Descript
Edit video and podcasts by editing their transcript, with AI audio cleanup and clips
4.0(1 review)Freemium
Riff
Draft fresh replies, DMs and posts for X, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram on-device
Free
Verdict
Descript is listed under Video AI and Riff under Productivity. Descript scores higher in FinderAtlas's editorial review (8.5 vs 7.8 out of 10), led by ease of use. Both have a free plan or trial. Only Descript is available on Web, Windows and macOS and offers an API. Only Riff is available on Chrome Extension.
Best overall
Descript
- Podcasters
- YouTube creators
- Marketing teams
- Course creators
Choose Descript if
- You want a tool built for podcast editing.
- Editing by transcript makes cutting speech content faster than a timeline alone.
- Studio Sound, filler word removal and retake removal are built in.
Choose Riff if
- You want a tool built for writing quick replies and comments on social posts.
- Free, with no account, subscription or API key.
- Generation runs on-device with Gemini Nano, so text is not sent to a server.
- Best for beginners
- Riff
- Best for business
- Descript
Features
18 features compared.
- Text-based editingDescriptAvailableRiffNot available
- UnderlordDescriptAvailableRiffNot available
- Studio SoundDescriptAvailableRiffNot available
- Filler word and retake removalDescriptAvailableRiffNot available
- AI speech and voice clonesDescriptAvailableRiffNot available
- Create clipsDescriptAvailableRiffNot available
- RecordingDescriptAvailableRiffNot available
- Translation and dubbingDescriptAvailableRiffNot available
- Generation toolsDescriptAvailableRiffNot available
- API and MCPDescriptAvailableRiffNot available
- On-device AIDescriptNot availableRiffAvailable
- Replies and commentsDescriptNot availableRiffAvailable
- DM replies and first messagesDescriptNot availableRiffAvailable
- Riff a postDescriptNot availableRiffAvailable
- DialsDescriptNot availableRiffAvailable
- RepurposingDescriptNot availableRiffAvailable
- Voices and presetsDescriptNot availableRiffAvailable
- Never sends for youDescriptNot availableRiffAvailable
Pricing
Plans as listed by each vendor. Check their sites for current prices.
- Pricing modelDescriptFreemiumRiffFree
- Free planDescriptYesRiffYes
- Starting priceDescript$0Riff$0
- PlansDescript5 plansRiff1 plan
Descript plans
Free
$0
1 media hour per month and 100 one-time AI credits
- Text-based editing
- Limited AI tools
- 720p export with watermark
- 5GB storage
Hobbyist
$24/user/mo
10 media hours and 400 AI credits per month, 1 person
- Underlord access
- Studio Sound
- Remove filler words
- Create clips
- AI speech with voice clones
- 1080p export without watermark
- 100GB storage
Creator
Most popular$35/user/mo
30 media hours and 800 AI credits per month, up to 3 seats
- Full Underlord
- 20+ AI tools
- AI video generation
- Unlimited stock library
- Top-ups
- 4K export
- 1TB storage
Business
$65/user/mo
40 media hours and 1,500 AI credits per month, up to 5 seats
- Brand Studio
- Translation and dubbing in 30+ languages
- Custom avatars
- Top-ups
- Priority support with SLA
- 4K export
- 2TB storage
Enterprise
Custom/custom
Contact sales; media minutes and AI credits sized to the team
- SSO and SCIM
- SOC 2 Type II
- Audit logs
- Custom data retention
- Custom legal terms
- Dedicated customer success manager
Riff plans
Free
$0
Free to use with no account, subscription or payment
- Replies and comments
- DM replies
- Post and thread drafting
- On-device Gemini Nano
- No API key
Our ratings
Scored out of 10 by the Finder Atlas editorial team. Last reviewed October 2026.
- Descript
- 8.5overall
- Riff
- 7.8overall
Descript leads in 1 category and Riff in 0.
Text-Based Media Editing
- Descript
- 9.4
- Riff
- Not rated
Studio Sound Enhancement
- Descript
- 8.6
- Riff
- Not rated
Ease of Use
Descript leads by 0.8- Descript
- 8.8
- Riff
- 8.0
Feature Breadth
- Descript
- 8.4
- Riff
- Not rated
Value for Money
- Descript
- 7.3
- Riff
- Not rated
Feature Depth
- Descript
- Not rated
- Riff
- 7.5
Output Quality
- Descript
- Not rated
- Riff
- 6.8
Privacy
- Descript
- Not rated
- Riff
- 9.0
Documentation & Support
- Descript
- Not rated
- Riff
- 7.5
Scores weigh documented features, plan value, platform coverage, integrations and user feedback. A missing score means we have not rated that area yet.
Pros and cons
Descript
Pros
- Editing by transcript makes cutting speech content faster than a timeline alone
- Studio Sound, filler word removal and retake removal are built in
- Includes recording, transcription, captions and clip creation in one app
- Free plan available with no credit card required
- API and MCP server allow automated editing
- SOC 2 Type II and SSO or SCIM on Enterprise
Cons
- Free plan exports 720p with a watermark and allows only 1 media hour per month
- Paid prices are $24 to $65 per month on monthly billing, with annual billing needed for the lowest rates
- Media hours and AI credits are capped, with top-ups only on Creator and above
- Desktop app needs macOS 14 or Windows 11 and there is no listed mobile app
Riff
Pros
- Free, with no account, subscription or API key
- Generation runs on-device with Gemini Nano, so text is not sent to a server
- Covers replies, DMs, posts and X threads in one side panel
- Never presses send, which keeps the user in control
- Dials for tone, pitch and length, plus a Fresh score to avoid repetitive openings
Cons
- Requires desktop Chrome 138 or newer and a one-time Gemini Nano download
- Output quality is limited by the small on-device model
- Chrome only; no Firefox, Safari or mobile support
- Very new, with few reviews on the Chrome Web Store
Platforms
- WebDescriptSupportedRiffNot supported
- WindowsDescriptSupportedRiffNot supported
- macOSDescriptSupportedRiffNot supported
- iOSDescriptNot supportedRiffNot supported
- AndroidDescriptNot supportedRiffNot supported
- APIDescriptSupportedRiffNot supported
- Browser ExtensionDescriptNot supportedRiffNot supported
- Chrome ExtensionDescriptNot supportedRiffSupported
Company
- CompanyDescriptDescriptRiffZima Media OÜ
- FoundedDescript2017RiffNot listed
- HeadquartersDescriptSan Francisco, CARiffTallinn, Estonia
- ListingDescriptClaimedRiffClaimed
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Frequently asked questions
Is Descript better than Riff?
It depends on your workflow. Descript is built for podcast editing. Riff is built for writing quick replies and comments on social posts.
What are the key feature differences between Descript and Riff?
Descript: Edit video and podcasts by editing their transcript, with AI audio cleanup and clips. Riff: Draft fresh replies, DMs and posts for X, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram on-device. Descript is rated 4.0/5 from 1 user review.
Does Descript or Riff have a free plan?
Yes, both do. Descript is freemium and Riff is free, and each has a free plan or trial.
Which is cheaper, Descript or Riff?
Both can be used for free. Paid plans differ in limits and features, so compare the tiers in the pricing table above.