Tributary vs Iris.fm

TTributary9.0Visit Iris.fm8.8Visit

Higher score T Tributary #5 in Video Podcast Software 9.0/10 Open source ✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Tributary

vs

Iris.fm #7 in Video Podcast Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Iris.fm

• Tributary fits best

  Open-source recording with advanced export options

• Iris.fm fits best

  Affordable mobile-friendly multitrack recording

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Side by side

Feature	TTributary 9.0/10 Visit ↗	Iris.fm 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.8
Ranking	#5 in Video Podcast Software	#7 in Video Podcast Software
Best for	Open-source recording with advanced export options	Affordable mobile-friendly multitrack recording
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Open source	$9/mo
Free plan	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted, Browser extension	Cloud
Platforms	Web	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Docs, Community	Email
Integrations	6 integrations	2 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Tributary 3/4 · Iris.fm 3/4
Local recording	✓	✓
Separate audio tracks	✓	✓
Live streaming	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Automatic transcription	✓	✓
Specs
Maximum guests	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Maximum video quality	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Records separate local camera, microphone, and screen-share tracks Exports 48 kHz WAV, MP4, captions, social clips, and XML timelines Supports self-hosting, RTMP streaming, HLS pages, and optional LiveKit scaling	Local separate audio and video tracks for each participant Supports recording rooms with up to nine participants Includes captions, mastering, transcriptions, and progressive uploads
Cons	Deployment requires Node, pnpm, ffmpeg, and HTTPS is recommended The mobile app is described as an early, rough Expo shell Self-hosting adds infrastructure responsibility for teams	Integrations are limited to Google Drive and Dropbox Paid plan highlights are listed identically across tiers Advanced production and distribution tools are not part of its focus
Our verdict	Tributary is an open-source, self-hostable remote recording studio for podcast and video conversations. Its browser-based rooms support host and guest invite links, while each participant’s camera and microphone are recorded locally.… Read the review →	Iris.fm is a browser-based recording platform for podcasters, interviewers, co-hosts, and video creators. Participants join through a link without installing an app, while the service records each person locally and provides separate audio… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Tributary — where it wins

  • Records separate local camera, microphone, and screen-share tracks
  • Exports 48 kHz WAV, MP4, captions, social clips, and XML timelines
  • Supports self-hosting, RTMP streaming, HLS pages, and optional LiveKit scaling

  Where it doesn't

  • Deployment requires Node, pnpm, ffmpeg, and HTTPS is recommended
  • The mobile app is described as an early, rough Expo shell
  • Self-hosting adds infrastructure responsibility for teams

• Iris.fm — where it wins

  • Local separate audio and video tracks for each participant
  • Supports recording rooms with up to nine participants
  • Includes captions, mastering, transcriptions, and progressive uploads

  Where it doesn't

  • Integrations are limited to Google Drive and Dropbox
  • Paid plan highlights are listed identically across tiers
  • Advanced production and distribution tools are not part of its focus

• TTributary9.0/10 · Open source

  A flexible browser studio for local multitrack recording, editing, and delivery.

  Visit TributaryFull verdict →
• Iris.fm8.8/10 · Free plan

  Affordable multitrack recording for mobile-friendly remote podcasts and video interviews.

  Visit Iris.fmFull verdict →