13 Best Podcast Hosting Platforms of 2021 (For All Levels of Podcasters)

Podcasts are so hot right now, and with that, podcast hosting platforms are thriving. I personally love to listen to a select few podcasts, but I enjoy being a guest on them even more. You know me…on a mission to spread that good word about affiliate marketing!

With about 75.9 million podcast listeners in the US alone, the industry is becoming a top go-to platform for top influencers.

The great thing about podcasting is that you don’t even have to be a mega-star to start your show. Anybody can start a podcast and grow their following.

Yes, even you Brian.

Maybe you have a business and want to create your Play-on-Demand videos and broadcast them for marketing.

After all, that’s where the word comes from. It’s a portmanteau of the words “Play-on-Demand” and “Broadcast.” Cool, isn’t it?

So, if you’ve decided to tap into this growing market, here’s a list of the top podcast hosting platforms to keep an eye out for.

Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. I don't make suggestions on products I do not personally test. You can read my full affiliate disclaimer here.

What is podcasting?

A podcast is a digital audio file that is downloadable through the internet on any device. It can be on any topic such as politics, lifestyle coaching, sports, or even book reading.

Why do you need a podcast hosting service?

After podcasters have recorded audio, they need to distribute it around so that others can listen to it, feel inspired. Moreover, they also need to make money.

Podcasters use podcast hosting services to distribute their work through RSS feed or other channels and monetize it.

What are the best podcast hosting platforms?

In general, the best podcast hosting site would be the one that makes you sound good, distributes to all platforms, and has an embeddable player to your website. It also lets you monetize your podcasts, is easy to use, makes you famous, and does not cost you much! Fortunately, there are multiple platforms competing in all the above aspects but it totally depends on you and what you require.

When you’re looking for the best podcast hosting platform, all seemingly look the same with the same “Ease of use”, “All-in-one”, “Free Trial” taglines. It becomes increasingly difficult to decide which one is the best for your specific needs and, of course, is financially viable. This article right here is to help you decide ‘The One for yourself.

1. Buzzsprout.

Buzzsprout is an all-in-one, easy-to-use podcast hosting platform that works well with apple and android and on various devices such as apple/android phones, Apple iPad, and windows/Apple computers. With such a product offering, it is well suited for beginners as well as professionals.

Key Features of Buzzsprout include:

• Analytics and Insights; track podcast performance
• Affiliate Marketing option to monetize podcasts.
• Transcription option available to appeal to a larger audience
• Optimize voice quality with Magic Mastering
• Easy navigation with chapter markers
• Unlimited team members
• IAB certified

Buzzsprout gives you an easy platform to get started with. Even the free subscription has many useful features, such as analytics!

Buzzsprout analytics gives insights on the where, how, and when statistics of the listeners to optimize your podcasts according to them. Buzzsprout also allows you to earn money with your podcasts using the affiliate marketing option. You can learn more about some of the best affiliate marketing programs.

Podcasts sound better with Magic Mastering, which Buzzsprout provides at a minimal cost. It also provides transcription options to include a wider audience, such as speed-readers and the hearing impaired.

Pros:

• Good for all levels of podcast hosts
• Easy to navigate
• No long-term contracts
• Free subscription for 90 days

Cons:

• No annual subscription discount option.
• Limited availability of in-depth statistics.

Pricing:

The basic no-frills hosting plan does not cost anything and yet gives a 2 hours per month upload limit and keeps the upload for a maximum of 90 days. But if you wish to upgrade, there are three more options to choose from.

Plan	Upload Limit (hours/month)	Analytics	Monetization	Magic Mastering
Free	2	YES!	Nah..	Nah..
$12/month	3	Advanced!	YES!	YES! For $6/month
$18/month	6	Advanced!	YES!	YES! For $9/month
$24/month	12	Advanced!	YES!	YES! For $12/month

Apart from the above pricing, transcription can be added at $0.25/min with any plan. Also, for the paid subscriptions, more content can be added at a minimal cost per hour.

2. Spreaker.

Iheart radio partnered with Spreaker for a podcast-specific platform. Spreaker is a one-stop platform for podcasters that offers

• Hosting platform
• Monetizing through Ads
• Distributing on different listening Apps
• Live shows with live interactions
• IAB certified

Spreaker allows live listener interaction. This is like a two-way conversation. Another interesting feature is the automatic transcription to convert audio into a blog post for avid readers.

Pros:

• Live interactive show options.
• Offers beginner, professional and enterprise-level plans
• App for creating and uploading Podcast

Cons:

• Website isn’t easy to navigate.
• Upload times can be very long.
• Live recordings can get a lot pricey with the increasing number.

Pricing:

Spreaker plans vary from a free plan to $120/month enterprise subscription plan.

Plan	Cost/month	Audio Storage Capacity (hours)	Live Broadcast with chat-box	Analytics	Monetization
Free-speech	0	5	15 mins	Nope	Nah
On-Air Talent	$7	100	45	Yah!	Yaay!
Broadcaster	$20	500	3 hours	Advanced!	Yes!
Anchorman	$50	1500	5 hours	Advanced!	Yes!
Publisher	$120	Unlimited	Unlimited	Next Level!	Of course!

Podbean.

Podbean has had 10,800,000+ podcast episodes to date!

Podbean is an all-in-one podcasting platform with its audio recording and editing app and multiple options for monetization.

• Analytics about where, when, how the listeners listen to the podcast
• Monetization options from dynamic ad insertion, Premium, and Patron options
• Audio Live stream option with listener engagement
• Own recording application for easy recording and editing
• IAB certified
• Use own domain name

Podbean podcast hosting platform offers its users analytics and insights about the listener even with the Basic free plan! Before uploading the audio, you can select music, edit audio, and a lot more to optimize it to the type of listeners you are catering to.

Pros:

• Audio Recorder App.
• Live shows with live calls and chat-box.
• Easy to navigate Website.
• Yearly subscription option comes with a discount.

Cons:

• If paid month-by-month, the price increases significantly.
• You can’t publish to Spotify without having a paid account.

Pricing:

Plan	Pricing ($/month if billed annually)	Video Podcast Platform	Analytics	Monetization
Basic	0	Nah!	Basic	Nah!
Unlimited Audio	9	Nah!	Advanced!	Yes!
Unlimited Plus	29	YES!	Advanced!	Yes!
Business	99	YES!	Advanced!	Yes!
Enterprise	Custom Price	YES!	Advanced!	Yes!

With Podbean, you can save bucks by opting for a yearly subscription. Also, through monetization options, fans can support you and your podcast through the Patron funding program apart from the Ad marketplace option. Too many options to make money through the podcasts!

Castos.

Castos is a professional podcast platform that does not offer a free package, only a 14-day free trial period. But it allows an unlimited number of podcasts for all packages it offers.

• Analytics and Insights on listeners
• WordPress plugin
• YouTube Republishing
• Automatic Transcription
• Pro-level editing
• Use own domain name

Seriously Simple Podcasting by Castos provides a WordPress plugin for easy integration. This feature enhances your website and makes importing from Castos to WordPress and from WordPress to Castos seamless.

Podcast editing is available at Castos with multiple package options ranging from $75/episode to $225/episode. It is available to any package holder, while the YouTube Republishing option is available for Growth and Pro subscribers only. Castos also offers a free 14-day trial.

Pros:

• Handy WordPress plugin.
• Allows YouTube Republication.

Cons:

• No free option.

Pricing:

Plan	Price/month	In-depth Listener Analytics	Advanced Analytics	Private Individual Subscribers
Starter	$19	YES!	Nah!	Up to 100
Growth	$49	YES!	Nah!	Up to 250
Pro	$99	YES!	YES!	Up to 500

Castos also offers editing packages:

Plan	Price/episode	Intro/Outro, Music, Sound Effects	Remove unwanted Ahs, Ums, pauses	WordPress Integration	Episode Transcriptions
Pro Audio Editing	$75	YES!	YES!	Nah!	Nah!
Concierge Service	$150	YES!	YES!	YES!	Nah!
Complete Solution	$225	YES!	YES!	YES!	YES!

 

Captivate.

Captivate is a complete platform that doesn’t have a free, no-frills option. It offers a trial period of only 7-days. Captivate is therefore mostly for professionals who want to grow their existing business.

Captivate provides:

• WordPress Plugin
• Podcast website
• Unlimited number of podcasts
• In-depth listener analytics and trend analysis
• Monetize through Captivate Growth Lab
• IAB certified
• Use own domain name

Captivate is the perfect platform for growing a business. It also provides Private Podcasting with all plans. Captivate Growth Labs provides options such as sponsorships, donations, ad and social media plugins to monetize your podcasts. Captivate’s call-to-action buttons can be added wherever you want to place them. It is essential to grow and promote business. It also provides the option to grow an email list to stay connected with the listener. You can also read our detailed guide on the best email marketing tools in 2021.

Pros:

• Call-to-action option.
• Good for growing business and monetization.
• Highly customizable.

Cons:

• No free package.
• Not suited for beginners.

Pricing:

Plan	Price/month	Download allowed per month	Number of Podcasts	Analytics and Insights
Personal	$17	12,000	Unlimited!	YES!
Professional	$44	60,000	Unlimited!	YES!
Business	$90	150,000	Unlimited!	YES!

Blubrry:

Blubrry is a 15-year-old company and was launched when podcasting was in its infancy. To date, it has helped over 100,000+ podcasters.

• Free WordPress site through PowerPress
• Standard statistics available for all packages, Advanced available on extra cost
• Private podcasting or Internal Podcast: PIP
• IAB certified
• Dynamic Ad insertion for monetization for pro-hosting only

Blubrry Podcast Platform comes with a month of free podcasting with any subscription you pick. However, there is no free package for you.

Pros:

• Highly experienced in hosting podcasts.
• In-Depth analytics and more.

Cons:

• No free package.
• Not very beginner-friendly.

Pricing:

Plan	Price/month	Monthly Storage	Bandwidth	Statistics	Monetization
Small	12	100	Unlimited!	YES!	YES!
Medium	20	250	Unlimited!	YES!	YES!
Large	40	500	Unlimited!	YES!	YES!
Extra Large	80	1000	Unlimited!	YES!	YES!
Pro-Hosting	100	Unlimited	1 Tb	YES!	YES!

Transistor.

Transistor was officially launched in 2018. They are new in business and wish to create a big name for themselves. Currently, there are

• Unlimited storage and unlimited bandwidth
• Support for multiple team members
• Integrates with MailChimp, ConvertKit, and Drip.
• In-depth analytics
• Affiliate program for professionals
• Use own domain name

Transistor doesn’t come with a free package for freebies or new podcasters trying out the podcast world. Yet all packages come with no limit on the number of podcasts, without any additional price.

A private podcasting feature is available with most plans. Another interesting feature is the commission you earn if you refer Transistor to other customers. You get a 25% commission every month for this.

Pros:

• Unlimited hours of audio podcasts.
• Multiple users.

Cons:

• No free plan.
• The basic plan is comparatively expensive.

Pricing:

Plan	Price/month	Number of Podcasts	Analytics	Monthly download limit	Website integration
Starter	$19	Unlimited!	Advanced!	15,000	YES!
Professional	$49	Unlimited!	Advanced!	75,000	YES!
Business	$99	Unlimited!	Advanced!	200,000	YES!

Transistor offers a yearly subscription deal in which you get two months free!

SimpleCast.

SimpleCast was launched in 2013, and in 2020, it was acquired by SiriusXM. SiriusXM integrates Simple Cast with AdsWhizz for easy monetization options for podcasters.

• Different levels of analytics for different plans
• Unlimited Storage
• Monetization options
• Recast Tool
• IAB certified
• Use own domain name

The outstanding feature of SimpleCast is the Recast tool which is the industry’s first listener-powered audiogram tool. You can share customized audio clips which are optimized for social media listeners.

SimpleCast is now a part of the bigger group SiriusXM, which means it will have better resources available to provide podcasters a better experience. SimpleCast gives a 14-day trial.

Pros:

• Unlimited storage offered on all packages.
• Analytics available in all packages.

Cons:

• No free package.
• Missing presets.

Pricing:

Plan	Pricing	Storage and upload limit	Downloads per month	Analytics
Basic	$15	Unlimited!	20	Basic
Essential	$35	Unlimited!	50	Basic, Location, Web Player, Technology
Growth	$85	Unlimited!	120	Basic, Location, Web Player, Technology, Device, ISP

SimpleCast also has Professional and Enterprise packages on demand.

Podcastics.

Studio W, a digital agency specializing in web designing, web marketing, editorial, and audiovisual creation. Podcastics is a podcasting platform developed by Studio W. This also means that podcastics is backed by professionals in the field!

• Podcast editing
• Scheduling episodes
• Analytics
• Live Streaming
• Podcast Archive
• Worldwide Distribution
• Multiple Monetizing

With Podcastics, the website is user-friendly and gives all the details you could think of. It has a user-friendly interface. It offers monetization options through Patreon, Tippee platform, Ads, affiliate program and dynamic ad insertion.

Podcastics offers a QR code generation for episodes and a podcast homepage for all packages. Podcast Archive is an interesting feature if you have recorded podcasts in the past and are not doing so currently.

Pros:

• User-friendly website
• Multiple monetization options
• Unlimited Episodes
• Generates QR code for easy sharing

Cons:

• No free package
• CDN is applicable only on the Pro and Max package

Pricing:

Plan	Price/month	Episode limit	Analytics	Monetizing	CDN integration
Premium	$4	Unlimited!	YES!	YES!	Nah! None!
Pro	$8	Unlimited!	YES!	YES!	8 data centers (Europe and N. America)
Max	$39	Unlimited!	YES!	YES!	53 data centers (worldwide)

Podcastics offer one month free for any package you subscribe to. Also, Podcast archive is available for $5/month.

Fusebox.

Podcasters created Fusebox, and they know what aspects are essential and how to make the experience better day by day. Fusebox is not a hosting platform. It is a podcast player that you can embed anywhere.

• Sticky Player
• Archive
• WordPress plugin
• Transcription

Fusebox offers a sticky player offer where the player is attached to the top or bottom and stays there throughout scrolling. It urges viewers to click and explore. An archive player has a directory of all the podcasts you ever uploaded in the past. The transcription option is important for better SEO. It also provides an email list for Pro subscribers.

Pros:

• Good for all levels of podcasters.
• Free package is also available.

Cons:

• Transcription available only with Rev and Temi.
• Only two packages offered.

Pricing:

Plan	Price/month	Players	Transcription
Free	0	Single Track only	YES!
Pro	$19	Single Track, Sticky, Archive,	YES!

Fusebox offers business and enterprise subscription options on request.

LibSyn.

LibSyn stands for Liberated Syndication. It is the pioneer of podcast hosting platforms. Hence it knows the business!

LibSyn hosted 69,000 podcasts in 2019 alone!

• Advanced statistics
• LibSyn player; shareable audio, video, and PDFs
• Monetization
• Customization and Optimization
• WordPress Website plugin
• Own Podcast App
• IAB certified

LibSyn being the pioneer of podcasts, is the oldest industry to know how the job is done. They have an advanced podcast analytics and insights platform. LibSyn offers you your own personalized mobile app for your podcast at an extra cost of $10/month.

Pros:

• Customized App for podcast.
• Scheduling podcast.
• Powerful resources.

Cons:

• No free package.
• Comparatively Expensive.

Pricing:

Plan	Price	Monthly Storage (MB)	Statistics (Downloadable/Non-Downloadable)	Monetization Opt-in	App for iOS and Android
Classic 50	$5	50	Basic- Non-Downloadable	YES!	Nah!
Classic 250	$15	250	Basic- Non-Downloadable	YES!	Nah!
Advanced 400	$20	400	Advanced-Downloadable	YES!	At $10/month
Advanced 800	$40	800	Advanced-Downloadable	YES!	At $10/month

Extra storage can be bought on LibSyn at $75/month for a 1500MB storage and $150/month for 3000MB.

SoundCloud.

Soundcloud is an artist-first platform that is basically for music, not for podcasts. Your podcast will be written as your tracks. It is not one of the favorite choices for podcasting, but it has Repost by Soundcloud feature to spread your track around different platforms and also offers monetization options

• Repost by Soundcloud
• Monetization options
• Fan donations
• Interaction with fans

Soundcloud may not be the best podcast hosting platform, but it does have a few interesting features. It allows listeners to interact with the host, and the host is notified of fan engagement. Monetization options include splitting with collaborators, fan donations, and advertisements. It also offers to schedule your upload in the future.

Pros:

• 30-day money-back guarantee with Pro plans.
• Large community of users.
• Free package is available.
• Repost by SoundCloud available separately for $2.5/month.

Cons:

• Not exclusively for Podcasts.
• No editing option.
• Billing is yearly.
• Upload allowances can be very limiting.

Pricing:

Plan	Price/month	Statistics	Monetization	Upload limit
SoundCloud Basic	Free	Basic	Nah!	3 hours
SoundCloud Pro Unlimited	$12	Advanced	YES!	Unlimited!

Audioboom.

Audioboom is a platform for podcasters and advertisers alike. It is the best platform to make money

• Embedding player
• Advanced analytics
• Co-hosting options
• Monetize
• Advertisement through host endorsement and dynamic ad insertions

Audioboom platform is for beginners as well as professionals. It also offers B2B services through linking brands with appropriate and relevant podcasters. The audioboom team selects the genre and geographic location and pitches the advertisement option to podcasters to make money. It is a win-win for podcasters and advertisers.

Pros:

• Multiple Monetization Options.
• Easy to navigate website.

Cons:

• Podcaster package is an ad-free option.
• Only two package options.
• Limited monetization options.

Price:

Plan	Pricing/month	Episodes per month	Analytics	Monetization
Podcasters	$9.99	Unlimited!	YES!	Nah!
Podcast Pro	On request	Unlimited!	YES!	YES!

The Podcaster’s pricing plan is for new individuals exploring the world of podcasting, while Podcast Pro is for established podcasters with over 10,000 plays per episode.

After such a sea of knowledge, there must be multiple questions going on in your mind, here are synthesized answers to some for-sure questions you are wondering.

FAQ about podcast hosting platforms.

Here are the answers to your most common queries related to podcast hosting platforms.

What is the best free podcast hosting product?

If you are new to podcasting, the free products make sense. The two best platforms for free podcast hosting are Buzzsprout and Podbean. Buzzsprout is rated best for customer support. Among these two, Podbean offers more features in the free version than Buzzsprout.

What is the best podcast hosting service?

Captivate and Podcastics offer advanced analytics for all packages. They also have multiple monetization options for podcasters, from ad placements to listener donations. Both are listed on apple podcast, google podcast, amazon music, Stitcher, Spotify, and many others. Although they do not offer a free package, they are the best to promote and make a living from the podcast.

What is the most popular podcast hosting site?

Buzzsprout is the most popular podcast hosting site. It currently has over 100,000 active podcasters. It also has a wide podcast directory that includes Apple podcast, Google podcast, Amazon music, Stitcher, Spotify, etc. Moreover, it has a WordPress plugin and is also IAB certified.

What is the cheapest podcast hosting provider?

The cheapest podcast hosts are the free plans offered by BuzzSprout, PodBean, SoundCloud. In the paid plans category, Podcastics offers plans starting from $4 and LibSyn offers from $5.

What is the best podcast hosting provider for beginners?

For new podcasters, the best option is to go for a podcast hosting platform that offers a free plan. Buzzsprout and Podbean are the best options for beginners. It gives them an insight into podcasting and how it can make a difference.

Which website builder is best for podcasts?

WordPress is the best for building websites for podcasts. Many podcasts hosting platforms have WordPress plugins such as Castos, Captivate, Blubrry, LibSyn, and Fuse Box.

How are webinars different from podcasts?

Webinars are online seminars that are live streamed to audiences around the globe. They tend to impose a registration fee, while podcasts are generally free. They are multimedia, meaning they have both audio and video.

Check out our detailed guide on the best webinar platforms for more information.

The stage is all yours.

Whether you are a content creator or a marketer, podcasting is now the most forward-looking platform to attract audiences around the globe.

The world of advertising and making money has evolved over the years. Digital marketing has opened newer portals for a more “global” outreach and gaining the right kind of visibility.

Podcasting is one of those futuristic digital marketing solutions. It offers relevant advertising to targeted audiences aimed to generate maximum sales leads.

It also creates enormous monetization opportunities for podcasters when coupled with influencer marketing.

So, are you all set to begin that long-awaited podcasting journey of yours? Feel free to leave your replies in the comments below.