Lookback
Lookback is a comprehensive user research platform that allows you to record high-quality remote or in-person interviews and usability tests while capturing screen interactions and participant facial expressions.
Riverside
Riverside is a high-quality remote recording software that captures studio-grade video and audio locally from each participant to ensure professional results regardless of your internet connection strength.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Lookback | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Website | lookback.com | riverside.fm |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Freemium |
| Starting Price | $25/month | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 60 days free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2013 | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Stockholm, Sweden | Tel Aviv, Israel |
Overview
Lookback
Lookback is a dedicated user research platform that helps you see through your customers' eyes. Instead of relying on static feedback, you can watch real people interact with your apps, websites, or prototypes in real-time. You can host live moderated sessions where you talk directly to participants or set up unmoderated tasks that users complete on their own schedule.
The platform automatically records the participant's screen, their face via webcam, and their voice, providing a complete picture of the user experience. You can invite your entire team to watch sessions live in a virtual observation room, where they can take timestamped notes and create highlight reels. It solves the problem of fragmented research data by keeping all your recordings, notes, and insights in one centralized, searchable home.
Riverside
Riverside provides you with a virtual studio to record high-quality podcasts and video interviews from anywhere in the world. Instead of relying on your internet stability, the platform records each participant locally on their own device. This means you get crystal-clear 4K video and uncompressed 48kHz WAV audio for every guest, even if their connection drops or lags during the live session.
You can manage the entire production process within one browser-based dashboard, from inviting guests to downloading separate tracks for easy editing. The platform also includes AI-powered tools to help you generate transcripts and create short-form social media clips instantly. Whether you are a solo creator or part of a large media production team, you can produce professional-grade content without expensive studio hardware.
Overview
Lookback Features
- Live Moderated Research Conduct face-to-face interviews and usability tests in real-time while recording the participant's screen and reactions simultaneously.
- Unmoderated Tasks Send a link to participants so they can complete research tasks at their convenience without a researcher present.
- Virtual Observation Rooms Invite stakeholders to watch live sessions behind a digital one-way mirror where they can chat and take notes privately.
- Timestamped Notes Type notes during a live session or while watching a recording to automatically link your observations to specific moments.
- Highlight Reels Clip the most important moments from your research sessions and combine them into powerful video presentations for your team.
- Prototype Integration Test your ideas early by running research sessions on prototypes from tools like Figma, Adobe XD, and InVision.
Riverside Features
- Local Recording. Record high-quality audio and video locally on each participant's device to bypass internet connection issues and lag.
- Separate Tracks. Download individual audio and video tracks for every guest so you have total control during the post-production process.
- AI Transcriptions. Generate highly accurate transcripts in seconds to speed up your editing workflow and improve content accessibility.
- Magic Clips. Use AI to identify the most engaging moments of your recording and turn them into vertical social media videos.
- Text-Based Editor. Edit your video by simply deleting text in the transcript, making complex video cuts as easy as editing a document.
- Producer Mode. Join the call to monitor and control the recording behind the scenes without appearing on the final video track.
- Live Streaming. Broadcast your recording sessions live to platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn to engage with your audience in real-time.
- Mobile App. Record studio-quality interviews on the go using native iOS and Android apps that sync directly with your online studio.
Pricing Comparison
Lookback Pricing
- 10 sessions per year
- Unlimited collaborators
- Self-test (unmoderated)
- Live (moderated)
- 60-day free trial
- Everything in Freelance, plus:
- 100 sessions per year
- Unlimited projects
- Insights and highlight reels
- Remote moderated research
- Priority support
Riverside Pricing
- Unlimited recording
- Individual audio/video tracks
- Up to 720p video quality
- 44.1 kHz audio quality
- 2 hours of separate tracks
- Watermark on exported files
- Everything in Free, plus:
- No watermarks on exports
- 5 hours of separate tracks/month
- Up to 4K video quality
- 48 kHz audio quality
- Live streaming to social media
Pros & Cons
Lookback
Pros
- Exceptional 60-day trial period for thorough testing
- Simultaneous recording of screen, face, and audio
- Seamless virtual observation for remote stakeholders
- Easy highlight reel creation for stakeholder presentations
- Works well across mobile and desktop platforms
Cons
- Participants sometimes struggle with initial plugin installation
- Requires a very stable internet connection for live sessions
- No built-in participant recruitment panel available
- Limited automated transcription features compared to competitors
Riverside
Pros
- Superior audio and video quality compared to standard calling apps
- Separate tracks make professional post-production much easier
- AI clip generator saves hours of manual social media editing
- Simple browser-based interface requires no guest software installation
Cons
- Requires significant upload bandwidth for high-resolution files
- Occasional browser compatibility issues with older versions
- Mobile app features are more limited than the desktop version