardless of internet connection quality
- +AI-powered Magic Clips automatically identifies highlights and creates short-form content
- +Browser-based with no software installation required for guests, reducing friction significantly
- -Local recording means larger file sizes and longer upload times after sessions end
- -Live streaming features are less robust than dedicated platforms like StreamYard or OBS
Livestorm vs Riverside Pros & Cons
+Strengths
- ✓No-download browser experience makes it easy for attendees to join webinars
- ✓Built-in marketing features like registration pages and email sequences save setup time
- ✓Engagement tools like polls, Q&A, and CTAs help convert webinar attendees into leads
-Weaknesses
- ✗Free plan limited to 30 participants and 20-minute sessions is very restrictive
- ✗Pricing jumps significantly between tiers, especially for larger audiences
- ✗Less suitable for casual meetings compared to purpose-built video calling tools
+Strengths
- ✓Local recording ensures studio-quality audio and video regardless of internet connection quality
- ✓AI-powered Magic Clips automatically identifies highlights and creates short-form content
- ✓Browser-based with no software installation required for guests, reducing friction significantly
-Weaknesses
- ✗Local recording means larger file sizes and longer upload times after sessions end
- ✗Live streaming features are less robust than dedicated platforms like StreamYard or OBS
- ✗Free plan is limited to 2 hours of recording which fills up quickly for regular podcasters
Who Should Use Livestorm vs Riverside?
Riverside is ideal for
- •Riverside is best forteams that need team communication with proven reliability and a clear pricing model. With a generous free tier and starting price of $15/mo
- •it suits individuals exploring the category as well as small businesses through enterprise.Specifically
- •Riverside works well for:(1)running daily team standups
- •(2)collaborating on documents
- •(3)holding video meetings.It isless idealfor solo creators on a strict zero-budget setup
When NOT to Choose Livestorm or Riverside
Knowing when a tool is the wrong fit is just as important as knowing its strengths
Skip Livestorm if...
- ✗Free plan limited to 30 participants and 20-minute sessions is very restrictive
- ✗Pricing jumps significantly between tiers, especially for larger audiences
- ✗Less suitable for casual meetings compared to purpose-built video calling tools
Skip Riverside if...
- ✗Local recording means larger file sizes and longer upload times after sessions end
- ✗Live streaming features are less robust than dedicated platforms like StreamYard or OBS
- ✗Free plan is limited to 2 hours of recording which fills up quickly for regular podcasters
Livestorm vs Riverside Decision Framework
Choose based on what matters most to you
Livestorm vs Riverside Pricing
| Pricing Feature | Livestorm | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Starting Price | $99/mo | $15/mo |
| Free Trial | 14 days | Not available |
| Number of Plans | 4 | 4 |
| Value Rating | 7.2/10 | 8.2/10 |
Livestorm Plans
- ✓30 participants
- ✓20-minute sessions
- ✓Unlimited events
- ✓Screen sharing
- +1 more
- ✓100+ participants
- ✓4-hour sessions
- ✓Everything in Free
- ✓Recording
- +2 more
- ✓Everything in Pro
- ✓500+ participants
- ✓Registration pages
- ✓Email sequences
- +2 more
- ✓Everything in Business
- ✓3,000+ participants
- ✓SSO
- ✓Dedicated support
- +1 more
Riverside Plans
- ✓2 hours recording
- ✓720p video
- ✓Separate audio tracks
- ✓AI transcription
- +1 more
- ✓15 hours recording
- ✓4K video
- ✓Up to 8 participants
- ✓Unlimited live streams
- +1 more
- ✓Unlimited recording
- ✓4K video
- ✓Up to 10 participants
- ✓Custom branding
- +1 more
- ✓Custom pricing
- ✓SSO/SAML
- ✓Dedicated CSM
- ✓API access
- +1 more
What You Get: Plan Feature Comparison
Comparing Livestorm's Pro ($99/mo) vs Riverside's Standard ($15/mo)
| Feature | Livestorm | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| 100+ participants | ✓ | ✗ |
| 4-hour sessions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Everything in Free | ✓ | ✗ |
| Recording | ✓ | ✗ |
| Custom branding | ✓ | ✗ |
| Polls | ✓ | ✗ |
| 15 hours recording | ✗ | ✓ |
| 4K video | ✗ | ✓ |
| Up to 8 participants | ✗ | ✓ |
| Unlimited live streams | ✗ | ✓ |
| Magic Clips AI | ✗ | ✓ |
Which Should You Choose?
Livestorm
Riverside
Quick Buyer's Guide
Based on our analysis, here's who each tool is best suited for
- ✓Users who need no-download browser experience makes it easy for attendees to join webinars
- ✓Users who need built-in marketing features like registration pages and email sequences save setup time
- ✓Riverside is best forteams that need team communication with proven reliability and a clear pricing model. With a generous free tier and starting price of $15/mo
- ✓it suits individuals exploring the category as well as small businesses through enterprise.Specifically
- ✓Users who need local recording ensures studio-quality audio and video regardless of internet connection quality
- ✓Teams with tighter budgets ($15/mo vs $99/mo)
Livestorm vs Riverside: The Bottom Line
Riverside earns the edge at 8.7/10 vs 8.0/10 — here's what that means in practice.
Our pick: Riverside for most users (8.7/10). Livestorm is still worth considering if its specific strengths align with your workflow. Livestorm at 8.0/10 is still competitive and may be the better fit depending on your specific requirements and budget.