10 Best Podcast Hosting Platforms (2024)

If you’re looking for the best podcast platforms – ones that make it possible to host a podcast and grow it – this article has all the answers for you.

Podcasting is among the fastest-growing content types in the world. In the US, 100 million+ people listen to podcasts every month. Moreover, the total advertising revenue from podcasts was projected to total $2.28 billion in 2023, according to new research conducted by PwC for the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB).

This is why some of the world’s most successful and forward-looking brands like Shopify, McDonald’s, GE, and many others host podcasts for millions of listeners worldwide.

As someone aiming to sell online courses, consulting, coaching, or other products and services, you can host a podcast to showcase your expertise and grow a loyal audience. This will help you establish yourself as an expert and sell high-ticket offerings faster.

In this article, we’ll share some of the world’s best podcasts platforms and help you choose the right one for your business.

Let’s dive in.

5 Things to Consider When Choosing a Podcast Hosting Site

Here’s what you need to consider when evaluating the best podcast hosting platforms.

Storage And Duration Limits

• How much storage capacity do the podcast hosts offer?
• Do you get podcast recordings?
• Is there a limit on your podcast duration?
• Is there a limit on podcast listeners?

Bandwidth And Server Reliability

• How many podcasts can you host per month?
• Is there a monthly bandwidth limit?
• Is there a download limit to your podcast recordings?
• What’s the average server uptime?

Supported Content Types

• Do you plan to host both video and audio podcasts?
• If yes, does your podcast host support video podcasts?
• What audio files formats does it support?
• Can your listeners download podcasts in different formats?

Podcast Monetization

• Does your podcast hosting platform come with native monetization features?
• What monetization types does it support?
• Can you integrate it with advertising platforms and podcast networks?
• Is there a sponsorship feature available?

Pricing And Renewal Costs

• What’s your monthly/annual budget for a podcast hosting site?
• Is the renewal cost of your podcast hosting platform the same as its sign-up cost?
• Are there any discounts available?

It’s important to consider all of these questions when evaluating a podcast hosting platform for your expertise-based business.

10 Free+Paid Options | Features, Pricing, And Free Trial

Now that you know what to look for in podcast hosts, let’s evaluate some of the most popular podcast hosting platforms and see which one is suitable for your business.

1. BuzzSprout

BuzzSprout is number one on our list of the best podcast hosting platforms right now. It has been around since 2009 and has helped hundreds of thousands of content creators launch successful podcasts without needing any technical expertise.

BuzzSprout has several strengths that make it one of the best podcast hosting sites. Firstly, it is designed for beginners with an intuitive user interface that doesn’t overwhelm users with features and options.

You can easily upload your podcast and instantly publish it on the world’s biggest podcast directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Alexa, etc.

BuzzSprout also offers a feature-rich podcast player that you can embed to your own website or any other page where you have editorial control. You can use the player to publish a single episode or a whole playlist of podcasts in the same window.

To make your listening experience more engaging, BuzzSprout gives you the option to create topical markers within a podcast episode. Your listeners can click on a marker to jump a specific topic in a lengthy podcast episode.

On the admin side of things, you get in-depth user analytics that provides insights into your audience behavior and how listeners engage with your content.

Other valuable features include transcription, audio optimization, an affiliate marketplace for partnership opportunities, and much more.

In short, BuzzSprout is an excellent podcast host that offers a wealth of features for beginners and experienced podcasters alike.

BuzzSprout Pricing and Free Plan

BuzzSprout has four different pricing plans for various podcasting needs. Its free plan offers up to 2 hours of podcasts per month hosted for up to 90 days.

It is ideal for beginner podcasters still exploring the best approach to podcasting.

Here’s what the paid plans cost per month.

You can get up to 3 hours of podcasts with unlimited hosting for $12/month. However, you can experience BuzzSprout’s full potential by signing up for its $24/month plan, which offers 12 hours of podcasts per month along with advanced analytics, unlimited storage and several other valuable features.

All paid plans include custom embed players, unlimited storage, podcast directory integration, and statistics.

Pros And Cons of BuzzSprout

Pros

1. BuzzSprout distributes podcasts to a wide range of podcast directories like Apple podcasts and Google Podcasts.
2. It is beginner friendly. Uploading and editing of podcasts on this platform is easy.
3. You can host multiple shows with a single BuzzSprout account.
4. Great customer support.

Cons

1. The basic plan expires in ninety days
2. Not all features are included in the free plan.
3. Podcast website customization options are limited.

2. PodBean

PodBean is another leading podcast hosting service that has helped hundreds of thousands of podcasters launch their shows online over the last ten years.

PodBean has all the core podcast hosting features you’d expect from a top-quality podcast site. However, it stands out because of its ease of use, intuitive features, and high-quality video podcast hosting capabilities.

It offers unlimited hosting for video and audio podcasts and helps you distribute your content by automatically listing it on all the leading podcast directories and social media sites.

Another top feature in PodBean is live streaming. It offers high-quality audio streaming services. This means you can broadcast live episodes on your own website.

PodBean provides you a responsive website for hosting your content and custom domain integration to help you brand your content.

Other valuable PodBean features include an embeddable player, in-depth podcast analytics, audio marketing, podcast optimization, podcast SEO, and a lot more.

Overall, PodBean is a world-class podcasting solution ideal for users looking for a no non-sense and easy-to-use platform for hosting podcasts.

Read our full review of Podbean.

PodBean Pricing and Free Plan

PodBean offers a generous free plan that allows up to 5 hours of podcasts and 100GB of monthly bandwidth. You also get a free podcast website, basic stats, and an embeddable player for your podcasts.

However, PodBean’s paid plans open up more possibilities for serious podcasters.

For $29/month, PodBean’s Unlimited Plus plan offers unlimited video and audio podcast hosting , unlimited storage and unmetered bandwidth. You also get access to advanced analytics, integrations, an embeddable player, and PodBean’s ad marketplace for partnership and monetization opportunities.

Overall, PodBean’s pricing is quite affordable and offers greater value for money than most podcast hosting sites.

Pros and Cons Of PodBean

Pros

1. Podcast content can be easily shared from PodBean to different podcast directories.
2. It has different avenues for the monetization of podcasts.
3. Podcast episodes can be livestreamed real time.
4. Podcast episodes from the platform can be added to iTunes and Google Play.
5. It enables podcasters to host video podcasts.

Cons

1. SEO capabilities are limited.
2. No backup features available.

3. Castos

Castos claims to be a “Seriously Simple Podcast Solution.” It’s a WordPress podcast hosting platform that allows you to easily host high-quality podcasts without worrying about the technicalities.

The Castos podcast host offers unlimited podcast hosting , unlimited storage, and unlimited bandwidth, which means you can create as much content as you want without worrying about hitting any account limits.

It also allows you to publish private podcasts for exclusive subscribers who opt-in to your shows.

This feature is handy for online course creators looking to host customer-only podcasts or offering podcasts as a part of a coaching plan.

As a Castos user, you also get detailed analytics, a customizable podcast website, episode transcripts, podcast SEO, and easy podcast distribution to all the top podcast directories.

However, Castos doesn’t have an affiliate market or advertising portal like some other leading podcast sites.

Overall, Castos is an impressive solution if you want to start a podcast on your WordPress website.

Castos Pricing and Free Trial

Castos does not offer a free plan. But its premium plans come with a 14-day free trial.

If you choose annual billing, Castos’s Essential plan would cost you $190/year. For this price, you get features such as unlimited hosting and unlimited bandwidth, unlimited storage, podcast distribution, transcripts, private subscribers, and much more.

But if you’re a professional podcaster with an established podcast audience, the Growth and Pro plans might be more suitable for your business needs.

In both these plans, you get additional private subscribers along with Headliner Audiogram Integration.

Pros and Cons of Castos

Pros

1. It provides episode transcription and podcast editing services.
2. Permits unlimited episode uploads and no download limits for listeners.
3. Podcasts can be managed from your WordPress website with the simple podcasting plugin.
4. Metadata can be added in different languages.

Cons

1. It does not have a free plan.
2. Unlike other podcast hosts, Castos is primarily built for WordPress sites.
3. You have to pay more to make video podcasts.

Read our full Castos review.

4. Transistor

Transistor is a world-class podcast hosting service that stands out because of its advanced analytics and user data.

Its analytics reports provide deep insights into your listener behavior, preferences, and your most engaging content.

But that doesn’t mean Transistor lacks any of the core podcasting features.

In fact, it’s so good that several leading companies like Drift, IBM, Basecamp, etc., use it for hosting their popular podcasts.

This podcast host also stands out because it offers unlimited podcast storage, unlimited bandwidth and doesn’t limit the number of podcast episodes, shows, or listeners.

You can embed podcasts to your podcast website using Transistor’s embeddable player and instantly distribute your show to dozens of leading podcast hosting sites with a single click. Plus, you can use Transistor to host private podcasts for subscribers only.

In short, Transistor is an excellent podcast hosting solution with all the features you need to start, grow, and scale your podcasts.

Transistor Pricing and Free Trial

Transistor offers two different sets of pricing plans for its regular podcast features and private podcasts.

All the pricing plans come with a 14-day free trial. However, it doesn’t offer a free podcast plan.

You can start regular podcasting with Transistor for as low as $15.8/month (billed annually).

Pros And Cons of Transistor

Pros

1. It supports multiple users. Other team members like editors and producers can access your page with their own log in details.
2. Transistor has an import tool that enables you to transfer your podcast episodes to a new podcast host.
3. You can host unlimited shows
4. Episodes can be stored and uploaded to Apple podcasts, Google podcasts and Spotify.

Cons

1. It is quite expensive. You need to pay more to be able to download more.
2. It has no free plan.
3. Transistor does not offer production services.

5. Libsyn

Libsyn podcast host has been around since 2004 and has served millions of podcast listeners with thousands of shows and over a billion podcast downloads.

It’s a robust podcast hosting solution that offers advanced analytics and essay podcast distribution features.

But monetization features are its primary strength. Libsyn helps you connect with podcast sponsors, podcast networks and advertising partners easily. You can also use its paywall feature to host premium podcasts for your closed group of subscribers.

When you add other features such as industry-leading server uptime, customizable podcast websites, and detailed analytics, Libsyn becomes an attractive choice.

Libsyn Pricing and Free Trial

Libsyn doesn’t offer a free podcast plan or a free trial.

But its cheapest plan starts from $7/month and offers an unlimited audience, a mini-site, app listings, a media player, podcast analytics, etc., with up to 162MB of storage.

The higher-priced plans offer more storage and advanced monetization features.

Compared with other podcast hosting sites, Libsyn’s pricing seems expensive considering their low account storage. It does not offer unlimited bandwidth and unlimited storage on most of the plans except the highest tier.

Still, it offers all the other standard podcast hosting features and can be a good choice if storage isn’t your primary concern.

Pros And Cons Of Libsyn

Pros

1. Episodes can be shared to Apple podcasts, Google podcasts and other podcast directories.
2. It has an easy RSS link generation which makes uploading your content to a readable RSS feed easy.
3. Podcasters can adjust the settings of their podcasts to suit the platform they want to distribute the podcasts to.
4. Libsyn gives you your own podcast website where you can upload blog posts, post podcast episodes and post pictures and videos to accompany your podcast.

Cons

1. It has no free plan or free trial.
2. You will need a separate account to run multiple shows.
3. Advanced stats cost extra.

6. Spreaker

Spreaker is one of the best podcast hosting sites when it comes to podcast monetization and data analytics. As a Nielsen partner, Spreaker offers the most in-depth podcast analytics in the industry.

Its programmatic advertising features allow you to monetize your podcasts from day one. Plus, it helps you connect with the right podcast sponsors that are aligned with your audience’s interests.

Spreaker is a one-stop shop for podcasters that provides everything from podcast creation and management to distribution and monetization.

For example, your podcast is distributed to the most popular podcast directories. You also get a podcast website where you can add a description of your session and optimize it for SEO to drive search engine traffic.

Overall, Spreaker is a reliable and high-quality service provider for beginners and experienced podcasters.

Spreaker Pricing and Free Trial

Spreaker offers a generous free podcast hosting plan that offers up to 5 hours of audio storage, 10 podcast episodes, and unlimited listeners.

But if you want to enable monetization features, you need to upgrade to the paid plan.

The Broadcaster plan is the most popular and ideal for course creators who want to use podcasting to grow their audience. It offers unlimited podcasts, unlimited episodes and monetization features.

For dedicated podcasters, the Anchorman plan offers the best value for money at $50/month. It provides customizable player colors and a collaboration feature with advanced programmatic advertising and paid subscriptions.

Overall, Spreaker’s pricing plans are designed intelligently and offer great value for money.

Pros and Cons of Spreaker

Pros

1. Spreaker is not just a podcast hosting provider, it also has its own podcast app and recording software.
2. New episodes can be prerecorded or livestreamed.
3. It offers free podcast hosting.
4. It has lots of audio storage that enables you to upload prerecorded audio files.
5. Spreaker RSS feed importer makes migration from other podcast hosting companies to Spreaker easy.

Cons

1. You need to pay more to access advanced podcast analytics.
2. Podcast monetization tools is not available to the free podcast hosting users.
3. Poor customer support.

Read our full Spreaker review.

7. Captivate

Captivate is a modern and upcoming dedicated podcast hosting service that has quickly made a name because of its high-quality podcast features, advanced marketing tools and marketing capabilities, and beginner-friendly pricing plans.

Captivate’s main strength is its all-in-one marketing suite which allows you to distribute your podcast to the leading podcast directories, and monetize your content with advertising, subscriptions, and partnerships.

Captivate also offers an impressive podcast website where you can embed your podcast player and optimize your content for SEO.

Other impressive features include unlimited podcasts, listeners, and advanced analytics.

Captivate Pricing and Free Trial

Captivate offers some of the most generous subscription plans in the podcast hosting industry.

Even their lowest tier plan offers all the features that even some advanced podcast hosting companies don’t offer. Plus, every paid plan comes with a 7-day free trial.

You can get started for as low as $17/month (billed annually) and get access to unlimited podcasts, unlimited storage, analytics, monetization, website builder, and tons of other features with up to 12000 monthly downloads.

The higher-priced plans only offer more downloads and some advanced business features.

But for regular content creators and online course sellers, even the Personal offers everything needed to start and grow a podcast.

Pros and Cons of Captivate

Pros

1. Captivate gives you your own podcast website which comes with an embed podcast player and three free WordPress website templates.
2. Podcast episodes can be distributed to top podcast directories like Apple podcasts, Google podcasts and Spotify.
3. Its RSS feed importer makes migration to Captivate easy.
4. It has an excellent podcast player which has amazing features like built in Call-to Action, Subscription button and speed control.
5. WordPress integration is simple. Captivate has a simple podcasting WordPress plugin that enables you to publish all your episodes in the WordPress dashboard.

Cons

1. Captivate only supports Mp3 audio files.
2. It offers no free podcast hosting services.
3. The plans are a bit pricey.

8. Simplecast

Simplecast is a highly scalable podcast hosting and distribution service known for its ease of use, advanced analytics, and affordable subscription plans.

It’s an industry-leading podcast hosting platform that powers podcasts for some of the world’s biggest brands like Facebook, Gartner, Kickstarter, Dell, and many others.

Simplecast specializes in world-class audio streaming technology, ensuring that your podcasts are delivered across the globe without buffering and delays.

It offers multiple embeddable podcast players designed for different website themes. Moreover, every podcast comes with topical markers, which makes it easier for your audience to jump to the exact section of your podcast they want to listen to.

Overall, Simplecast lives up to its name due to its intuitive and straightforward features, ideal for starting, growing, and scaling a podcast for your business.

Simplecast Pricing And Free Trial

Simplecast offers some of the industry’s most value-rich subscription plans. But unlike some other podcast hosting providers, they don’t offer a free plan, but their paid subscriptions come what a free 14-day trial.

For just $15/month, Simplecast’s Basic plan gives you unlimited bandwidth, unlimited podcast storage and uploads, distribution to all the leading podcast directories, basic analytics, an embeddable player, and multiple shows with one account.

These features are sufficient for any beginner or part-time podcaster. For more serious content creators, Simplecast’s Essential plan offers advanced analytics, more web players, and up to 50K downloads.

In short, Simplecast is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a podcast host to help you grow your online course business.

Pros and Cons of Simplecast

Pros

1. It allows you upload audio files from your storage device and distribute them.
2. Episodes that you do not want to be publicized to the RSS feed can be archived.
3. Simplecast allows you to customize your podcast website in a way that appeals to your target audience.
4. It has Recast editor which enables subscribers to share your podcasts to their social media platforms.
5. It allows you have multiple podcasts on one account and also provides unlimited storage and multiple user access.

Cons

1. Some aspects of the dashboard are a bit complex and confusing.
2. The monetization features are limited.
3. Credit Card is required to gain full access to the free trial.

9. Blubrry

Blubrry is a top podcast hosting company and one of the most popular WordPress podcast hosting platforms with its PowerPress plugin.

Blubbry not only offers state-of-the-art podcast hosting and distribution services but also provides managed WordPress hosting plans to help you host your podcasts on your WordPress site.

You also have the option to host private podcasts for dedicated subscribers. Moreover, your podcasts are instantly listed on all the leading podcast directories like Apple podcasts and Spotify to help you get maximum exposure.

Blubrry Pricing and Free Trial

Blubrry offers a free 30-day trial with its paid plans, during which you can explore its features to the fullest.

The paid plans start from $12/month, in which you can get up to 100MB monthly storage, WordPress hosting, unlimited bandwidth, directory listing, and many other features.

If you plan to host a weekly podcast for your audience, the Advanced Hosting plan has all the necessary features for you at $20/month. In this plan, you get 400MB/month in storage along with unlimited bandwidth, analytics, and a custom embeddable player.

Overall, Blubrry’s plans are designed for small-medium-sized podcasters, but you’ll need to upgrade to a higher plan if you’re a dedicated podcaster looking for more robust features.

Pros and Cons of Blubrry

Pros

1. All Blubrry plans have unlimited bandwidth.
2. It has built in media players and other key podcasting features like iTunes complete RSS feed, search engine optimization tools and subscribe tools.
3. It has a generous audio storage and does not charge overage if you exceed your storage limit by about 25 percent.
4. Blubrry is certified by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and it provides state of the art analytics.

Cons

1. Integrating Blubrry into other platforms is complicated because it is optimized for WordPress.
2. The plans are expensive especially if you want more storage space.
3. It is not a free podcast website and has no free plans.

10. AudioBoom

AudioBoom is another popular podcast hosting platform that also caters to podcast advertisers. Apart from offering high-quality podcast hosting services, AudioBoom actively works as a connecting platform between the right content creators and podcast advertisers. However, its monetization features are only available once you cross the 10K plays per month mark.

Other valuable AudioBoonm features include a one-page podcast websites, up to 10K plays per month, analytics, an embeddable player, and podcast directory listings.

Overall, AudioBoom is a pretty good option for monetizing your podcasts if you’re an experienced podcaster with a large following.

AudioBoom Pricing and Free Trial

AudioBoom offers two different subscription plans designed for beginners and podcasting pros, respectively.

Both plans come with a 30-day free trial.

The Podcasters plan starts from $9.99/month and offers unlimited episodes, an embeddable player, advanced analytics, a one-page podcast websites, and directory listings.

The Plus plan is designed for podcasters with more than 10K plays per episode looking to monetize their content with dynamic ads and sponsorships.

Pros and Cons of AudioBoom

Pros

1. Episodes can be distributed from AudioBoom to major podcast directories like Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Google Podcast and Spotify.
2. It has an embedded player which can be inserted on podcast websites and podcast apps.
3. It is an excellent growth oriented podcast host. It provides detailed analytics that can help grow your podcasting business.
4. AudioBoom supports different audio files formats like MP3,FLAC,AAC,WAV etc.
5. It has marketing tools that help podcasters monetize their podcasts.

Cons

1. The beginner plan is limited to only five episodes per month.
2. AudioBoom’s podcast RSS feed feature is not up to standard.
3. Unlike most podcast hosts, AudioBoom does not have a podcast app.

Which Podcast Hosting Service Is the Best?

We’ve covered some of the best podcast hosting service and platforms in this article. They’re all excellent products with their own strengths and weaknesses.

But ultimately, you have to choose which is the best podcast hosting site for your business.

To make your choice easier, here are my top recommendations from this list.

BuzzSprout – The most complete podcast hosting solution for serious podcasters.

Podbean – The most easy-to-use podcast hosting service.

Castos – The best WordPress podcast hosting solution.

Captivate – The best all-in-one marketing suite.

Transistor– The best value for money. 

We recommend you try all of these services with a free trial or free plan before making your final choice.

Let us know if you have any questions about choosing a podcast hosting platform. We’d be happy to respond in the comments section.

Jeff Cobb, Founder of Learning Revolution

Jeff Cobb is an expert in online education and the business of adult lifelong learning. Over the past 20+ years he has built a thriving career based on that expertise – as an entrepreneur, a consultant, an author, and a speaker. Learning Revolution is a place where Jeff curates tips, insights, and resources to help you build a thriving expertise-based business. Learn more about Jeff Cobb here.