HubSpot Starter Customer Platformnew-customer promo from $7/seat/mo billed an…
Riversidecard required). Pro $24/mo billed annually o…HubSpot Starter Customer Platform vs Riverside
HubSpot owns the customer record; Riverside produces recordings and interview edits. A business can use interview content in a campaign without making these two products replacements. Choose whether the immediate gap is production or follow-up. Pricing facts last verified 2026-11-02.
- HubSpot Starter Customer Platform starts at Free; Starter $7/seat/mo (annual promo; list $20), with a free plan.
- Riverside starts at Pro $24/mo (annual) or $29 monthly; 14-day trial, no free plan.
HubSpot Starter Customer Platform review · Riverside review · HubSpot Starter Customer Platform alternatives · Riverside alternatives
For a proposed customer story, obtain recording and publication approval, then decide where an enquiry from the campaign should go. Price the required Riverside production access separately from HubSpot's actual CRM seats and contact band. Neither entry package is a complete marketing campaign.
For a proposed customer-story handoff, keep recording approval separate from permission to use the story in marketing. Confirm who approves the final claim and who owns enquiries after publication. A CRM can retain those decisions, but it does not make an unreviewed clip publishable or demonstrate that the recording offer includes every collaboration feature needed.
CRM plus Starter editions of HubSpot's marketing, sales, service, content and data tools, with Breeze Assistant, AI agents, a notetaker and 5,000 HubSpot Credits a month.
- Starting price
- new-customer promo from $7/seat/mo billed an…
- Free tier
- Yes
- Setup
- 1–3 hours (est.)
Browser-based studio for recording podcasts, video interviews and webinars in separate high-quality tracks, with a text-based AI editor, Magic Clips, publishing, and (since October 2026) four AI agents that produce, edit, clip and market your content. Paid plans from $24/mo billed annually; no free plan.
- Starting price
- card required). Pro $24/mo billed annually o…
- Free tier
- No
- Setup
- ~15–30 min to a first recorded interview (est.)
Full comparison
| Feature | HubSpot Starter Customer Platform | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free tools $0 (up to 2 users). Starter list $20/seat/mo; new-customer promo from $7/seat/mo billed annually or $10/seat/mo month-to-month (limited time). Includes 5,000 HubSpot Credits/month (11 Nov 2026; 500 on 26 Oct) and 1,000 marketing contacts (26 Oct check). Up to 10 paid users per the pricing FAQ. | No free plan (14-day free trial on Pro, Grow and Webinar; card required). Pro $24/mo billed annually or $29 monthly; Grow $34 ($39); Webinar $79 ($99); Business: contact sales. Add-ons: extra editor seat $19/mo or $168/yr; AI credits $2 per 100. Prices as shown to our checker in the Czech Republic on 2 Nov 2026; Riverside says prices vary by region (see notes). |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Setup time | 1–3 hours (est.) | ~15–30 min to a first recorded interview (est.) |
| No-code | Yes | Yes |
| Replaces | Spreadsheet CRM, basic email tool, website builder and help-desk inbox | Zoom or Teams recordings for content, a separate podcast editor, clip-making freelancers and a separate podcast host |
| Best for | Service businesses, B2B SMBs, Agencies, Startups | Consultants & coaches, Agencies, B2B marketing teams, Podcasters & creators, Professional services, Training & education |
| Integrations | Gmail, Outlook, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, 2,000+ apps in the HubSpot App Marketplace | YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, X, HubSpot (Webinar plan), Salesforce and Marketo (Business), Custom RTMP, Riverside MCP for Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor |
| Pros | **All five Starter hubs in one seat,** so CRM, marketing, sales, service and content share one database.; **Low entry price** during the new-customer promo ($7 annual, $10 monthly).; **AI included:** Breeze Assistant, notetaker, meeting prep and agents with 5,000 monthly credits (up from 500 in our October check).; **EU data center option** in Frankfurt for new accounts.; **Free tools** to start, and no required onboarding fee on Starter. | **Studio-quality separate tracks** recorded locally for each guest, up to 4K and 48 kHz.; **Unlimited recording hours** on every plan; caps apply only to separate-track downloads.; **Four AI agents** that edit, clip and schedule, but always ask before publishing or spending credits.; **Record-to-publish in one tool:** editing, clips, hosting, social publishing and webinars.; **Guests need no account** and can join from a browser or the app.; **Clear plan FAQ** on studios, credits and download caps. |
| Cons | **Promo is temporary;** list price is $20 per seat a month.; **Costs grow with marketing contacts** and credit usage beyond the 5,000 included each month.; **Free plan is limited** to 2 users and carries HubSpot branding.; **No time-limited trial** of Starter; you start free instead.; **Advanced automation and reporting** need higher tiers, which require paid onboarding. | **No free plan**, and the trial needs a card and auto-converts on day 15.; **Prices vary by region,** and Riverside's own pages show different figures for the US and Euro area.; **One seat per plan below Business;** extra editors cost $19 a month each and collaborative editing is Business-only.; **Content may be used for AI training** unless you negotiate a written opt-out on a business plan.; **Webinars need the $79+ plan,** capped at 100 registrants below Business.; **SSO and compliance paperwork are Business-only** (price on request). |
| SMB score (draft) | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Sources |
Which should you choose?
We would keep the content approval and lead ownership explicit. Buy the missing function rather than move a working CRM to obtain video features. We haven't run or measured a customer-story campaign.
HubSpot Starter Customer Platform vs Riverside: FAQ
How much does HubSpot Starter Customer Platform cost compared with Riverside?
HubSpot Starter Customer Platform: Free; Starter $7/seat/mo (annual promo; list $20). Riverside: Pro $24/mo (annual) or $29 monthly; 14-day trial. Prices from each vendor's pricing page, checked 2026-11-02.
Do HubSpot Starter Customer Platform and Riverside have a free plan?
HubSpot Starter Customer Platform: yes, a free plan or free tier is listed. Riverside: no free plan is listed.
Which is better, HubSpot Starter Customer Platform or Riverside?
Start with the work you need done. HubSpot Starter Customer Platform mainly replaces spreadsheet crm, basic email tool, website builder and help-desk inbox; Riverside mainly replaces zoom or teams recordings for content, a separate podcast editor, clip-making freelancers and a separate podcast host. We haven't run hands-on tests of either yet, so we don't declare a winner.
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