Side-by-side comparison · Video & Audio
Microsoft Clipchamp vs Google Flow Music 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.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Beginners and small businesses on Windows who want a free, simple editor without a watermark.
Pick it if: Creators and small businesses who want custom songs, jingles or background music, and hobbyists who just want to make music.
Pick it if: Businesses running a podcast, interview series or webinar who want guests to sound and look professional without a studio.
Overview
| Attribute | Microsoft Clipchamp | Google Flow Music | Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Microsoft's free video editor, with AI subtitles and voiceovers and no watermark. | Google's AI music studio: chat to make full songs, edit them, and make a music video. | Records podcasts and video interviews remotely in studio quality, with AI editing. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $0 | $0 | $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.
| Attribute | Microsoft Clipchamp | Google Flow Music | Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Microsoft Clipchamp | Google Flow Music | Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | No | No |
| Browser extension | No | No | No |
| API access | No | No | – |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | No | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | No | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | No | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | – | – | – |
| Makes images | No | Yes | No |
| Makes video | No | Yes | No |
| Writes code | No | Yes | No |
| Runs agents or automations | No | No | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | Yes | – | – |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 9/ 17 | 7/ 17 | 8/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Microsoft Clipchamp | Google Flow Music | Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | FreeOur pick $0 Most people making simple videos. | Free $0 Trying it and making the odd song. | Free Free Trying it with a test episode. |
Premium with Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr People who also want Word, Excel and OneDrive. | StarterOur pick $6/mo Creators who need music every week. | ProOur pick $29/mo, or $24/mo billed yearly A business running a regular podcast or interview series. | |
Premium with Microsoft 365 Family $12.99/mo or $129.99/yr Households of up to 6 people. | Plus $18/mo Heavy users and music videos. | Grow $39/mo, or $34/mo billed yearly Teams recording several shows or long interviews. | |
Clipchamp for work Included in some Microsoft 365 business plans Office teams already on Microsoft 365. | Member $48/mo Musicians who live in it. | 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 pick | Stay on Free unless you need 4K or premium stock. If you already pay for Microsoft 365 Personal or Family, you have Premium already. | Start on Free, since the daily credits go a long way for background music. Starter is cheap enough to take once you're making music every week. Yearly billing saves about 25%. | 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
| Attribute | Microsoft Clipchamp | Google Flow Music | Riverside |
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | Microsoft Clipchamp | Google Flow Music | Riverside |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Microsoft Clipchamp | Google Flow Music | Riverside |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Microsoft Clipchamp, Google Flow Music or Riverside?
They tie on our overall rating (Microsoft Clipchamp 4.0/5, Google Flow Music 4.3/5 and Riverside 4.3/5). Microsoft Clipchamp is best for free editing with no watermark and simple social videos and slideshows. Google Flow Music is best for custom background music for videos and jingles and short brand songs. Riverside is best for company podcasts with remote guests and recording client or customer interviews.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Clipchamp, Google Flow Music or Riverside?
Microsoft Clipchamp: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $0. Google Flow Music: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $0. 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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