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Side-by-side comparison · Video & Audio

Adobe Podcast vs Loom vs Riverside

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Adobe Podcast

4.3

From $19.99/mo

Loom

4.2

From $18/user/mo

Riverside

4.3

From $29/mo

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Best value

Pick it if: Anyone publishing voice content, from podcasters to marketers fixing a webinar or interview recording.

Loom4.2

Pick it if: Teams, consultants and salespeople who explain things on screen and want to send a video instead of booking a call.

Pick it if: Businesses running a podcast, interview series or webinar who want guests to sound and look professional without a studio.

Overview

AttributeAdobe PodcastLoomRiverside
In one lineMakes rough voice recordings sound studio-recorded in one click with Enhance Speech.Records your screen and camera in one click, with AI titles, summaries and chapters.Records podcasts and video interviews remotely in studio quality, with AI editing.
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemiumFreemium
Starting price$19.99/mo$18/user/mo$29/mo
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code No No No

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeAdobe PodcastLoomRiverside
Overall rating4.34.24.3
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
5.0
5.0
4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
3.5
4.0
4.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.0
4.0
4.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.5
3.5
4.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.5
4.5
4.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeAdobe PodcastLoomRiverside
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Mobile app No Yes Yes
Desktop app No Yes No
Browser extension No Yes No
API access No––
Teams & business
Team workspace– Yes Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO– Yes Yes
Connects to other apps– Yes Yes
Open source or self-hosted No No No
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes Yes
Understands images–––
Makes images No No No
Makes video No No No
Writes code No No No
Runs agents or automations–– Yes
Learns your brand or style–––
Works in many languages Yes Yes Yes
Capabilities score3/ 179/ 178/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeAdobe PodcastLoomRiverside
Plans

FreeOur pick

Free

Fixing the odd recording.

Starter

Free

Occasional recordings and trying it out.

Free

Free

Trying it with a test episode.

Premium (via Firefly Pro)

$19.99/mo

People cleaning up audio or video every week.

Business

$18/user/mo, or about $15 billed yearly

Teams who record often but don't need AI extras.

ProOur pick

$29/mo, or $24/mo billed yearly

A business running a regular podcast or interview series.

Business + AIOur pick

$24/user/mo, or about $20 billed yearly

Teams who send lots of videos and want them skimmable.

Grow

$39/mo, or $34/mo billed yearly

Teams recording several shows or long interviews.

Enterprise

Custom

Large companies with IT and security needs.

Webinar

$99/mo, or $79/mo billed yearly

Businesses that run webinars and live events.

Business

Custom

Larger teams with several producers.

Which plan to pickThe free plan handles most business needs. Pay for Premium only if you regularly fix video files, need to batch-process episodes, or already want Firefly Pro for images.Try Starter first. If people on your team record most days, Business + AI on yearly billing is worth it for the summaries and clean-up; plain Business is fine if you just need unlimited length.Pro on yearly billing covers most company podcasts. Move to Grow only if you record more than about five hours a month, and to Webinar only if you host live events.

Key features

AttributeAdobe PodcastLoomRiverside
Standout features
  • Enhance Speech
  • Strength controls
  • Video and bulk upload
  • Mic Check
  • Studio
  • One-click recording
  • AI titles, summaries and chapters
  • Clean-up
  • Turn video into docs
  • Viewer insights
  • Meeting notes
  • Local recording
  • Separate tracks
  • Text-based editor
  • Magic Clips
  • AI editing and repurposing agent
  • Webinars and live streaming

Pros and cons

AttributeAdobe PodcastLoomRiverside
Pros
  • Simple: upload, wait, download
  • Free plan is generous for occasional use
  • Results on typical laptop and phone audio are excellent
  • Mic Check helps you record better next time
  • The quickest way to record and share a screen video
  • Viewers need no account or download
  • AI summaries and chapters make videos easy to skim
  • Works everywhere: Mac, Windows, Chrome, iPhone and Android
  • Embeds cleanly in Slack, Notion and Jira
  • Guest audio and video stay high quality even on poor connections
  • Separate tracks for every speaker
  • Guests just click a link, with nothing to install
  • Transcript editing and Magic Clips save hours of editing
  • Generous free plan to test with
Cons
  • Can make voices sound robotic or muffled on very poor recordings
  • Free plan is audio-only, one file at a time, with no strength control
  • Premium is now bundled into Firefly Pro, so you pay for image tools you may not need
  • Not a full editor; you still need another app to cut the content
  • Free plan limits run out quickly for regular users
  • Price increases and the loss of free viewer seats since Atlassian bought it
  • AI features are a separate, pricier tier
  • Some users report failed uploads, lag and audio sync problems
  • Built-in editor is limited for detailed post-production
  • Some users report audio and video drifting out of sync on long or multi-guest sessions
  • Recording hours are capped on Pro and Grow
  • Uploads from guests on slow connections can take a long time to finish

Who each one is for

AttributeAdobe PodcastLoomRiverside
Best for
  • Rescuing poorly recorded interviews
  • Cleaning up webinar and Zoom audio
  • Podcast voice clean-up
  • Desk-recorded voiceovers
  • Async updates instead of meetings
  • Walking clients through work
  • Staff training and how-tos
  • Personal sales videos
  • Bug reports and design feedback
  • Company podcasts with remote guests
  • Recording client or customer interviews
  • Turning episodes into social clips
  • Webinars you want to reuse
You'll find it used by
  • Podcasters
  • Marketers
  • Video editors
  • Course creators
  • Journalists
  • Sales teams
  • Consultants
  • Customer success
  • Product teams
  • Managers
  • Podcast hosts
  • Marketing teams
  • Agencies
  • Consultants
  • Event and webinar teams

Questions people ask

Which is better, Adobe Podcast, Loom or Riverside?

They tie on our overall rating (Adobe Podcast 4.3/5, Loom 4.2/5 and Riverside 4.3/5). Adobe Podcast is best for rescuing poorly recorded interviews and cleaning up webinar and Zoom audio. Loom is best for async updates instead of meetings and walking clients through work. Riverside is best for company podcasts with remote guests and recording client or customer interviews.

Which is cheaper, Adobe Podcast, Loom or Riverside?

Adobe Podcast: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $19.99/mo. Loom: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $18/user/mo. Riverside: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $29/mo.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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