7 Best Podcast Hosting Sites in 2023 (Paid & Free Options)

Best Podcast Hosting Sites & Services

If you’re looking for the best podcast hosting service, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we will compare 7 of the best options available. Whether you’re looking for a paid or free solution, we have you covered. We’ll discuss the main features of each platform, as well as pros and cons, and pricing information. So whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned pro, there’s sure to be an option here that suits your needs!

Best Podcast Hosting Service for New Podcasters, Easiest To Use

BEST FEATURES

  • Easy to use interface
  • Multiple podcasts with unlimited team members
  • Distribution to 11 major podcast directories
  • Free landing page website included to market your brand
  • WordPress plugin for easy embed on your site
  • Advanced statistics and analytics
  • Auto ID3 tagging
  • Auto converts audio files to MP3 at 96kbps – easy and great for newbies
  • Auto transcription available (at $0.25/minute)
  • Monetization marketplace
  • A simple dashboard with key metrics on episode performance
  • Chapter markers to break up long episodes
  • Promotional features such as easy social media sharing, soundbite videos with custom artwork to promote your content

CONS

  • Can be expensive for larger shows
  • Auto converts files to MP3 at 96kbps – professionals may want more control and higher bitrate (up to 192kbps available with an upgraded plan)

PRICING

Free trial for 90 days and no setup fees, with up to 2 hours of audio upload every month.

After the trial period, choose from three pricing plans:

  • $12/month for 3 hours of audio upload per month; overage at $4/hour
  • $18/month for 6 hours of audio upload per month; overage at $3/hour
  • $24/month for 12 hours of audio content per month; overage at $2/hour

OUR VERDICT

Almost 5000 people a week start their podcast on Buzzsprout. Whether you’re looking to get started or trying to switch podcast hosts, Buzzsprout is our #1 choice for the Best Podcast Hosting service. We love how easy it is to get set up and started with Buzzsprout as a new podcaster. You don’t have to be a technology expert for it.

At the same time, we know 3 very experienced podcasters who use Buzzsprout and sing its praises. Overall, we recommend Buzzsprout as our go-to choice for making your podcast hit heights you have always imagined.

Like some other podcast hosting services on this list, Buzzsprout includes a free podcast website with your own domain name. It is a big value-add in case you do not want to create your own website, but it is just a landing page to host your podcast player with your personal branding. If you would like a more full-featured website, you would need to sign up for a website hosting service like Bluehost or WPX and use a website builder like Squarespace to build your site. As an added bonus, Buzzsprout has a beautiful podcast player that can be embedded on your WordPress or Squarespace site very easily.

For a limited time, Buzzsprout is also offering a $20 Amazon Gift Card for all new sign-ups. Sign up with the link below.

Best for Monetizing Your Podcast With Ads

BEST FEATURES

  • Spreaker Studio app for your phone or desktop makes it very easy to record and edit your episodes
  • One-click monetization by opting into the Spreaker dynamic ads system
  • Distribution to Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Google, Amazon, and others

CONS

  • Sacrifices advanced audio editing capabilities for ease of use (We recommend checking out Audacity or Adobe Audition if you are an advanced user).

PRICING

  • Plans range from Free to $120 per month
  • All plans come with monetization capabilities

The most popular planS are:

Broadcaster: $20/mo for 500 hours of storage, 12-month analytics, dynamic ad placements, and distribution

Anchorman: $50/mo for 1500 hours of storage, 12-month analytics, dynamic ad placements, distribution, and customizable player colors.

OUR VERDICT

Spreaker from iHeartRadio is our top recommendation as a versatile podcast web hosting service. We love that all plans give you the option to opt into Spreaker’s programmatic ads program with just one click. So if your goal is to make money from your online business, then Spreaker is the easiest podcast hosting service to get started with.

We like that the Spreaker control panel is easy to use and does not require you to be an audio engineer to get started. Setting up is easy with the Spreaker Studio app, which lets you record your podcast using your phone and publish it right away. In one click, you can distribute your episodes to all the major podcast directories, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeartRadio.

Best Full Featured Podcasting Host for Businesses

BEST FEATURES

  • Unlimited bandwidth and file size uploads (up to 500 MB per episode)
  • Great customer support
  • Make podcasts from your phone using the Podbean app
  • Free website to promote your podcast
  • Monetization and promotion options
  • Easily submit your podcast to Spotify and Apple

CONS

  • Can not remove Podbean branding unless on the Business plan
  • No live chat support unless on the Business plan

PRICING

Free plan for up to 100 GB bandwidth and 5 hours of content. Unlimited storage and bandwidth starts at $9 per month to $99 per month for the Business plan.

Podbean has one of the cheapest monthly costs for a full-featured business plan. All paid hosting plans offer a discount for an annual membership.

affiliate 728 1

OUR VERDICT

Podbean has an easy interface that makes it simple to create episodes quickly without having any knowledge at all about coding or website design. It has been around for over 10 years now and hosts 600K+ podcasters. Paid plans also come with advanced analytics to understand how your podcast is performing and where your traffic is coming from.

We recommend Podbean as the best podcast hosting service for businesses who are looking to create, promote, monetize and share their podcasts easily. With the Business plan, you can add your own branding, have multiple admins, get the most advanced analytics at a user level, get live chat support and have segmented content for targeted groups of listeners.

We recommend Podbean if you are looking for an all-in-one solution that is easy to set up.

Best for Building an Audience

BEST FEATURES

  • Easily distribute your podcasts to Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, etc.
  • Create as many podcasts as you like without additional charges
  • Multiple users per account
  • Easily embed your podcast on your WordPress website
  • Detailed analytics with all plans
  • Great customer support

CONS

  • Limited downloads per month so you will have to upgrade your plan as your audience grows

PRICING

  • 15 day trial and free 2 months with a yearly plan
  • $19 per month for up to 15,000 downloads per month to $99 per month for 200,000 downloads

OUR VERDICT

Transistor.fm is a popular podcast hosting service launched in 2018 and boasts the likes of Ali Abdaal, Vegas Golden Knights, IBM, VH1, and Kickstarter using it to host their podcasts. We like how simple it is to use – simply record your audio and upload it to Transistor. From there, they distribute it to several major platforms to maximize your podcast’s reach and audience.

Transistor also gives you the ability to insert ads in your podcast and provides advanced analytics for you to measure your performance. Overall, we recommend Transistor.fm as an easy-to-use podcast hosting platform that scales with your needs. If you are just getting started, the lowest plan still includes the features you need without getting too expensive.

Other Podcast Hosting Platforms

There are hundreds of podcast hosting platforms out there. While we have narrowed down the 4 best options for you above, there are a few others that are worth mentioning.

5. Libsyn

Best for Intermediate and Experienced Podcasters

BEST FEATURES

  • high quality streaming audio and video
  • a wide range of integrations
  • great customer support
  • offering unlimited bandwidth and file size uploads (up to 500 MB per episode)

PRICING

You can choose from four pricing plans starting at $12/month for 50 MB of storage space.

6. Cast

Best for Businesses (Runner-Up)

BEST FEATURES

  • unlimited bandwidth and file size uploads (up to 500 MB per episode)
  • great customer support
  • offers many features for branding and marketing your show, as well as detailed analytics so you can track your audience’s growth over time.

CONS

  • limited integrations

PRICING

$19/month for up to 100 MB storage space, with additional tiers available for larger shows.

7. Podomatic

Best if You’re Looking for a Simple Platform Without Too Many Bells and Whistles

BEST FEATURES

  • unlimited bandwidth and file size uploads (up to 500 MB per episode)
  • simple interface for uploading episodes directly from your browser
  • great customer support

CONS

  • limited integrations

PRICING

Free for up to 100 MB storage space, with additional tiers available for larger shows.

Wrap Up

As you can see, there are a number of different podcast hosting platforms available, and most of them offer free podcast hosting options. So whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned pro, there’s sure to be an option here that suits your needs!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Start a Podcast?

Podcasting is a great way to share your thoughts and ideas with the world. It’s also a great way to build an audience and grow your brand. And best of all, it’s a relatively low-cost venture that can be started with just a few pieces of equipment.

If you’re thinking about starting a podcast, here are some reasons why you should do it:

Reach new listeners: With podcasts, you have the opportunity to reach people who might not ordinarily hear your message. Podcasts are enjoyed by millions of people worldwide, and there’s no better way to connect with them than through audio content.

Grow your brand: A podcast can help you grow your brand by giving you a platform to share your expertise and thoughts with the world. As you build a following, you’ll be able to reach more people and grow your business or organization.

Build authority: When you become known as an expert in your field, you’ll be seen as an authority figure by your listeners. This can help you attract new clients or customers, and boost your career or business.

Connect with others: A podcast is a great way to connect with others who share your interests. By sharing stories, insights, and advice on a topic that you’re passionate about, you’ll create a community of like-minded individuals who will appreciate what you have to say.

So if any of these reasons resonate with you, it’s time to start a podcast!

What Is Podcast Hosting?

Podcast hosting stores your audio files, cover art, and other details of your podcast. The podcast hosting service then creates RSS feeds to link your recordings to popular streaming platforms like Spotify.

Let’s say you listen to The Always Sunny podcast on Spotify. When you subscribe or play the episodes, you are actually streaming the audio files using the feed created by the podcast hosting service that The Always Sunny Podcast uses. All of the details of the show are also sourced from the same feed.

What Is Cloud Storage or Cloud Servers?

All the modern podcast hosting platforms use cloud storage and shared hosting that scales as your show grows. The amount of space that you get varies with the plan and service that you subscribe to.

Cloud servers are online data servers that are physically present in data centers not co-located at your own site. Cloud web hosting providers store your data on these servers. You can use dedicated personal servers, but cloud storage is a fraction of the cost due to shared hosting i.e. the podcast hosting provider uses the same servers for several customers, which keeps your costs down. Most web hosting providers also have redundancy and backups that guarantee uptime so you don’t have to worry about downtime risks.

Do I Need a Website With My Podcast?

Creating and hosting a podcast is quite simple with the best podcast hosting providers above, but that’s just the beginning of your podcast journey. To grow your audience, you have to build and promote your brand and content.

To do so, it is always useful to have an online presence where you can pair your podcasts with supporting content such as blogging, social media proof, and eCommerce for your merchandise, etc.

A lot of the best podcast web hosting solutions above include a free site in their paid packages. If you want to take it to the next level, then create your own website with popular website builders such as Squarespace and WordPress. You will need a managed web hosting solution such as Bluehost or WPX. To start, you can opt for shared web hosting and an entry-level hosting plan with Bluehost to save costs. Some plans even come with free domain names. This way, you will have the flexibility to scale your brand up and switch to WPX when you need to. As well, if you decide to switch podcast hosting services, then you won’t lose your web presence.

What Is the Best Podcasting Hosting Service for Business?

The best business hosting platform is Podbean. Their business hosting plan provides everything you need to get started, promote, monetize and manage your business podcast. They also have one of the lowest cost full-featured podcast hosting for businesses.

What Is the Best Podcast Hosting Site?

The best podcast hosting site is Spreaker for its all-in-one platform that makes it easy to start and distribute your podcast. Their best feature is the ability to monetize your podcast from your first episode.

Overall, there are several amazing podcast hosting providers that we have covered above. Buzzsprout, Transistor.fm, Podbean, and Podomatic are also excellent choices.

What Are Podcast Directories?

Podcast directories are platforms that provide your content to your audience. These include services like Spotify, Apple, Google, and iHeartRadio to name a few.

DISCLOSURE: The post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read our affiliate disclosure in our privacy policy. This site is not intending to provide financial advice. This is for entertainment only.

Pri Kingston

Ash & Pri are the Founders of AshandPri.com and have spent the last decade building their way towards financial freedom and a lifetime of memories. Having successfully achieved their early retirement goal in under 10 years, they look forward to sharing their financial sense with like-minded people. Read more about Ash & Pri in the 'About Us' section.