Edits is the better app overall, scoring 8.5 to 8.3. Edits wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Riverside on 2, with 1 tied.
Reels creators who want a free editor on their phone or Mac
Podcasters who interview guests online and want clean video and sound
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Edits | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Media & Creator Tools | Social Media & Creator Tools |
| Category rank | #5 of 17 | #8 of 17 |
| Developer | Meta | Riverside |
| Pricing | Free | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | — | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Edits better than Riverside?
Edits is the better app overall, scoring 8.5 to 8.3. Edits wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Riverside on 2, with 1 tied.
Which is cheaper, Edits or Riverside?
Edits: Free on phones and Mac, with 4K exports and no watermark; no paid plan yet. Riverside: Free with a watermark; Pro is $29 a month, or $24 a month billed yearly. On value for money, Edits scores higher.
Do Edits and Riverside work on the same devices?
Only Riverside runs on Web.
Which is more private, Edits or Riverside?
Riverside scores higher on privacy (7.0/10). The App Store label says identifiers may be used to track you. Usage data, device ID, diagnostics and audio are collected but not linked to your identity.
Strengths and weaknesses
Edits
- Free, with no watermark on exports
- New features arrive almost every week
- Shows stats for your Reels in the same app
- Needs an Instagram account to sign in
- Desktop app is Mac only, with no Windows version
- A paid Edits Plus plan is on the way
Edits is the best free deal in phone video editing. You can film clips up to 10 minutes, cut them on a proper timeline, add auto captions, green screen and effects, then export in 4K with no watermark. It also shows how your Reels are doing, and new tools land almost every week. You need an Instagram account to sign in. The new desktop app is for Apple silicon Macs only, so Windows users miss out.
Full Edits review
Riverside
- Each guest gets their own audio and video track
- Record, edit and make clips in one place
- Free plan has unlimited single-track recording
- Free plan puts a watermark on everything
- Only 2 hours of separate tracks on Free, one time
- Live streaming needs the $39 Grow plan
Riverside records each person on their own device, so a shaky internet connection doesn't spoil the sound or picture. You get a separate audio and video track for every guest, in up to 4K on paid plans. After that you can edit by text and make short clips with Magic Clips. The free plan is more of a trial: two hours of separate tracks, 720p video and a watermark.
Full Riverside review
