Side-by-side comparison · Video & Audio
Async vs Riverside vs Screen Studio
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Podcasters and small teams who want recording, editing, clips and hosting in one place.
Pick it if: Businesses running a podcast, interview series or webinar who want guests to sound and look professional without a studio.
Pick it if: Founders, course creators and marketers on a Mac who record product demos, tutorials and walkthroughs.
Overview
| Attribute | Async | Riverside | Screen Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Record, edit and publish podcasts and videos, with AI that edits when you ask. | Records podcasts and video interviews remotely in studio quality, with AI editing. | Mac screen recorder that adds smooth zooms and cursor moves to make polished demos. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Paid |
| Starting price | $0 | $29/mo | $9/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | No |
| Works with Claude Code | No | No | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Async | Riverside | Screen Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.4Winner |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Async | Riverside | Screen Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | No |
| Desktop app | No | No | Yes |
| Browser extension | No | No | No |
| API access | – | – | No |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | No |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes | No |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | No |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | No |
| Understands images | – | – | – |
| Makes images | Yes | No | No |
| Makes video | Yes | No | No |
| Writes code | No | No | No |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | Yes | No |
| Learns your brand or style | Yes | – | – |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | No |
| Capabilities score | 11/ 17 | 8/ 17 | 1/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Async | Riverside | Screen Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free $0 Trying the editor. | Free Free Trying it with a test episode. | YearlyOur pick $9/mo, billed $108 a year Anyone making demos regularly. |
Essentials $11.99/mo billed yearly Solo podcasters getting started. | ProOur pick $29/mo, or $24/mo billed yearly A business running a regular podcast or interview series. | Monthly $29/mo A one-off launch or project. | |
ProOur pick $23.99/mo billed yearly Creators publishing weekly. | Grow $39/mo, or $34/mo billed yearly Teams recording several shows or long interviews. | ||
Teams $49.99 per creator/mo billed yearly Small teams producing a lot. | Webinar $99/mo, or $79/mo billed yearly Businesses that run webinars and live events. | ||
Business Custom Larger organisations. | Business Custom Larger teams with several producers. | ||
| Which plan to pick | Pro suits most weekly podcasts, because Essentials' 4 recording hours a month runs out fast with guests. Yearly billing saves about 40% on the monthly price. | 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. | Pay yearly if you'll record more than a couple of months, since it works out about a third of the monthly price. For a single launch video, one month is enough. Students and teachers get 40% off. |
Key features
| Attribute | Async | Riverside | Screen Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | Async | Riverside | Screen Studio |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Async | Riverside | Screen Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Async, Riverside or Screen Studio?
Screen Studio scores highest overall in our ratings (Async 4.2/5, Riverside 4.3/5 and Screen Studio 4.4/5). Async is best for recording remote podcast interviews and editing episodes by editing the transcript. Riverside is best for company podcasts with remote guests and recording client or customer interviews. Screen Studio is best for product demo videos for a website or launch and tutorials and course lessons.
Which is cheaper, Async, Riverside or Screen Studio?
Async: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $0. Riverside: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $29/mo. Screen Studio: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $9/mo.
Which is easier to use, Async, Riverside or Screen Studio?
Screen Studio rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Founders, course creators and marketers on a Mac who record product demos, tutorials and walkthroughs.
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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