If you’re starting a podcast, one of the hardest parts isn’t necessarily finding a microphone. It’s finding the right software for recording your guests. This becomes even more important when your guests aren’t sitting in the same room.
You could use Zoom or another video-calling service, but traditional video calls aren’t really designed to produce studio-quality podcast recordings. Audio can become compressed, video quality can drop, and a bad internet connection can ruin an otherwise great interview.
That’s why platforms such as Riverside.fm and SquadCast have become popular with podcasters.
Both are designed specifically for recording remote conversations. Both record participants locally, provide separate audio tracks, and make it possible to create professional-looking podcasts without building a complicated studio.
But there are some important differences. Riverside has expanded into a much broader creator platform with recording, editing, AI tools, video, podcast hosting, live streaming, and content repurposing. SquadCast, meanwhile, has joined Descript and now offers recording alongside transcription, editing, AI features, screen recording, and other Descript-powered tools.
What Is Riverside.fm?
Riverside is a remote recording and content creation platform. It became popular because it solved a major problem for podcasters: recording high-quality conversations with people who aren’t physically in the same room.
Instead of simply recording the audio from an internet call, Riverside records each participant locally and uploads the recordings. This gives you separate files that you can edit later.
That means your guest’s bad internet connection doesn’t necessarily destroy the quality of the recording.
Riverside has grown significantly since its early days. Today, it offers recording, editing, AI-powered production, transcription, clips, podcast hosting, analytics, video production, and live streaming. Riverside’s current paid plans include features such as 4K recording, 48 kHz audio, AI audio enhancement, podcast hosting, and AI-powered editing.
So Riverside isn’t simply a remote recording tool anymore. It’s trying to be the place where you create and publish your entire podcast.
What Is SquadCast?
SquadCast has a similar origin. It was built specifically for remote recording and became known for its high-quality audio recording and reliable upload system.
SquadCast records participants locally and progressively uploads their recordings to the cloud. This means your files are being backed up while you’re recording rather than waiting until the interview is finished. That’s a very useful feature.
Imagine recording a two-hour interview and having your computer suddenly shut down. That’s the kind of situation every podcaster worries about.
SquadCast’s Progressive Uploads system is designed to protect against that kind of problem by continuously uploading and backing up recordings.
SquadCast has also become part of Descript, and its current plans combine recording with features such as transcription, editing, captions, stock media, screen recording, and AI tools.
That gives SquadCast a very interesting advantage: you can move from recording into Descript’s editing environment without having to completely change your workflow.
Pricing
Pricing is one area where the comparison has changed considerably.Riverside currently offers a free plan with no time limit.
The free plan includes unlimited recording with up to 10 people, 720p video, 44.1 kHz audio, text-based editing, and AI-powered clip generation. The main limitations include watermarks and limited separate-track downloads.
Riverside’s paid plans currently start at $29 per month, or $24 per month when billed annually. Paid plans add features such as 4K recording, watermark removal, podcast hosting, AI audio enhancement, and other advanced tools.
SquadCast is now priced through its Descript plans.
Its current Free plan includes one recording hour per editor per month, one show, up to 10 participants, video and screen recording, and limited AI features.
The Hobbyist plan costs $16 per person per month and provides 10 recording hours per editor each month.
The Creator plan costs $24 per person per month with annual billing, or $35 monthly, and provides 30 recording hours per editor per month, unlimited shows, up to 4K exports, unlimited AI Suite usage, and Dolby Voice mastering.
So the pricing isn’t completely straightforward. If you only need basic remote recording, SquadCast’s Hobbyist plan can be attractive. If you want a broader podcast production platform, Riverside’s paid plans are worth considering.
Recording Quality
This is one category where both platforms are excellent. Riverside records participants locally and provides separate audio and video tracks. Its paid plans support up to 4K video and 48 kHz audio. That makes Riverside particularly attractive for video podcasts.
SquadCast also records locally and provides separate participant tracks. Its audio recordings are captured at 48 kHz and 16-bit depth in WAV format. Video recordings are available up to 1080p at 30fps.
For an audio-only podcast, there’s little reason to worry about the difference. Both can produce excellent audio when you’re using a good microphone. For video, however, Riverside has the advantage because of its 4K support.
Remote Guests
Both Riverside and SquadCast are designed to make life easy for guests. Guests don’t generally need complicated software installations.
SquadCast specifically says guests can join through their browser without creating an account or downloading software.
Riverside follows a similarly simple browser-based approach. This is important because not every podcast guest is technically comfortable.
You don’t want to spend 20 minutes explaining how to install software before every interview. Both platforms give you a simple link that you can send to your guest.
Number of Participants
Riverside’s comparison page says its recording workflow supports up to eight participants.
SquadCast currently supports a host plus up to nine guests, meaning a maximum of 10 people in a session.
For most podcasts, this won’t matter. Most interviews have one host and one guest. But if you’re producing panel discussions, group interviews, or webinars, the extra capacity can be useful.
Audio Quality and Processing
Both platforms are capable of producing excellent podcast audio. SquadCast records local WAV audio at 48 kHz and 16-bit depth. It also offers Dolby Voice mastering, which can automatically improve speech, normalize loudness, reduce background noise, and handle other common audio problems.
Riverside has its own audio enhancement system called Magic Audio. It uses AI to improve speech quality and reduce unwanted background noise and room sound. This is especially useful if your guests don’t have professional microphones.
Neither platform can completely fix terrible audio, of course. If someone records next to a loud washing machine using a cheap microphone, software can only do so much. But both platforms can make decent recordings sound significantly better.
Video Recording
This is one of the clearer differences. Riverside supports up to 4K video on its paid plans. SquadCast currently lists video recording up to 1080p at 30fps. For a traditional audio podcast, this doesn’t matter. But if you’re creating a video podcast for YouTube, 4K gives you more flexibility.
- You can crop the video.
- You can zoom in on a guest.
- You can create vertical clips.
- You can reframe shots.
- And you still have more resolution to work with.
If video is important to you, Riverside is the obvious choice.
Editing
This is where SquadCast gets more interesting because of its relationship with Descript.
Descript is a popular text-based audio and video editing platform. Instead of editing everything manually on a traditional timeline, you can edit recordings through their transcript.
SquadCast’s current plans include transcription, editing, captions, stock media, screen recording, and AI features.
Riverside also has text-based editing. You can edit your podcast by editing the transcript, remove unwanted sections, create clips, and use AI to speed up the production process.
Both are much easier than traditional professional editing software for beginners. However, if you’re already a Descript user, SquadCast becomes particularly attractive because the two products are now closely integrated.
AI Features
AI has become a major part of podcast production. Riverside has built AI directly into its platform.
Its features include automatic transcription, AI show notes, Magic Clips, Magic Audio, filler-word removal, silence removal, and other AI-powered editing tools.
SquadCast now benefits from Descript’s AI ecosystem. Its current plans include AI tools for filler-word removal, Studio Sound, green screen, creating clips, social posts, eye-contact correction, caption translation, and AI speech.
This is a surprisingly close competition. If you want AI tools specifically for creating and repurposing podcast content, both are strong.
If you already use Descript, SquadCast has a major advantage. If you want everything inside a single Riverside environment, Riverside may feel simpler.
Podcast Clips
Short-form video has become a huge part of podcast marketing. A one-hour interview can potentially produce dozens of smaller pieces of content.
Riverside’s Magic Clips can automatically identify interesting moments and turn them into short clips. This can save a lot of time.
SquadCast’s current plans also include AI clip creation through the Descript ecosystem. Again, both are strong. The choice mostly depends on which editing ecosystem you prefer.
Live Streaming
Riverside has a major advantage here. It supports live streaming and allows creators to record and broadcast simultaneously. Riverside’s comparison page specifically lists live streaming as one of its platform features.
This means you can host an interview, record the high-quality version, and simultaneously stream it to your audience.
SquadCast is much more focused on recording. If live streaming is a major part of your strategy, Riverside is the better fit.
Mobile Recording
Riverside also has an advantage for creators who want guests to participate from mobile devices. Its comparison page lists both iPhone and Android apps. That can be useful if a guest doesn’t have access to a computer.
SquadCast is primarily browser-based. For a traditional podcast where everyone records from a computer, this isn’t a big issue. But if mobile recording matters to you, Riverside has the edge.
Final Thoughts
So, Riverside.fm vs. SquadCast — which one is better? For most new podcasters, I’d choose Riverside.
It’s particularly strong if you want to create both audio and video, and its combination of remote recording, 4K video, AI tools, editing, podcast hosting, and live streaming makes it a very complete platform.
I’d choose SquadCast if recording reliability and the Descript editing ecosystem are your biggest priorities.
SquadCast’s Progressive Uploads system is genuinely useful, and the platform provides high-quality local recordings with separate tracks and cloud backups.
Ultimately, though, both platforms solve the same basic problem: helping you record professional-quality conversations without requiring everyone to be in the same room.
If you’re starting a new podcast today and want one platform that can handle recording, editing, video, AI, clips, and publishing, Riverside is probably the easier choice.
If you’re already part of the Descript ecosystem and want a reliable remote recording tool that fits naturally into that workflow, SquadCast is still a very strong option.
The most important thing is to choose the platform that fits your workflow rather than simply choosing the one with the longest feature list. A great podcast recorded consistently will always be more valuable than a perfect setup that you never actually use.