Substack vs Riverside for podcasters
Riverside is a great recording studio that became a podcast hosting platform in late 2025. Hosting costs $29–$99 a month, Riverside can't take payments from your listeners, and its analytics aren't IAB certified. Substack hosts your show for free, has paid subscriptions built in, and includes a recording studio too.
Substack is the only podcast hosting platform with a subscriber community, a companion newsletter, an independent website, a growth network, and complete ownership of your audience, all built in for free. Payments run through your own Stripe account and you keep 90% of what you earn less credit card fees.
By Zach Taylor · Last updated Oct 21, 2026
Which is better for podcasts, Substack or Riverside?
Substack is better as a podcast host if you want to earn from your listeners. Riverside is a strong recording tool, but its hosting can't take payments from listeners, while Substack hosting is free and you keep 90% of paid subscriptions, less credit card processing fees. Substack also gives you an independent website, community chat and comments, a growth network, and every subscriber's email address, which Riverside doesn't offer.
Of the 21 features in our comparison, Substack has 21 and Riverside has 8, counting features that come with plan limits or conditions. See the full table
- Riverside includes hosting only on paid plans, from $29 a month, and its free plan can't host your show. Substack hosting is free.
- Riverside doesn't offer paid subscriptions or any other way to earn from listeners. On Substack, paid subscriptions are built in. Payments run through your own Stripe account and you keep 90% of what you earn less credit card fees.
- Riverside's analytics aren't IAB certified. Substack's analytics are IAB certified.
- Riverside has no listener comments or chat. Substack gives you chat, threaded comments, direct messages, and live video, plus a recording studio in the browser and the app.
Why podcasters choose Substack over Riverside
Get paid by listeners, and keep 90%
On Riverside, you pay $29–$99 a month for hosting, and there's no way to earn from your listeners: no paid subscriptions, no Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, and no ad marketplace. Substack is free to use and has paid subscriptions built in. Payments run through your own Stripe account and you keep 90% of what you earn less credit card fees. Substack’s 10% fee includes a growth network that helps new paying subscribers find your show through the app, Notes, and recommendations.
A growth network and a website people can find
Riverside has no listener app, discovery network, or subscriber community, so you'll have to grow your show yourself. On Substack, more than half of new subscribers come from inside the network, through the Substack app, Notes, and recommendations from other publications. Your show still goes to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube, and paid subscribers can listen in Spotify through Open Access.
Community, newsletter, and website in one place
Riverside has no listener comments or chat, and its website and newsletter need the Grow plan, at $39 a month. Its newsletters come from a no-reply address, so readers can't write back. Every Substack show gets chat, threaded comments, direct messages, live video, its own website, a newsletter, and email delivery of each episode.
Own your audience
Riverside has no paying subscribers to own, and its newsletter list import is capped at 10,000 contacts. On Substack, payments run through your own Stripe account, and you can export your full list of free and paid subscribers at any time.
Recording and hosting, both included
Riverside's analytics blend RSS plays, Spotify streams, and YouTube views, and aren't IAB certified. Its show import brings over audio only, and Apple Podcasts video needs the Grow plan. Substack has IAB-certified download analytics, hosts audio and video for free, delivers video to Apple Podcasts automatically, publishes it to YouTube, and includes a recording studio in the browser and the app.
Substack vs Riverside, feature by feature
Scroll to see the full table
Everything in one place
Feature | Substack | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
Community tools (chat, comments) | No | |
Companion newsletter | Riverside Grow plan and up. Newsletters are sent from a no-reply address. | |
Independent podcast website | No Riverside sites need the Grow plan. | |
Own your subscriber list | No | |
No monthly platform fee | No | |
Platform fee on paid subscriptions | 10% | No payments |
Growth network | No | |
Who owns the payment relationship | You Payments run through your own Stripe account. | No payments |
Podcast hosting and distribution
Feature | Substack | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
Free podcast hosting | No Riverside includes hosting only on paid plans, from $29/month. | |
Free & paid episodes | No | |
Powerful discovery network | No | |
Native podcast hosting | ||
Distribute to Apple Podcasts & Spotify | ||
Video on Apple Podcasts | Riverside Grow plan and up, from $39/month. | |
Episodes delivered by email | No | |
Auto-publish video to YouTube | ||
Paid episodes playable in Spotify | No | |
IAB-certified download analytics | No | |
Browser and mobile recording studio | ||
Import your show and paying subscribers | No | |
Collaboration tools | Riverside charges extra for additional editor seats. | |
Live video | Riverside Grow plan and up, from $39/month. | |
Themes and visual customization | No | |
Mobile app for listeners | No |
How we compared: we checked each platform's own pricing pages, help docs, and terms. A feature is marked as supported only when the platform documents it.
Riverside or Substack: which fits your podcast?
- Riverside records high-quality local tracks for every guest.
- Grow plans and up include 1080p livestreaming and multistreaming.
- Riverside can publish video to YouTube automatically.
Substack also includes a recording studio, live video, and automatic video publishing to YouTube. Riverside may suit a show focused on recording and production; Substack adds free hosting, paid subscriptions, a newsletter, and community.
If you want to own your audience and earn directly from it, Substack puts your podcast, newsletter, community, and website in one place, for free. When you turn on paid subscriptions, you keep 90% of what you earn, minus credit card fees.
Moving from Riverside to Substack
- Create your free Substack publicationTurn on podcasting from your publication settings. No credit card required.
- Import your showPaste your current RSS feed into the Substack importer to bring over your back catalog.
- Redirect your feedRedirect your Riverside feed to your new Substack RSS feed, or update the feed URL in Apple Podcasts Connect and Spotify for Creators, so listening apps follow your show.
- Turn on paid subscriptionsOffer bonus episodes, ad-free versions, or early access, and keep 90% of what you earn, less credit card processing fees.
Common questions
Does Riverside offer free podcast hosting?
No. Riverside's free plan doesn't include hosting. Hosting starts on the Pro plan at $29 a month, and the website, newsletter, and Apple Podcasts video need the Grow plan at $39 a month. Substack podcast hosting, including video, is free, and free shows on Substack get every tool paid shows get.
Can I make money from my podcast on Riverside?
Not through Riverside. It doesn't offer paid subscriptions, Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, or an ad marketplace. On Substack, paid subscriptions are built in, and you keep 90% of paid subscription revenue, less credit card processing fees.
Can I record on Riverside and host on Substack?
Yes. Many podcasters record wherever they like and publish on Substack. Substack also includes its own recording studio in the browser and the app, so you can record, publish, and grow in one place.
Can I move my podcast from Riverside to Substack?
Yes. Import your show with your RSS feed, then point Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other apps to your new Substack feed so your listeners follow you.
Host your podcast. Grow your community. Keep 90%.
Free hosting, a subscriber community, a newsletter, a website you own, and a growth network that brings you new subscribers, all in one place. Substack only makes money when you do.
