What is the difference between Riverside and Gather?

Riverside is best for Podcasters and creators recording high-quality video, while Gather is best for Remote teams wanting a virtual office with spatial audio. Riverside starts at $15/mo and Gather starts at Free.

Is Riverside or Gather cheaper?

Riverside starts at $15/mo. Gather starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Riverside?

Yes, Gather offers a free tier (Free for 10 users).

Riverside vs Gather

Riverside is studio-quality recording platform for podcasts and video with local recording and AI transcription, while Gather is virtual office space with spatial audio, customizable maps, and proximity-based chat. The biggest difference up front: Gather is free, while Riverside starts at $15/mo. Riverside is built for podcasters and creators recording high-quality video, whereas Gather targets remote teams wanting a virtual office with spatial audio.

At a glance

	Riverside	Gather
Best for	Podcasters and creators recording high-quality video	Remote teams wanting a virtual office with spatial audio
Starting price	$15/mo	Free
Free tier	—	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	—	✓
Open source	—	—
AI Editing	✓	—
Custom Maps	—	✓
Games	—	✓
Local Recording	✓	—
Screen Recording	✓	—
Spatial Audio	—	✓
Transcription	✓	—
Virtual Office	—	✓

Riverside

Strengths

Includes Local Recording as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
Includes Transcription as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
Pricing starts at $15/mo, which includes the full video conferencing feature set
Includes screen recording alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Starts at $15/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Call quality depends heavily on participants' internet connections
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Riverside → Full review

Gather

Strengths

Includes Spatial Audio as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
Includes Virtual Office as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
Free for 10 users — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes custom maps alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Call quality depends heavily on participants' internet connections
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Gather → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Gather is completely free (Free for 10 users), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Riverside starts at $15/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Riverside offers AI Editing, Local Recording and Screen Recording that Gather lacks. Gather brings Custom Maps, Games and Spatial Audio that Riverside does not have.

Team fit: Riverside is geared toward individual users and small setups, while Gather is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Where each tool shines: Riverside's biggest strengths are: includes local recording as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows. includes transcription as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows. Gather's biggest strengths are: includes spatial audio as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows. includes virtual office as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows.

Watch out for: With Riverside, users commonly note that starts at $15/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users. With Gather, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Riverside if...

You need a tool built for podcasters and creators recording high-quality video
You specifically need AI Editing and Local Recording
You care about includes transcription as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
Your team size fits the individuals profile Riverside is designed for

Choose Gather if...

You need a tool built for remote teams wanting a virtual office with spatial audio
Budget is a hard constraint — Gather is free, Riverside is not
You specifically need Custom Maps and Games
You care about includes virtual office as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
Your team size fits the small teams profile Gather is designed for