Podcast Hosting Platforms
Compare top podcast hosting platforms, from free to premium, including Buzzsprout, Anchor, and more.
With over 100 million listeners in just the United States, podcasting is a booming industry that is only getting bigger yearly.
And if you want to join this growing movement, you have likely run into the issues of podcast hosting.
This article will show you the basics of podcast hosting and recommend some of the best picks!
Brett Helling is a digital marketing expert with over 10 years of experience building, managing, and scaling websites.
Basics to Understand
A podcast hosting platform is a service that stores your podcast's audio files, manages your show information (like logo and description), and creates an RSS feed that distributes your episodes to podcast directories like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Hosting platforms also offer essential features like analytics, web players, and ad integration, helping your podcast reach a wider audience and appear in popular directories.
While it’s technically possible to self-host, most podcasters rely on hosting platforms to ensure smooth delivery and professional features for their shows.
How to Choose
There are many types of podcasts, and each can benefit from specific features.
But in general, the following features are the main criteria you should use when deciding on what service to host your podcast.
1. Storage
Unlike text and pictures, audio storage eats up space quickly.
While many paid options offer unlimited storage, others have limits, usually on the number of monthly uploads.
Calculate your average episode length and upload frequency to know which plans will work for you.
2. Analytics
Almost all podcast hosts provide an analytics feature to display how many downloads you get.
But the better hosts—for example, Buzzsprout and Podbean—offer real-time analytics with many details.
Look for analytics that breakdown by episodes, devices, and listeners.
Solid analytics also show graphs to visualize trends.
3. Advertisement
Many people start a podcast for fun, and the idea of monetization is unimportant.
But for shows involved in affiliate marketing or with a large audience, you want monetization options—the podcast industry could make over 3 billion dollars by 2025.
For example, Anchor has an ad marketplace, and Captivate has dynamic ad technology.
4. Audience Size
The primary consideration of audience size involves how many downloads your show will get.
This bandwidth costs your host money, and many podcast plans limit the number of downloads per month.
This consideration is not a big deal for small shows, but popular podcasts might be better off looking for unlimited bandwidth plans.
5. WordPress Integration
While people mostly listen to your podcast through podcast directories, you also should have a website to supplement your show on the web.
If you already have a website with WordPress, look for podcast hosts like Buzzsprout, Castos, or Captivate, which all have plugins that automatically create webpages for your episodes.
My Personal Take
Before reading about the details of each podcast host, check out a quick overview of the best podcast host in the paid and free categories.
What Is the Best Podcast Host?
Buzzsprout is the best overall podcast host because of how user-friendly it is and its outstanding customer support.
Additionally, Buzzsprout has promotional tools that will help you find clever ways of spreading your podcast on social media and your website.
You also get unlimited storage and a free podcast website.
What Is the Best Free Podcast Host?
In terms of free podcast hosts, Anchor is the best because of its unlimited content and monetization features.
It is rare to find a podcast host that gives you unlimited storage and full access to features with a free account, and Anchor manages that through its ad placement sales.
15+ Best Podcast Hosting: Ranked & Reviewed (Overview)
We’ve included an overview of our top picks below. For detailed information on each pick, scroll down.
Our Top Picks
Buzzsprout wins as the best overall choice for its balance of price, features, and ease of use. Beginners in the podcasting world can start a podcast without technical knowledge.
Buzzsprout wins for the best overall podcast host due to many reasons, but the most crucial one is that it is simple, user-friendly, and packed with essential features.
From basic details like unlimited storage and analytics to advanced features like audio mastering and dynamic ad insertion, it is hard to want more from this host.
Best For: Beginners in podcast
With unlimited storage and downloads, you can grow your show on the free plan and only have limits, such as ads on your webpage and a limit on your dynamic ad insertions.
RedCircle is relatively new to the podcasting industry, having launched in 2019.
But they earn the runner-up spot because of the useful features in their free plan and the unique social connections you can make with other podcasters.
The platform is fantastic for those looking to grow their audiences and scale their business.
Best For: Folks who want a free option that does not limit the features
If you are managing multiple podcasts at once, Podcastics simplifies that with an easy-to-understand dashboard that shows you everything in a simplified format.
While Podcastics’ pricing structure makes it a solid budget pick, do not let that fool you into thinking it lacks the necessary features.
If the lowest tier premium plan has the features you need, you will likely end up spending much less than most of its competitors.
And much of its automation will simplify your workflow.
Best For: People with multiple podcasts
Why We Chose This for Top Pick
Buzzsprout makes publishing your podcast to dozens of popular directories simple, even for those without technical knowledge.
Some of the key features include the following:
- Unlimited Storage: Paid plans allow you to host your episodes forever.
- Chapter Marks: Add timestamps so your listeners can skip to topics they are interested in.
- Embeddable Player: Add a custom embeddable player to web pages.
- Magic Mastering: Automatically make your audio sound professional for a nominal extra fee.
- Advanced Statistics: Not all analytics features are the same, and Buzzsprout has detailed statistics.
Why Is Buzzsprout a Great Solution?
Many podcast hosts overlap on the core features, but Buzzsprout wins as the best overall choice for its balance of price, features, and ease of use.
Beginners in the podcasting world can start a podcast without technical knowledge, including automatically mastering their audio to sound clear and high-quality.
Pros of Buzzsprout
Compared to some of the alternatives, the unique pros of Buzzsprout include the following:
- Detailed Statistics: Understand your downloads by date, time, episode, and device.
- Magic Mastering: Skip the hassle of advanced editing and let Buzzsprout’s software automatically master your audio to sound balanced and professional.
- Chapter Marks: Easily add timestamps so listeners can skip around.
Cons of Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout does have its limits, and some of the downsides include the following:
- Monthly Upload Limits: Three-hour per month limit on the first paid tier.
- Basic Website Layout: The included website layouts are basic and lack customization options.
- Free Plan Expires: While the free category lasts 90 days, they delete your episodes if you do not upgrade to a paid plan before that time ends.
Buzzsprout vs. Other Top Recommendations: How They Compare
In terms of core features, Buzzsprout has a lot of overlap with the other top recommendations.
The main upside to Buzzsprout is its simplicity and affordability.
Buzzsprout will likely be too limiting for a professional podcast with a large audience and run by skilled experts.
But for a beginner, publishing an episode on Buzzsprout feels as easy as attaching a file to an email.
And if audio editing worries you, paying a small additional fee for their mastering feature is a huge plus.
Buzzsprout Pricing
Here’s an overview of Buzzsprout’s pricing and plans:
- $12 per month: Three-hour upload limit per month and $4 extra per hour after that.
- $18 per month: A limit of six hours per month with a $3 per hour charge for extra time.
- $24 per month: 12 hours of uploads each month and only $2 per hour more after that.
Can You Try Buzzsprout for Free?
While Buzzsprout does have one of the longest free trials—90 days—it comes with a two-hour upload limit per month.
This limit might be acceptable for new podcasts without a lot of content, but it is a downside that you cannot do a shorter free trial of their paid plans.
Do not forget that your episode will only exist for 90 days on the free basic plan.
Conclusion: Should You Choose Buzzsprout?
Anyone intimidated by the technical side of starting a podcast should choose Buzzsprout for its simplicity and features.
The Magic Mastering, in particular, is a huge plus for folks not familiar with advanced audio editing.
The monthly limit could be a problem for some, but if you upload less than the limit, Buzzsprout is one of your best options.
Why We Chose This for Runner-Up
In the competitive space of podcast hosting, RedCircle makes itself stand out with some of these unique features:
- Audience Growth: Grow your audience by sending pitches to related shows in the RedCircle network.
- Unlimited Storage and Bandwidth: All plans, even the free version, give you unlimited storage and downloads.
- Donations: Easily integrate donations into your podcast players.
- Distribution: Automatically submit your show to the most popular podcast directories.
- Videos: Automatically create videos for your podcast and upload them to Youtube on the paid plans.
Why Is RedCircle a Great Solution?
RedCircle is a fantastic solution for folks who want a free option that does not limit the features.
With unlimited storage and downloads, you can grow your show on the free plan and only have limits, such as ads on your webpage and a limit on your dynamic ad insertions.
Pros of RedCircle
Some stand-out features of RedCircle include the following:
- Price: You can host a podcast for free with very few limitations.
- Unlimited Bandwidth: Even the free plan has unlimited storage and bandwidth.
- Social: This host makes it simple to connect to other shows to cross-promote your podcast.
Cons of RedCircle
RedCircle does have a few cons, including the following:
- No Video Support: RedCircle creates static videos but does not support video podcasts.
- No Live Streaming: There is no current support for live-streaming your podcast, even to subscribers.
- Revenue Fees: While monetization is easy, RedCircle takes a large percentage of your revenue, depending on the category.
RedCircle vs. Other Top Recommendations: How They Compare
The most noticeable way RedCircle stands out from the competition is that its free plan is extensive and packed with features that most podcast hosts charge for.
The free plan comes with unlimited storage and bandwidth, along with tons of other features—this is perfect for new shows without a budget.
And RedCircle also makes it easy to connect to other shows to make cross-promotional pitches.
One of the best ways to grow your audience is to find podcast listeners from related shows.
RedCircle Pricing
Here’s a quick overview of RedCircle’s pricing and plans:
- Core: This free plan is packed with features.
- Growth: At $12 per month (or less if paying annually), you add way more features, including unlimited ad insertion.
- Pro: For $35 per month, you get premium analytics, automatic publishing to Youtube, and access to the promotional marketplace.
Can You Try RedCircle for Free?
Besides their free Core plan discussed above, you can also try RedCircle’s paid plans on a seven-day free trial.
This trial is a fantastic way to find out if the extra features in their paid plans are worth it for you.
You can also cancel your subscription whenever.
Conclusion: Should You Choose RedCircle?
If you do not mind the ads being shown to your audience on the free account, RedCircle can be one of the most affordable podcast hosting companies you will find.
The unlimited storage and bandwidth on the free plans is its most unique feature.
But its lack of video support and high cut from your revenue might make other options better in the end.
Why We Chose This for Budget Pick
Podcastics’ features overlap with many of the other podcast hosts in this article, but some standout aspects of this new podcast host include the following:
- Intuitive Dashboard: Their dashboard simplifies your podcast data into a visual experience.
- Private Episodes: Create episodes that only select audience members (like subscribers) can view.
- Scheduling: Schedule your publications to achieve the most ideal downloads.
- Episode Series: Organize related episodes into a connected series.
- Monetization: Embed monetization links from Paypal, Patreon, or Tipeee into your podcast players.
Why Is Podcastics a Great Solution?
If you are managing multiple podcasts at once, Podcastics simplifies that with an easy-to-understand dashboard that shows you everything in a simplified format.
And their budget-friendly plans save you money without removing too many features.
If you are comfortable customizing a website with CSS, you will have much more flexibility with Podcastics’ included websites.
Pros of Podcastics
Here are some reasons users love this platform:
- Live Streaming: Make more personal connections with your audience through live streaming.
- Website Reviews: Listeners can review the podcast and rate individual episodes on your website, helping you improve your content and grow your audience.
- Heat Mapping: The heat map helps break down your statistics to show you what hours you get the most downloads.
Cons of Podcastics
There are a few drawbacks to using this platform, including the following:
- Hosting: The premium plan requires you to host your files on a different server.
- No WordPress Plugin: If you already manage a WordPress website, you must manually embed your episodes.
- No Yearly Pricing: Podcastics does not provide a discount for paying up front.
Podcastics vs. Other Top Recommendations: How They Compare
While the premium tier looks enticing at $4 per month, you should be aware that Podcastics is not hosting your audio files in this plan.
In this case, Podcastics become your podcast management system, including the many fantastic features that you might desire from them.
But you will have to take care of hosting and bandwidth somewhere else.
But at the higher two tiers, you get hosting, and there are many standout features like website customization that might make this the best choice for you.
Podcastics Pricing
Here’s a summary of this platform’s pricing and plans:
- Premium: Tons of features are included, but you must host your files elsewhere.
- Pro: Full hosting on their fast content delivery network.
- Max: The main upgrade with this plan is increased bandwidth and priority support.
Can You Try Podcastics for Free?
All the paid tiers above include a one-month free trial, which is plenty of time to figure out how the service works and if it has the features you need.
You do not even need to provide a credit card to get the free trial.
Conclusion: Should You Choose Podcastics?
If you already have your podcast hosted somewhere else but like the features of Podcastics, then their lowest plan allows you to use them for your podcast management while providing links to the audio files.
And the Pro plan includes hosting at a budget-friendly price.
Alternatives
The best feature of Rss.com is its student and educator discount, which gives you a ton of features for one of the lowest prices you will find.
Rss.com simplifies your choices by having a single plan of $12.99 per month, and they have options for yearly discounts of as much as 35 percent.
Additionally, you can pay almost half of that if you are a student or educator.
In terms of features, you will find the platform has the usual options for websites, embeddable players, analytics, and monetization options.
Best For: Students, educators, and non-governmental organizations
Podbean is an excellent platform because it is also a podcasting directory. This means that there is a community of podcast lovers that use the Podbean website and mobile app to listen to podcasts.
Podbean is a big name in the podcasting space, both as a podcast directory and a hosting platform.
Compared with many of the hosts you have already read about, Podbean stands out for its support of video podcasting, something that might be perfect for a company’s internal podcasts.
Podbean also offers beautiful websites with custom domains on its paid plans.
Best For: Those willing to pay for premium podcast hosting
Free Option
The primary factor driving people to Anchor is that it is completely free. It gives you unlimited storage and bandwidth, and there are built-in tools for recording and editing.
Anchor is one of the most popular podcasting platforms because of how easy it is for newbies to upload and distribute their shows.
Anchor is run by Spotify, which has entered the podcast space as one of the major players.
Best For: Newbies and professionals
About the Alternatives
Why Is Anchor a Great Option?
The primary factor driving people to Anchor is that it is completely free, and this price comes with only a few downsides.
Anchor gives you unlimited storage and bandwidth, and there are built-in tools for recording and editing.
Anchor also optimizes itself for mobile, which means you can easily record and publish a podcast directly from your smartphone.
Drawbacks to Anchor
As a free platform, the drawbacks to Anchor are that they make their money by taking a cut of your advertisement revenue—in most cases 30 percent.
Another con is that despite the unlimited storage, you are restricted to two-hour podcasts or 250MB file sizes.
Lastly, the recording tools in the app are not advanced enough for professional-level audio editing.
Why Is Rss.com a Great Option?
The best feature of Rss.com is its student and educator discount, which gives you a ton of features for one of the lowest prices you will find.
In most cases, a .edu email address will be automatically approved for this plan.
Another fantastic aspect is that the service can automatically submit your podcast feed to all the relevant podcast directories—another detail you do not have to worry about.
Drawbacks to Rss.com
While they do offer a free trial, one downside to Rss.com is that they do not have any free plans.
Even limited free plans are a nice perk for shows that do not plan on having a frequent publishing schedule.
Another drawback is that there is no WordPress plugin, meaning you will have to manually embed episodes on your web pages if you run a separate WordPress website.
Rss.com Pricing
Rss.com’s pricing is as follows:
- Student: Students, educators, and non-governmental organizations receive all the standard features at a discounted rate of $4.99 per month.
- All in One: This standard plan costs $12.99 per month and includes all features. If you pay yearly, the price drops to $8.25.
- Network: If you have multiple shows that you want to network with, Rss.com can customize a plan for your situation.
Can You Try Rss.com for Free?
You can try Rss.com for free, and their free trial works differently than you might expect.
Instead of giving one week or month to try out their software, you can officially launch your podcast with one episode and keep it there indefinitely on a free plan.
This free launch has all the features, including your podcast website, and does not require a credit card to get started.
Why Is Podbean a Great Option?
One of the biggest draws for Podbean is that it is also a podcasting directory, meaning there is a community of podcast lovers that use the Podbean website and mobile app to listen to podcasts.
Podbean also has a fantastic free plan, which includes five hours of audio and a limited few of your listening statistics.
Drawbacks to Podbean
While video support is one of the major perks of Podbean, the drawback is that you have to pay for the more expensive plans to access that feature.
And while their free plan does allow you to launch a podcast with no investment, you are limited to 500MB of total storage—this limit means you will have to delete old episodes to stay on the free plan indefinitely.
Podbean Pricing
Here’s what Podbean’s plans look like:
- Unlimited: This plan is the first paid tier at $14 a month or $9 if paid annually. You get unlimited storage and bandwidth but have other limits.
- Unlimited Plus: For $39 per month or $29 when billed annually, you upgrade to video podcasting and a patron program for your listeners to make donations.
- Business: For $129 per month or $99 when billed annually, you get all the features from the previous two plans plus unlimited admins, private podcast feeds, and the removal of Podbean branding.
Can You Try Podbean for Free?
There are two ways to try Podbean for free, either through their basic free plan or a subscription plan with a free trial.
The basic plan will limit your features and storage space, while the free trial on the paid plans lasts seven days.
Other Options
You have probably filled your brain with more information about podcast hosting than you ever thought existed, and maybe you have already settled on the right option for you.
But you should be aware of some other notable hosting companies out there, so let’s review their features and plans.
Acast
Acast is a fantastic option because it is free and you will get access to the standard tools you would expect from any paid podcast host, including statistics and distribution to the major podcast directories.
Best For: New podcasters who are not ready to invest in a paid platform
Acast is another popular free option that offers many of the same features as Anchor, including listening data and sponsorship opportunities.
Acast also offers tools to convert your podcast to a video file for Youtube, providing access to a huge audience of potential listeners.
Automating video creation is a huge time saver!
Why Is Acast a Great Option?
Acast is a fantastic option for new podcasters who are not ready to invest in a paid platform.
And considering the free price, you will get access to the standard tools you would expect from any paid podcast host, including statistics and distribution to the major podcast directories.
And most importantly, Acast gives you multiple ways to monetize your podcast, including ads, branded content, and subscriptions from your fans.
Drawbacks to Acast
A free podcast host is bound to have some drawbacks, and in this case, Acast’s main drawback is in the file size limits—there is a 150MB upload limit per file.
This limitation means that the length and audio quality of your files might need to suffer.
Lastly, while you can make a still-image video for your podcast, you cannot directly upload video podcasts with Acast.
Libsyn
Unlike some of the cheapest podcast hosts in this article, Libsyn will grow with you and your show, and you will have plenty of customization options even once you are a podcasting expert.
Best For: Beginners and experts
Libsyn has been in the podcasting space since 2004, and you can expect reliable service and download speeds.
Some of the top podcasts in the world—those that receive millions of downloads per episode—rely on Libsyn to host their audio.
Why Is Libsyn a Great Option?
Libsyn’s most important feature is that it works equally for beginners and experts.
Unlike some of the cheapest podcast hosts in this article, Libsyn will grow with you and your show, and you will have plenty of customization options even once you are a podcasting expert.
Libsyn also has fantastic enterprise solutions.
Drawbacks to Libsyn
The biggest drawback to Libsyn is that the two lower-tier plans only offer basic statistics.
This limit means that you can keep track of downloads but will not be able to see advanced analytics reports that include geography and device type.
Libsyn Pricing
Here’s an overview of Libsyn’s pricing and plans:
- 3 Hours: At $5 per month, you get 162MB of uploads per month and only a snapshot of the statistics.
- 6 Hours: For $15 per month, your monthly upload limit becomes 324MB, and you get more detailed statistics.
- 10 Hours: At $20 per month, you get 540MB of new uploads per month, advanced analytics, and social promotion schedules.
Can You Try Libsyn for Free?
Libsyn does not have a free plan or free trial, so your best bet might be to start with one of the lower-tier plans to see if you like the service.
You can always upgrade to a more expensive plan if your publishing schedule needs more monthly storage.
Squarespace
Squarespace is all about building your perfect website, and their podcast hosting caters to that. You can try Squarespace for two weeks without entering any payment information.
Best For: Folks launching a podcast that is part of a larger brand
If you listen to podcasts, you have probably heard of Squarespace.
Squarespace is a popular website-building service, well known for its easy drag-and-drop building feature.
While they tailor towards eCommerce websites, you can use their RSS feeds to host a podcast.
Why Is Squarespace a Great Option?
Squarespace is a solid choice for folks launching a podcast that is part of a larger brand.
Whether you have a blog or eCommerce store, the podcast websites that come with other hosts are limited and hard to customize.
Squarespace is all about building your perfect website, and their podcast hosting tailors that.
Drawbacks to Squarespace
The biggest drawback to using Squarespace for podcast hosting is that the service is not tailored toward audio files.
If your show takes off, you could suffer from slow download speeds, and the audio quality of your files might have to be lowered.
Squarespace Pricing
Here’s what Squarespace’s plans look like:
- Personal: For $23 per month or $16 when paid annually, you get the basic features with limits to customization and storage.
- Business: At $33 per month ($23 annually), you get full customization and can accept donations.
- Commerce: This plan is $36 per month (27 annually) and is ideal for podcasts that need to sell products on their website.
Can You Try Squarespace for Free?
You can try Squarespace for two weeks without entering any payment information.
This free trial should give you plenty of time to build a website and upload audio for a podcast to ensure you like the service.
Transistor
Transistor is excellent because it provides the ability to manage multiple shows from one location. It also has fantastic support for private podcast feeds.
Best For: Podcasting networks that have multiple shows
Transistor is not as affordable as many of the options you have read about, but when you take a look at their robust features, the price is less surprising.
Because you can create unlimited podcasts with one plan, Transistor is ideal for brands or companies that want to go in multiple directions.
Why Is Transistor a Great Option?
Transistor is a fantastic option for podcasting networks that have multiple shows.
While the total download numbers are capped, most beginning podcasts will not have to worry about upgrading plans for a long time, and the ability to manage multiple shows from one location is a huge plus.
Transistor also has fantastic support for private podcast feeds.
Drawbacks to Transistor
The main drawback to Transistor is that it has an expensive beginning tier—even though it comes with many features, it might be too steep for a beginning podcaster.
The cap on monthly downloads also means that any shows that take off will have to upgrade to a more expensive plan.
Transistor Pricing
Here’s a brief glance at Transistor’s pricing and plans:
- Starter: At $19 per month (or $190 per year), you get 20K downloads and most of the main features minus dynamic ads and auto posting to Youtube.
- Professional: This plan costs $49 per month or $490 annually. You get everything in the starter plan plus Youtube posting, 500 private podcast subscribers, and 100K downloads.
- Business: For $99 per month ($990 per year), you get everything in the professional plan plus 3K private podcast subscribers and 250K downloads per month.
Can You Try Transistor for Free?
Transistor does not have a free plan, but you can try the service and launch your show for 14 days before committing to one of the payment plans.
Simplecast
Simplecast has standout features that help your podcast grow, like email list integration and in-depth analytics. It offers a two-week free trial.
Best For: Individuals, networks, and businesses
Considering that some of the top brands in the world use Simplecast to manage their content, you can consider them a big player in the podcast industry.
They also have dedicated options for networks and businesses.
Why Is Simplecast a Great Option?
Simplecast has standout features that help your podcast grow, especially email list integration and in-depth analytics.
You can also manage multiple shows from one place and have multiple team members helping on the same plan.
Drawbacks to Simplecast
The main drawback to Simplecast is the monthly cap on downloads, which might make this service less attractive to podcasts that already have an audience.
Many other podcasting hosts offer unlimited bandwidth for a lower cost.
Simplecast Pricing
Simplecast’s pricing and plans are as follows:
- Basic: At $15 per month, you get 20K downloads a month, basic analytics, and unlimited storage, amongst many other features.
- Essential: This plan costs $35 per month and includes everything in basic plus four team members, location analytics, and 50K downloads per month.
- Growth: For $85 per month, you get everything in the previous plans, detailed device analytics, and 120K downloads per month.
Can You Try Simplecast for Free?
Simplecast offers a two-week free trial, which should be enough time to launch your show or migrate it from another podcast host.
There is no free plan outside of the trial.
Even More Options To Check Out
In case you are still not sure whether you found the right host to fit your needs, let’s explore even more options that are popular amongst podcasters.
These platforms are fantastic alternatives to the more well-known options.
Fusebox
Fusebox is user-friendly and easy to understand for newbies. Its professional plan also adds some advanced features.
Best For: Newbies and experienced
The main upside to Fusebox is that it takes much of the complication you have just read about and simplifies it into two easy-to-understand plans.
Their starter plan has limited features but will host your podcast and launch it into the directories.
The professional plan also adds some advanced features.
But the overall lack of professional features and growth options is why this host was not among the top choices.
Captivate
Captivate has a small but dedicated user base. Whatever features you see now, you can expect new ones to be consistently added, which can help you keep up with podcast trends and grow your audience.
Best For: Individuals and small businesses
Captivate has a small and dedicated user base, and the most impressive aspect of this company is its commitment to constantly adding new features.
Whatever features you see now, you can expect new ones to be added consistently, which can help you keep up with podcast trends and grow your audience.
The main downside to Captivate is the cap on monthly downloads despite the higher monthly cost.
Their lowest tier costs $17 per month and caps at 12K downloads.
PodServe
PodServe is a fantastic option because it has a network and community that make connecting with new listeners easier.
Best For: Folks who want to grow their show on a network of dedicated podcast listeners
PodServe is a fantastic option for folks that want to grow their show on a network of dedicated podcast listeners—the PodServe network and community make connecting to new listeners easier.
They provide detailed analytics, unlimited uploads, and a 14-day free trial to try the service.
Like many of these alternatives, the main downside is the bandwidth cap, which in this case is 2000GB per month (approximately 20K downloads).
Audioboom
With Audioboom, you can spend less and cap your downloads, which is a good solution for small shows that have not built an audience yet.
Best For: Individuals and small shows
Audioboom is one of the best alternatives thus far because it offers unlimited options on the podcasting pro account—uploads, storage, and downloads.
You can also spend less and cap your downloads, which is a good solution for small shows that have not built an audience yet.
The main downside would have to be for large organizations that plan to grow above 50K downloads per month, which requires custom pricing plans.
Castos
Castos is a great choice because it offers unlimited bandwidth and the unique feature of automatic audio transcriptions to help with SEO.
Best For: Those willing to pay for premium plans
Including their 14-day free trial and customizable podcast webpage, Castos has many of the same features as the other top picks in this collection.
They also offer unlimited bandwidth and the unique feature of automatic audio transcriptions to help with SEO.
But like many alternatives, the main con is that the entry-level plans are still quite expensive.
Even with a ton of features, this can be a turn-off for brand-new podcasters.
Spreaker
Like Podbean and Anchor, the best feature of Spreaker is that it comes with web and mobile apps, making it easy for you to publish and for new listeners to find your show.
Best For: Small and large shows
The last service in this collection of podcast hosts is Spreaker.
Like Podbean and Anchor, the best feature of Spreaker is that it comes with web and mobile apps, making it easy for you to publish and for new listeners to find your show.
The main downside is that you have a cap on the total lifetime storage, after which you have to pay a higher amount to keep adding new content.
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Before wrapping up this collection of the best podcast-hosting services, let’s finish with a few of the most common questions people have about hosting.
How do I host a podcast for free?
To host a podcast for free, you have to choose a podcast host with a free plan that meets your specifications.
Most free podcast hosting plans have limitations on uploads per month and potentially lifetime storage.
How much does it cost to host podcasts?
The cost to host a podcast ranges from below 5 dollars to above 100 for huge podcasts that are part of a business or network.
If you only need the basic features and want to launch your podcast for free, choose a free plan on a service like Anchor or Acast.
Wrapping Up
As you can see, the number of options for podcast hosting is overwhelming.
For that reason, the simplicity of Buzzsprout wins as the best overall, and it is still packed with a ton of fantastic features.
RedCircle is a close runner-up, and Podcastics is one of the most affordable options that still have full features.
Now choose one of the above podcast hosting platforms and launch your show!
When selecting the best podcast hosting platforms, we prioritized quality, usability, and features that would benefit both beginners and experienced podcasters.
Each recommendation underwent rigorous evaluation based on five key factors:
- Reliability and Uptime: We looked at each host’s server reliability and bandwidth capabilities, as stable audio playback is crucial for a positive listener experience.
- Storage and Bandwidth: Given that podcasts require significant storage and bandwidth, especially for larger shows, we prioritized platforms with scalable storage options or unlimited bandwidth on certain plans.
- Ease of Use: From beginner-friendly dashboards to advanced tools for pros, usability was essential. We tested platforms to ensure they were intuitive for users at any experience level.
- Analytics: We believe in the importance of tracking and understanding your audience. Our top picks provide advanced analytics to help podcasters refine their strategy, such as episode downloads, listener demographics, and trends over time.
- Monetization and Growth: To support podcasts as a business or hobby, we considered platforms with robust monetization tools, such as ad marketplaces, dynamic ad insertion, and donation options. We also looked for social features like audience interaction and promotion tools for audience growth.
Why You Can Trust Us
Our team at BloggingTips is made up of experienced podcasters and content creators who understand the podcasting landscape.
We independently test and research each platform to provide honest, practical recommendations.
Our insights are based on hands-on experience with each tool, so you can trust that our picks are curated to help you make informed choices and avoid common pitfalls in podcast hosting.
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We are your complete resource for starting, growing, and monetizing an online business - from start to finish.