14 Best Podcast Hosting Sites (Free & Paid Platforms)

Looking for the best podcast hosting sites can be quite challenging, especially with new sites that keep popping out with exciting features. 

Podcasting is not simply uploading your recorded audio to podcast directories, like Spotify or iTunes. Initially, you need to have your files hosted by a reliable podcast hosting site.

Using a hosting site can help grow your podcast in many ways. First, you will be able to upload, create, publish, distribute, and promote your podcast on different platforms. Second, a good podcast platform provides reliability with uptime guarantee, fast delivery with no hiccups and easy to navigate dashboard.

This will ensure a growth in your audience base and better engagement with your listeners. Moreover, at a scaled-up level, you can start to advertise and monetize your podcasts. 

In order to make things easier for you, we have researched and reviewed 14 Best Podcast Hosting Sites to help you choose the ideal podcast that meets your needs.

1. Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout is the best podcast hosting site for beginners. For more than 10 years, the site has offered its users an easy-to-use and simply-designed podcast hosting. 

For excellent customer experience, the website features automatic optimization of any uploaded audio files. This way, your files’ episodes can be either published instantly or scheduled for a specific day and time. 

Besides, the site allows you to transcribe your podcasts and make them available for all kinds of audiences. It has also integrated chapter markers that allow listeners to navigate to their favorite parts of your podcast.

Under one account, you can give full or limited access to editors, which can be your team members, to create and manage as many podcasts as you have.

In addition, Buzzsprout is a great choice for those who have long recording hours, thanks to unlimited storage. However, the free plan can only allow you to record for 2h duration, no more. The unlimited option is available for the rest of the pricing plans. 

Recently, in 2019, the site included an affiliate marketplace that helps you generate money from your podcast. 

How much does Buzzsprout cost? 

Buzzsprout prices are based on your show duration. It has 4 simple pricing plans, with no credit needed. Plus, you can cancel at any time.

Here are the 4 pricing plans:

• The first plan is FREE – 2hours audio/month (limited to 3 months).
• The 2nd plan is for $12/month – 3 hours audio/month.
• The 3rd plan is for $18/month – 6 hours audio/month.
• The 4th plan is for $24/month– 12 hours audio/month.

Pros 

• Different integrations tools.
• An in-depth guide on how to use the site and how to start your podcast.
• Advanced statistics.
• Paid plans come with 250GB Bandwidth Per Month.

Cons

• It allows you to run one show only.

2. SoundCloud

Launched in 2008, SoundCloud is one of the largest audio platforms in the world. It is an all-in-one packed platform. It features various options including, listening and sharing music, direct connection to creators, podcasts, and more.

SoundCloud serves as a good choice for beginners who want to start their podcasting journey with their 3 hours of uploads FREE plan. It allows creators to deliver content, to connect and reach out to their fans, and to grow their audience via basic and advanced analytics features. 

The advanced analytic feature helps you to track and analyze your podcast’s performance, your audience locations, the devices used, number of downloads, favorite segments and more.

Moreover, the Premium plans offer you loss-free HD storage and downloads, endless uploads, advanced stats, embed controls, and more. You can also have access to report by SoundCloud, which helps you generate money, and take your career to the next level.

How much does SoundCloud cost? 

The SoundCloud offers:

• SoundCloud basic is a FREE plan.
• SoundCloud Pro is $7/month (or $63/year, saving $21)  
• SoundCloud Pro Unlimited is $15/month (or $135/year, saving $45)

Pros 

• A large social audio platform.
• A direct reach and an engaged connection with the audience.
• Secured storage and download.
• Unlimited upload for advanced plans.

Cons

• The podcast is limited by the number of hours and not the size of the file.

3. PodBean

Podbean got everything you need to start your first podcast. Everything including creation, management, and Podcast promotion, PodBean has the right tools to get you on the right track.

The best thing about Podbean is its unlimited downloads, episodes, bandwidth, and storage capacity. The advanced and comprehensive statistics tool helps you to learn more about your audience and to analyze your performance. 

As a result, you will be able to create and grow a better audience base and understand what parts you need to better work on for your future podcasts.

Moreover, the site features an intuitive interface to help you customize and publish your podcast based on your branded domain. You can also schedule publishing your episodes depending on your conveniences.

When it comes to distribution and promotion, Podbean offers you adequate tools to get your podcast out there. Whether it is social media related or other podcast destinations including apple podcasts, Spotify and more, you can guarantee a good reach.

The hosting site also includes a marketplace where you can join for free and start advertising and monetizing your podcasts.

How much doesPodbean cost? 

PodBean has 4 pricing plans: each plan comes with a set of features that meet your needs and budget.

• Basic plan is FREE
• Unlimited Audio is $14/month ( and if billed annually, it is $9/month)
• Unlimited Plus is $39/month ( and if billed annually, it is $29/month)
• Business is $129/month (and if billed annually, it is $99/month)

Pros 

• Large marketplace.
• Podcast application.
• Live streaming.

Cons

• Security features can be enhanced.

4. Blubrry

Blubrry is the best podcast hosting site for media creators, advertisers, Tech companies and pro podcasters in general. You can easily generate revenue, obtain detailed statistics, host, and upload videos and audio.

Blubrry features a simplified WordPress podcasting plugin termed PowerPress. This free PowerPress includes over 100 features and more than 70.000 active installs. If you have a WordPress Website, you can easily manage your podcasts from there.

The site also provides you with accurate statistics when it comes to your audience. This helps you make some improvements to better reach your audience and increase your database. 

Some of the features of the professional statistics include reporting, the total number of downloads, audio performance, and daily trends.

How much does Blubrry cost? 

Blubrry offers 5 different pricing plans from which you can choose from. The pricing depends on the amount of storage capacity offered per month.

• Small Plan costs $12 per month, and it has 100MB storage/Month and no video uploads included.
• Medium Plan $40 per month, and it has 250MB storage/Month with everything included.
• Large Plan $80 per month, and it has 500MB storage/Month with everything included.
• Extra Large Plan $80 per month, and it has 1,000MB storage/Month with everything included.
• Professional Plan requires you to get in contact with an in-house specialist. This package comes with everything included, plus commercial podcasts.

Pros

• Free and easy media URLs importing.
• Modern podcast player including play, share and subscribe keys.
• Sponsorship involvement.
• Advanced monetization features.
• One-on-one consultancy session.

Cons

• No in-house application option.

5. Transistor

Transistor is a great publishing platform for podcasters including, creators, businessmen, and professionals. It is known for hosting famous podcasts like Drift and Cards Against Humanity.

The hosting site enables you to create unlimited kinds of podcasts. It allows you to add and direct different editors on your website so they can manage and organize your workflow.

Besides that, Transistor has a great set of tools to build and grow your audience and level up your podcast’s performance. These tools include podcast-ready RSS feed, limitless storage, audio recording, global CDN for your audio files, embedded player, and more.

You can also integrate your site with email marketing services software including Mailchimp and ConvertKit. Not only that, but you can import all your videos and audios from other hosting sites to Transistor easily. 

Another excellent feature of this platform is that you can play your episodes while navigating around without any interruption.

How much does Transistor cost? 

Pricing-wise, Transistor offers 3 plans for its users. All plans have a free trial for 14 days.

• Starter plan costs $19/month (or $190 if billed yearly)
• Professional plan costs $49 (or $490 if billed yearly)
• Business plan costs $99 ( or $990 if billed yearly) 

When you pay per year, you get to save the costs of 2 months. 

Pros 

• In-depth analytics.
• Embeddable audio player.
• Support for multiple users.

Cons

• The note show editor can be enhanced.

6. Simplecast

Simplecast is the best podcast hosting site when it comes to management and analytics. With a simple click, you can publish your audios to millions of people.

Founded nearly 7 years ago, Simplecast has been powering some of the greatest labels in podcasting such as Facebook. The site features the best industry-leading tools including publishing, analytics, distribution, and integration.  

By using these tools, you can distribute all your post-produced episodes and streamlined works to your audience with one simple click. You can also use the show migrator to import all your files and audios seamlessly to the platform.

Moreover, what makes SimpleCast stand out is its powerful built-in framework for audio streamings. The site lives up for outstanding delivery of streaming content on a daily basis. You don’t have to worry about losing your listeners due to blackouts or sites crashing down.

It also features an audiogram tool called Recast. This tool allows your listeners to share their favorites segments on social media. 

The site’s analytics enables you to learn more about your audience, their geographical locations, used devices, their favorite segments, and more. Additionally, you can compare your episodes and enhance areas in your performance.

How much does Simplecast cost?

Simplecast offers 3 pricing plans for independent podcasters, and 2 pricing plans for Networks and Businesses.

For independent podcaster, there are:

• Basic Plan: costs $15/months ($13.50 /month if prepaid yearly)
• Essential Plan: costs $35/month ($31.50 /month if prepaid yearly)
• Growth Plan: costs $85/month ($76.50 /month if prepaid yearly)

For businesses and Networks pricing packages, you need to contact an inhouse sales specialist for more details.

Pros 

• Recast Feature for better interactions between listeners and creators.
• Advanced analytic feature.
• Modern site builder with customized features.
• Mobile friendly.
• Multiple podcasts with multiple collaborators.

Cons

• Webinars’ organization could be improved.

7. Libsyn

Launched in 2004,  Libsyn is another powerful podcast hosting site with a basic plan pricing that starts at $5 per month. 

Libsyn offers a great set of tools that helps you manage and control all your podcasts. It features episodes publishing customization and optimization, branded media player, and opt-in podcast advertising and monetizations.

In order to build and grow your audience, the platform publishes and distributes your podcast to other applications and platforms out there including Spotify, Apple Podcast and more.

The OnPublish feature allows you to remove and add content easily, to adjust content delivery destinations, and to customize episode publishing time and destination. 

Certified by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) v2.0, the advanced podcast stats ensure detailed reports and analysis on the geographical concentration of listeners, the number of downloads, episodes performance, popular platforms used by listeners, date range, social media, and more.

How much does Libsyn cost?

Libsyn has 4 popular plans:

• Classic 50 plan costs $5 per month
• Classic 250 Plan costs $15 per month
• Advanced 400 Plan costs $20 per month
• Advanced 800 Plan costs $40 per month

To use your domain, you need to pay +$2 per month for each plan. For advanced plans, you can have an additional 200MB and App for iOS & Android for an extra $20 each month. 

Pros 

• Compatible RSS feed.
• Advanced statistics, IAB certified.
• Customized publishing and optimization.
• Enterprise-level tools.
• Monetization tools.

Cons

• The website’s builder’s options can be enhanced.

8. Captivate

Captivate is created by podcasters for podcasters. It is one of the hosting sites that focus on growing your audience base and maximizing your audio exposure. 

One of Captivate’s strongest points is its Smart Podcast Player. For a more branded podcast website, the Player features a customizable podcast cover that automatically configures to meet your needs. 

The player also includes built-in calls to actions that help you grow your subscribers’ email list, and consequently, generate more leads. 

The site provides you with an audio influence expansion, easy embedded control, and instant synchronization to your WordPress website.

The advanced statistics feature gives you in-depth analytics on your performance and audience. It provides you with insightful details on your downloads, episodes, trends, where and how your audience listens to your podcast, and more.

How much does Captivate cost? 

Captivate offers 3 pricing plans. Free trial for 7 days on all plans.

• Audio influence plan costs $49/ month with 60,000 downloads/month  
• Podcaster plan costs $19/month with 12,000 downloads/month 
• Podcast Brand plan costs $99/ month with 150,000 downloads/month

Pros 

• Unlimited podcasts.
• Unlimited collaborators( team members).
• Free importing of your audio and shows.
• Intellectual podcasts marketing for easy subscriptions.
• Sponsor kit.

Cons

• Pricing based on downloads.

9. Spreaker

Speaker is another easy to use platform that seeks to bring your brand to the center by promoting and advertising your podcast almost everywhere. If you are on a tight budget, Speaker is the place to start. With a free plan, you can easily start your live streaming and your podcast distribution. 

Their well-designed dashboard allows you to create content easily, upload and plan your audios, and manage several podcasts in one place. The dashboard offers an accessible interface with all the different features that help you create, customize, market, and monetize all your podcasts. 

Moreover,  Speaker features a “one-click distribution” which connects to other platforms and applications, allowing you to reach out to more listeners wherever they are.

Finally, the site enables you to generate revenue with their exceptional monetizations plan. You will have full authority over advertisements, and you will have insightful metrics and reports on your earnings.

How much does Speaker cost? 

Since Speaker is suitable for both professionals and enterprises, there are two sets of plans.

The first pricing plans for professionals include:

• The free speech plan is FREE.
• On-air talent plan costs $7/month ($6 if billed annually)
• Broadcasters plan costs $20/month($18 if billed annually)
• Anchorman plan costs $50/month (45$ if billed annually)

You can apply a promotional code to get 1 month free for the paid plans.

When it comes to enterprises, Speaker offers a Publisher plan which costs $120/mo with 60,000 downloads included. For every additional 1,000 downloads, you have to pay $2 more.

Pros

• Advanced monetization tools.
• Simple and easy to use platform.
• Focused content management system.

Cons

• Statistics are bounded by plan.

10. Fusebox

Co-founded by Pat Flynn, Fusebox has one of the most innovative toolbox software you will need to scale up your podcasting level. Pat and his team members sought to create a smart podcast player that helps podcasters to better engage with their audience and generate more leads. 

Fusebox comes with top-notch features including email capture to grow your subscriber list, customized colors and themes to meet with your website design, easy downloads straight up from the player, multiple speed controls, timestamps and social media sharing for a larger audience.

The site lives up for its transcript plugin which allows for an SEO live demo boost to your podcast content. It also enables your listeners to browse through the transcript instantly and download it in a PDF format.

How much does Fusebox cost? 

Fusebox has both free and pro pricing plans. The pro plan costs $12/month if paid monthly and $8/month if paid annually.

Pros 

•  3Players podcast: full player, single-track player, and site-wide sticky player.
• Top-notch features.
• Simple and easy to install transcript plugin.

Cons

• Plugin to WordPress website only.

11. Podiant

Founded in 2016, Podiant helps turn your idea conception to idea publication. This updated version of Podiant features powerful yet simple tools to stay ahead of the game.

Created for leaders and able creatives, Podiant encourages and empowers their users to produce potent podcasts and host unlimited shows.

The platform comes with a beautifully designed dashboard that gets all the essential features centered in one place. It also displays your stats intuitively and offers you some tips to enhance and scale up your podcast.

Thanks to the new production assistant, you can easily direct your guests, distribute and manage schedules that work for everyone. The best thing about Podiant is that each episode has a studio page that makes everything go smoothly and in real-time. 

You can easily create a show notes template and share it with your collaborators instantly to view and read it.

When it comes to your podcast website design, Podiant offers a range of themes and templates from which you can choose. The webpage includes analytic and bio pages as well as a blog. 

How much does Podiant cost? 

Podiant offers 3 pricing plans:

• Indie costs $12.99 per month- one podcast.
• Professional costs $24.99 per month- one podcast.
• Networks cost $35.97 per month- 3 podcasts and it scales up.

When it comes to the networks plan, the pricing can increase depending on the number of podcasts

• Starter plan costs $ 35.97 / month for 3 podcasts
• Small plan costs $ 59.95 / month for 5 podcasts
• Medium plan costs $ 116.9 / month for 10 podcasts
• Large plan costs $ 233.8 / month for 20 podcasts

Pros 

• High-quality audio.
• Limitless storage.
• Automatic posting to Youtube.
• Social media sharing.
• Guests collaboration.

Cons

• Price per podcast.

12. PodcastWebsites

PodcastWebsites, as it names entails, helps you to create and develop your podcast website.

To better understand if PodcatsWebsiteb is for you or not, this latter offers a personalized demo to help you learn more about your needs and inquiries.

This all-in-one packed service provides comprehensive and private podcasting assistance. It also features several media integration to share your audio and build and grow your audience. 

The site offers in-depth analytics and statistics regarding your audience and podcast performance. All in all, the platform has all the needed tools to help you create your website and get it on the run.

Moreover, PodcastWebsites includes an online academy that features a supportive community to help answer all your questions. Besides, it comprises a library full of tutorials and guiding videos. 

Finally, training sessions starring well-known marketers, podcasters, and more are available every single month.

How much does PoscastWebsites cost? 

When it comes to pricing plans, PodcastWebsites offer 2 choices:

• Popular plan: costs $97/ month (paid monthly)
• New plan: costs $77/ month (paid yearly)

If you choose the second plan, you get to save around $240 with First RSS Feed included in the package. For the popular plan, you need to pay +$10 for each RSS feed.

Pros 

• Built-in integrations.
• A marketplace displaying discounted tools and services.
• No contract required.
• Compelling WordPress theme.

Cons

• On the expensive side (especially for beginners).

13. Audioboom

Whether you are starting a new podcast or already have one, Audiobroom got you covered. Audibroom takes simple hosting and distribution as its core mission. If you are just starting your podcasting career, this platform helps you to create, upload, and import your audio seamlessly.  

They also help you distribute your episodes wherever your listeners are including Spotify, iHeart, Google podcasts and more. Besides, the platform enables you to collaborate with other guests and invite them to your show. 

The embedded player works perfectly on any website, blog or social media. Consequently, it ensures reaching more listeners everywhere and growing your audience base consistently. The player includes an apparent subscription pointer. 

Not forget to mention that the site also features exceptional analytics, displaying accurate and complete details on your audience and your podcast performance. If your episode receives 10k plays, the platform allows you to monetize your podcast by supporting advertisements and sponsorships.

How much does Audioboom cost? 

There are 2 pricing plans offered by Audioboom. The Podcasters plan costs $9.99 per month (or $99 if paid annually). First, for the Podcast pro plan, you will need at least to have 10k plays per episode. If the first condition is fulfilled, you need to directly contact them for the pricing. 

Pros 

• embedded player.
• Affordable pricing.
• Easy importing and uploading of episodes.
• Media sharing.

Cons

• Limited plays per month 

14. Castos

Straight up from your WordPress dashboard, you can set up and manage your podcast seamlessly, thanks to Castos.

For larger audience reach, Castos allows you to publish automatically all your episodes directly on Youtube with one simple click. 

The platform includes built-in web pages that you can customize to your branded podcasts. You can choose a design that meets your preferences. These customizable websites are mobile-friendly and look great on any device.

Each website page has social media connections and a direct link to your episodes RSS feed. These connections help you grow your audience, increase your subscriber’s email list, and maximize your exposure.

Moreover, the platform transcribes every uploaded episode automatically into a complete word for word record. This is made easy and possible with text-voice technology to all Castos podcasters. 

Now, with transcribed episodes, you can increase your reach and allow your followers to download your content into PDF format files or you can simply send it to them directly to their emails.

Finally, it goes without saying, that Castos’s podcast analytics provides accurate stats and reports regarding your audience and your podcast’s performance. The results help you learn more about your audience, their locations, their interaction with your content, and more.

How much does Castos cost? 

Castos Podcast Hosting offers 3 Pricing plans:

• Starter plan: $19 per month ($190 if billed yearly)
• Growth plan: $49 per month ( $490 if billed yearly)
• Pro plan: $99 per month ( $990 if billed yearly)

Pros 

• Advanced analytics.
• Limitless bandwidth and storage. 
• Youtube republishing feature.
• Premium podcasting.

Cons

• Requires WordPress website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Do You Need a Podcast Hosting?

If you are taking a podcasting career seriously, you need a podcast hosting site. Podcast hosting helps you build and grow your audience by reaching out to bigger and well-known platforms. 

Not only that it allows you to store all your audio, videos, episodes and more and publish them on these platforms. 

This is mainly because you can’t upload audio directly to platforms like iTunes, you need a podcast hosting to manage that for you. Therefore, without one, you are incapable of distributing and publishing your work easily. 

Also, you need a podcast hosting site when you have the right equipment and skills for podcasting in general. Besides being a good influencer who attracts and entertains his followers, you need you to have some basic marketing and promoting skills. 

These skills help in the long term, especially in terms of building your audience and generating money.

What is the Best Podcast Hosting site?

Buzzsprout is the best podcast hosting site. It offers podcasters the right and essential tools to start their podcasting journey. The site also stands out with its vast range of available features. 

Using their free plan only, you can have 2 hours uploads, you can host unlimited numbers of episodes for 3 months, you can add your team member to help you manage, control and publish your podcast, and more importantly, you get in-depth analytics on your audience and your episode’s performance. 

Therefore, this is surely the best podcast hosting site option for beginners or those who just want to test the water.

Comes followed, Podbean, Simplecast, and Transistor are also a great choice when it comes to the best podcast hosting sites. 

They offer great pricing plans. They come packed in a variety of different features. They are easy to use, and they have an attractive website builder that helps you customize your branded podcast webpage to meet your needs.

What to look for in Podcast hosting sites?

There are several details that you need to look for when looking for podcast hosting sites.

The first 3 basic and main features that need to be available on the site are the ability to upload, host or import your audio files, an RSS feed link in order to make it easier for your listeners to subscribe to your podcast and your media channels, and backed bandwidth.

The other factors that you need to take into consideration are:

Pricing plans and free trials

Every hosting site offers one to several pricing plans for new customers. Depending on your budget and needs, you can choose the right one for you. If podcasting is your full-time career, we highly advise you to choose the yearly payment as it will save you a lot of money and sometimes it includes added features.

However, in many cases, some sites offer a free plan for users to test the website and get them started. This is a good option for those who are on a tight budget and who just started with podcasting. When it comes to free plans, it will take some time to grow your audience base, and mark your brand’s presence.

Service assistance

You should select a hosting site that offers continuous support and assistance. This is important for you as it will keep you updated with the new features on the website. It also ensures their support with any technical problems, marketing approach, or even with your advertising and monetization process. 

Embedded player

The embedded player has to be adaptable with various platforms and devices out there. If the player is not embedded, it is hard for you to operate your podcast on other websites and landing pages.

Bandwidth and storage space

This feature allows you to know how much storage space you will be having, your limit of downloads, episodes, plays, bandwidth and more. For example, certain pricing plans add extra fees for every extra download. 

Advanced analytics

Only by reviewing and examining your analytics, you will be able to understand your audience better, and know more about how to improve your podcast performance.

The analytic feature gives you the right and accurate metrics to grow and reach a larger audience. Some hosting sites have premium analytics which includes some marketing and promoting tools that can be useful for you.

Well-designed Dashboard

You will probably want something that is easy to use, especially if you are not tech-savvy. We advise you to look for a hosting site that has a simple and user-friendly interface. This allows you to allocate more time and energy in your content creation, rather than hassling with uploads features.

Monetization and Ads Control

At a certain point, your podcast will be loaded with uncontrollable ads. And in less, you have reached 10k plays or downloads per episode, you can’t limit their appearance. 

You have to upgrade your pricing plan in order to control and manage advertisements on your podcast as well as start making your own ones, and generate some leads.

How Much Does Podcast Hosting Cost?

Generally, Podcast hosting can cost from $10/month to $70/month on average. The cost range depends on the service provider and the pricing plan. Generally, the differences between the offered plans lie in bandwidth, number of downloads, number of episodes, advanced analytics, sponsorship and promotion, and more.

What Are Podcast Directories?

In order to reach out to a larger audience and grow your emails list, you need to distribute and publish your episodes in different audio sites. Podcasts directories are considered one of the well-known distribution sites for podcasters. 

Any listener can subscribe to your podcast via directories. The directories help them discover your podcasts and consume your audio. In general, they offer a centralized point for listeners to learn and discover more podcasting shows.

Some of the popular podcast directories are:

• iTunes
• iHeart
• Spotify
• Google Podcasts
• Stitcher

Final Thoughts

It’s interesting to see how many podcast hosting sites are out there. Each is offering a good set of features and tools to help you create successful podcasts.

What we recommend is that you dig deeper into each of the above-mentioned sites’ features, and make sure you get the best out of your chosen plan. 

The storage capacity, bandwidth, embedded player, and intuitive interface are exactly what you need to be looking for at a first glance. 

Finally, you want to make sure that your hosting site service can support you in marketing, promoting,  monetizing your podcasts.