The Best Podcast Hosting Platforms of 2026 (Free & Paid)

Axel Grubba, November 12, 2026
The Best Podcast Hosting Platforms of 2026 (Free & Paid)
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The best podcast hosting platform for most people in 2026 is Buzzsprout for ease of use, Spotify for Creators if you want completely free hosting, and RSS.com if you want a free plan with no expiring episodes. Paid podcast hosting starts at $7–$19 per month, and several platforms now offer free plans with built-in ways to earn money.

If you haven’t jumped on the podcasting bandwagon yet, the audience is bigger than ever. According to Edison Research’s Infinite Dial 2026, 58% of Americans listened to a podcast in the past month and 45% in the past week (2026). The same study found that 80% of Americans aged 12+ have ever listened to or watched a podcast (2026). You’ll find more data in our roundup of podcast statistics.

But it takes a lot more than just recording your story and posting it online to make a successful podcast. The first thing you have to do is sign up with a podcast hosting company that stores your audio (and, increasingly, video) files and creates your podcast’s RSS feed.

There are paid versions, as well as free podcast hosting options, and they differ a lot in what “free” actually means. We checked every price, free plan limit and monetization rule below against each vendor’s own pricing or help pages in November 2026, so you can compare like for like.

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Podcast Hosting Platforms Compared

Here’s how all 17 podcast hosting sites stack up on price, free plans, storage, monetization and video. Prices are the lowest paid tier in USD as listed by each vendor in November 2026. Where a vendor only shows an annual rate, we say so.

Platform Paid plans from Free plan Storage / uploads Monetization Video support
Buzzsprout $15/mo (billed annually) Yes: 2 hrs/month, episodes kept 90 days 72 hrs/year (Audio plan) Buzzsprout Ads (paid plans, 1,000 downloads in 30 days), Subscriptions Audio + Video plan, $25/mo
Spotify for Creators Free Yes, unlimited hosting Unlimited hosting Spotify Partner Program (eligibility thresholds) Yes, free
RSS.com $15/mo (billed annually) Yes: 1 show, unlimited episodes and storage Unlimited Ads from 10 downloads on Plus Max plan, $37/mo (annual)
Podbean $12/mo (annual) or $17 monthly Yes: 5 hrs total storage, 100GB/mo bandwidth Unlimited storage, 1GB/mo uploads Ads marketplace, dynamic ads at $1 CPM Unlimited Plus, $29/mo (annual)
RedCircle $19.99/mo or $180/yr Yes: 1 show, unlimited storage and downloads Unlimited Ad platform at 500 weekly downloads, subscriber content on free plan Pro plan, $34.99/mo
Transistor $19/mo No (14-day trial) 20,000 downloads/mo, unlimited shows Dynamic ads from $49/mo Professional, $49/mo
Captivate $17/mo (billed annually) No (30-day trial) Unlimited uploads, 30,000 downloads/mo Dynamic content insertion, Marketplace Not listed
Castos $19/mo No (14-day trial) No download cap Dynamic ads, listener donations Video file hosting on Pro, $99/mo
Acast $14.99/mo (annual) or $25 monthly Yes: 1 show, 5 episodes (unlimited if you join the ad marketplace) Unlimited episodes on paid plans Ads on every plan Video plan, $39.99/mo (annual)
Spreaker $20/mo Yes: 1 podcast, unlimited episodes Unlimited episodes Ads on the free plan, listener support Not listed
Libsyn $12/mo No (30-day trial) 3 hrs audio/month (Basic) PodRoll, Automatic Podcast Ads, Apple subscriptions All plans, up to 100GB/mo
Blubrry $7/mo No 1.5 hrs/month (Standard 1.5) Included on all plans All plans
Simplecast $15/mo No (14-day trial) 20K downloads/mo Dynamic ads on custom plans Not listed
Audioboom $12.99/mo No Up to 15,000 downloads/mo Showcase ad marketplace Not listed
Fusebox $9/mo No (14-day trial) Unlimited uploads Not listed Not listed
Resonate $25/mo No Unlimited episodes and downloads Dynamic ad insertion Not listed
Podomatic $9.99/mo Yes: 500MB (about 6 hrs), 15GB/mo bandwidth 500MB on free Not listed Not listed

“Not listed” means the vendor’s pricing page didn’t mention the feature when we checked, so confirm with them before you commit.

What Makes A Great Podcast Hosting Provider?

Choosing the right platform for your podcasts is one of the most important parts of starting your podcasting journey. Before you buy a good pair of headphones and a microphone, pick a podcast host that fits your particular needs, because there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach.

The most basic podcast hosting sites give you space to store your files and an RSS feed that podcast apps read. The top podcast platforms do much more than that.

The best ones add listener analytics, one-click distribution to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube, a free podcast website, team seats and built-in monetization. A growing number also host video episodes alongside audio.

Here’s what to look at before you sign up:

  • Upload or download limits: Some hosts cap the hours you can upload (Buzzsprout, Libsyn, Blubrry), others cap monthly downloads (Transistor, Captivate, Simplecast, Audioboom).
  • What happens on the free plan: Episodes may expire (Buzzsprout deletes free episodes after 90 days), storage may be a lifetime cap (Podbean), or episodes may be limited (Acast).
  • Monetization rules: Check download thresholds and revenue shares before you count on ad income.
  • Video: Video is usually a separate, pricier tier.
  • Private feeds: If the show is for employees, members or paying customers, you need true private podcasting, not just an unlisted feed.

The Best Free Podcast Hosting Platforms

If you searched for free podcast hosting platforms, these are the six options on our list with an ongoing free plan (not just a trial), ranked by how generous the free tier is.

  1. Spotify for Creators: Spotify says you can “host for free, distribute everywhere” with unlimited hosting for audio and video. It’s the most generous free option, and the only free one on our list that handles video.
  2. RSS.com: The free plan is “No trial. No expiration. Always free.” with unlimited episodes, downloads and storage for one audio show. You need to add a credit card before uploading your second episode, but you aren’t charged, and ads aren’t included.
  3. RedCircle: The free Core plan includes one podcast with unlimited storage, bandwidth, episodes and downloads, plus subscriber-only Exclusive Content and access to its ad platform once you reach 500 weekly downloads.
  4. Spreaker: The Free Speech plan covers one podcast with unlimited episodes, ads and six months of statistics, with a 20% fee on listener support.
  5. Podbean: The free plan gives you 5 hours (500MB) of total storage that doesn’t reset monthly, 100GB of monthly bandwidth and a 100MB file size limit.
  6. Buzzsprout: The free plan lets you upload 2 hours a month, but each episode is only hosted for 90 days. It’s a great way to test the platform, not a long-term home.

Two more have limited free tiers. Acast’s free Starter plan caps you at one show and five episodes unless you make the show available in its advertising marketplace. Podomatic offers 500MB of storage (about 6 hours) and 15GB of monthly bandwidth for free.

Our take: For a brand-new hobby show, start with Spotify for Creators or RSS.com’s free plan. If you plan to earn money early, look at RSS.com Plus, Spreaker or Podbean (see monetization below).

The Best Podcast Hosting Platforms Reviewed

Here are our top picks for the best podcast hosting sites, with what each one costs and who it suits.

  1. Buzzsprout: best overall and for beginners
  2. Spotify for Creators: best completely free host
  3. RSS.com: best free plan that doesn’t expire
  4. Podbean: best budget all-in-one
  5. RedCircle: best free plan with subscriptions
  6. Transistor: best for multiple shows
  7. Captivate: best for growing your audience
  8. Castos: best for WordPress and private podcasts
  9. Acast: best for ad-supported shows
  10. Spreaker: best cheap all-rounder
  11. Libsyn: best for video on a budget
  12. Blubrry: best for WordPress sites
  13. Simplecast: best for teams and analytics
  14. Audioboom: best for established shows
  15. Fusebox: best podcast player
  16. Resonate: best full-service and private hosting
  17. Podomatic: best freemium alternative

1. Buzzsprout

Best overall podcast hosting platform and best for beginners

Buzzsprout podcast hosting homepage

Among all the best podcast websites, Buzzsprout is one of the easiest-to-use podcast hosting sites around and our #1 pick. You upload an episode, and Buzzsprout handles the feed and distribution for you. Read user feedback in our Buzzsprout reviews.

Pricing is simple and based on upload hours. The Audio plan is $15/month billed annually and includes 72 hours of uploads a year with unlimited episodes. The Audio + Video plan at $25/month publishes 1080p video to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube, and the Multi-Podcast plan at $30/month covers up to 5 audio podcasts (or up to 10 with the video option).

Paid plans unlock Buzzsprout Ads, Subscriptions and Listener Support. To turn on Buzzsprout Ads, you need a paid plan, 1,000 downloads within 30 days and at least five episodes of 23 minutes or longer.

Buzzsprout pricing:

  • Free: 2 hours of uploads a month, episodes hosted for 90 days
  • Audio: $15/month (billed annually), 72 hours a year
  • Audio + Video: $25/month (billed annually)
  • Multi-Podcast: $30/month (billed annually), 180 hours a year shared across shows
  • Archive: $5/month to keep a finished show online

Good to know: Buzzsprout isn’t built for private podcasts. Its help center says anyone with your feed address can download the episodes, so use Subscriptions for premium episodes instead.

2. Spotify for Creators

Best completely free podcast host

Spotify for Creators (formerly Anchor and Spotify for Podcasters) is Spotify’s own hosting platform. It offers free, unlimited hosting for audio and video and distributes your show to other major podcast apps, not just Spotify.

Monetization runs through the Spotify Partner Program. To apply, you need at least 3 published episodes, 2,000 consumption hours and an audience count of 1,000 on Spotify in the last 30 days, plus an address in an eligible market. Partners earn a 50% share of recognized revenue from Spotify-monetized ads, and video creators can also earn when Premium members watch their episodes.

Spotify for Creators pricing:

  • Hosting: Free
  • Monetization: Spotify Partner Program, once you meet the thresholds above

Good to know: It’s the best free option for video podcasts. The trade-off is that monetization takes a real audience, and you’ll want to keep a copy of your files if you ever move hosts.

3. RSS.com

Best free plan that doesn’t expire

RSS.com podcast hosting homepage

RSS.com is one of the top podcast hosting sites for beginners because its free plan never deletes episodes. Every plan, free or paid, includes unlimited episodes, downloads and storage.

It also really focuses on podcast monetization. On the Plus plan, ads start with as few as 10 downloads, and you can sell paid subscriptions through Apple Podcasts. Pro and Max let you keep 70% of ad revenue (and 70% of video ad revenue on Max). Read more in our RSS.com reviews.

RSS.com pricing (billed annually):

  • Free: $0, 1 audio show, unlimited episodes, no ads or video
  • Plus: $15/month ($180/year), 1 show, up to 3 team members, ads
  • Pro: $26/month ($312/year), up to 10 audio shows
  • Max: $37/month ($444/year), unlimited audio and video podcasts

Good to know: Video is only on Max, so RSS.com is best for audio-first shows.

4. Podbean

Best budget all-in-one podcast host

Podbean podcast hosting homepage

Podbean takes away the guesswork from creating a podcast. Sign up for a free account, upload your audio files, and Podbean takes care of the hosting technicalities.

Paid plans include unlimited storage and unmetered bandwidth (3TB on Network), with a monthly upload allowance. Every paid plan includes all monetization features, including dynamic ad insertion at $1 CPM, and Podbean lets you list your show in its advertising marketplace for free. See what users say in our Podbean reviews.

Podbean pricing (annual / monthly billing):

  • Free: 5 hours (500MB) of total storage, 100GB monthly bandwidth
  • Unlimited Audio: $12/month annual or $17 monthly, 1GB of uploads a month (about 16 hours)
  • Unlimited Plus: $29/month annual or $39 monthly, audio or video, 10GB a month
  • Network: $79/month annual or $99 monthly, unlimited channels
  • Business: $99/month annual or $129 monthly, private podcasts with SSO and 100 private members

Good to know: The free plan’s 5 hours is a lifetime cap, not monthly, so you’ll outgrow it quickly.

5. RedCircle

Best free plan with subscriptions and ads

RedCircle gives you one podcast with unlimited storage, bandwidth, episodes and downloads on its free Core plan. That free plan also includes Exclusive Content for paying subscribers and access to the RedCircle Ad Platform (RAP).

RAP covers programmatic and host-read ads, and you become eligible once you reach 500 weekly downloads. Paid plans add multiple podcasts, dynamic insertion, cross-promotions and video.

RedCircle pricing:

  • Core: Free, 1 podcast
  • Growth: $19.99/month or $180/year, multiple podcasts, video generation for YouTube
  • Pro: $34.99/month or $360/year, publish video episodes to YouTube, 5 team seats
  • Enterprise: $119.99/month or $1,199/year

All paid plans come with a 7-day free trial.

6. Transistor

Best for multiple shows and private podcasts

Transistor podcast hosting homepage

If you’re considering where to host several podcasts, consider Transistor. Every plan includes unlimited shows, and pricing is based on total monthly downloads rather than how much you upload.

Transistor is also strong on private podcasting: even the Starter plan includes 50 private subscribers. Professional and Business add video and dynamic ads (pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll). There’s no automatic shutoff if you go over your download limit. More in our Transistor reviews.

Transistor pricing:

  • Starter: $19/month, 20,000 downloads, 50 private subscribers
  • Professional: $49/month, 100,000 downloads, 500 private subscribers, video, dynamic ads
  • Business: $99/month, 250,000 downloads, 3,000 private subscribers

Transistor doesn’t have a free plan, but you can try it free for 14 days. Annual billing saves 17%.

7. Captivate

Best podcast hosting site for growing your audience

Captivate podcast hosting homepage

Captivate provides all the tools podcasters need to make their voices heard. All plans include every feature, including unlimited podcasts, unlimited uploads, private podcasting and dynamic content insertion with AMIE. The only difference between plans is the number of monthly downloads.

Captivate won’t take your podcast offline if you exceed your limit. If you go over two months in a row, it asks you to move up a tier.

Captivate pricing (billed annually):

  • Personal: $17/month, up to 30,000 downloads
  • Professional: $44/month, up to 150,000 downloads
  • Business: $90/month, up to 300,000 downloads

Every plan comes with a 30-day free trial.

8. Castos

Best podcast hosting for WordPress sites and private podcasts

Castos podcast hosting homepage

Many podcast hosts are so restrictive that they push you to a higher plan as soon as your show grows. Castos puts no cap on downloads on any plan, and it’s built around WordPress through its Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin, which helps if you care about blog SEO.

It’s also one of the best options for private podcasts, with private subscriber limits on every plan. All plans include dynamic ad management and listener donations. See our Castos reviews.

Castos pricing:

  • Essentials: $19/month ($190/year), up to 100 private subscribers
  • Growth: $49/month ($490/year), up to 250 private subscribers, YouTube republishing
  • Pro: $99/month ($990/year), up to 500 private subscribers, video file hosting
  • Premium: from $499/month

All plans have a 14-day free trial, and annual billing gives you two months free.

9. Acast

Best for ad-supported shows

Acast is a hosting platform built around advertising. Every plan includes ad monetization, including the free one, and paid plans add sponsorships.

The free Starter plan is limited to one show and five episodes, but you get unlimited episodes if you make your show available in Acast’s advertising marketplace. That makes it a good fit if you’re happy to run ads from the start.

Acast pricing (yearly / monthly billing):

  • Starter: Free, 1 show, 5 episodes
  • Essential: $14.99/month yearly or $25 monthly, multiple shows, unlimited episodes
  • Pro: $29.99/month yearly or $40 monthly, team management, publishing API
  • Video: $39.99/month yearly or $50 monthly, video episodes on Apple Podcasts, up to 10,000 video views a month

10. Spreaker

Best cheap all-rounder with a free plan

Spreaker podcast hosting homepage

Lots of podcast platforms are loaded with features you might not need. Spreaker keeps things simple, and its free Free Speech plan includes ads, unlimited episodes and no credit card requirement.

Paid plans add unlimited podcasts, subscriptions, Apple Podcasts subscriptions, enhanced private podcasts and longer statistics history. They also remove the 20% Supporters Club fee that applies on the free plan.

Spreaker pricing:

  • Free Speech: $0, 1 podcast, 6 months of statistics
  • Broadcaster: $20/month, unlimited podcasts, 12 months of statistics
  • Anchorman: $50/month, unlimited collaborators
  • Publisher: $250/month, sell and manage your own ads

11. Libsyn

Best for video on a budget

Libsyn podcast hosting homepage

Libsyn is one of the longest-running podcast hosts and continues to deliver reliable hosting. Its plans are based on monthly audio upload hours, and every plan includes video uploads of up to 100GB a month with YouTube distribution.

Every plan also includes PodRoll, Automatic Podcast Ads and Apple Podcasts Subscriptions integration. Dynamic ad insertion and unlimited storage come with the custom Professional and Enterprise plans. Read our Libsyn reviews.

Libsyn pricing:

  • Basic: $12/month, 3 hours of audio a month
  • Advanced: $25/month, 10 hours, YouTube and Spotify video distribution
  • Max: $150/month, 55 hours

Every plan has a 30-day free trial (a credit card is required). Libsyn also links to an $8 plan “for the bare essentials”.

12. Blubrry

Best podcast hosting for WordPress users

Blubrry podcast hosting homepage

Blubrry is the company behind the PowerPress WordPress plugin. It recently switched to time-based plans priced by how many hours of audio and video you publish each month, and its entry plan is now the cheapest paid option on this list.

Every plan supports audio and/or video, includes monetization and comes with a free WordPress website. A Premium Podcasting add-on covers bonus and ad-free episodes.

Blubrry pricing:

  • Standard 1.5: $7/month, 1.5 hours a month
  • Standard 3: $15/month, 3 hours
  • Advanced 6: $25/month, 6 hours
  • Advanced 12: $50/month, 12 hours
  • Advanced 25: $90/month, 25 hours
  • Pro Unlimited: from $100/month, plus bandwidth fees

Annual billing saves 10%.

13. Simplecast

Best for teams and podcast analytics

Simplecast podcast hosting homepage

Like Transistor, Simplecast prices by monthly downloads and helps you understand your listeners through its analytics. Even the Basic plan includes two team seats.

Dynamic ad insertion and campaign management are on the custom Professional plan, powered by the AdsWizz Podcast Marketplace.

Simplecast pricing:

  • Basic: $15/month ($13.50 if prepaid annually), 20K downloads, 2 seats
  • Essential: $35/month ($31.50 annually), 50K downloads, 4 seats
  • Professional and Enterprise: custom pricing

All plans include a 14-day trial with no credit card required.

14. Audioboom

Best hosting platform for taking your podcast to the next level

Audioboom podcast hosting homepage

If you feel you’ve plateaued with your current podcast host, consider Audioboom. Its self-serve plans connect you to Showcase, its global advertising marketplace, and established shows can move up to its Podcast Pros tier.

Audioboom pricing:

  • Standard: $12.99/month or $129/year, up to 15,000 downloads a month
  • Plus: $24.99/month or $249/year, up to 50,000 downloads a month

15. Fusebox

Most innovative podcast player, with hosting included

Fusebox podcast player and hosting

Built by SPI Labs, Fusebox (originally Smart Podcast Player) made it easier for listeners to choose which episode to play on a podcaster’s website. It now includes podcast hosting on both its Starter and Pro plans.

There’s no monthly cap on the hours you can podcast or the number of listens. Its players are the main draw if your website is where you grow your audience. See our Fusebox reviews.

Fusebox pricing:

  • Starter: $9/month
  • Pro: $19/month
  • Business/Enterprise: custom

Both plans come with a 14-day free trial.

16. Resonate

Best full-service podcast provider and private hosting

Resonate podcast hosting homepage

Sometimes, it’s not enough to record, upload and publish. Resonate Recordings is a production company that also offers a hosting platform to groom your podcast to success.

Its Basic hosting plan includes unlimited episodes and downloads, unlimited team members, dynamic ad insertion and live chat support. The private hosting plan gives each listener a unique private feed, which suits internal, member or client shows. Read our Resonate reviews.

Resonate pricing:

  • Basic: $25/month
  • Private hosting: custom quote, plans from $1,000/month

17. Podomatic

Best freemium alternative

Podomatic podcast hosting homepage

Podomatic still advertises “free podcast hosting forever”. The free plan includes 500MB of storage (about 6 hours of recording), 15GB of monthly bandwidth and free daily stats.

PRO plans start at $9.99 a month for more storage and bandwidth. It’s a simple choice, but the free storage is small compared with Spotify for Creators, RSS.com or RedCircle.

Podcast Hosting With Monetization and Low or No Download Minimums

Many podcasters only find out about download thresholds after they’ve chosen a host. Here’s what each platform requires before you can earn from ads, based on their own pages:

Platform Ads available from Plan needed
RSS.com As few as 10 downloads Plus ($15/mo, annual)
Spreaker No minimum listed Free plan
Podbean No minimum listed for its ad marketplace Free listing; dynamic ads on paid plans
Acast No minimum listed Free plan (unlimited episodes if you join the marketplace)
RedCircle 500 weekly downloads Free Core plan
Buzzsprout 1,000 downloads in 30 days, 5+ episodes of 23+ minutes Any paid plan
Spotify for Creators 3 episodes, 2,000 consumption hours and 1,000 audience in 30 days Free

If you want to monetize before you have a big audience, RSS.com Plus is the most clearly documented low-threshold option. Spreaker, Podbean and Acast list ads on their free tiers without stating a minimum, but advertisers still pick which shows to buy, so a tiny show may see little revenue.

Ads aren’t the only way to earn. Listener support and premium content often work better for small, loyal audiences:

  • Subscriptions: Buzzsprout Subscriptions, RedCircle Exclusive Content (free plan), Spreaker and RSS.com Apple Podcasts subscriptions
  • Donations: Castos listener donations, Spreaker Supporters Club
  • Bonus or ad-free episodes: Blubrry Premium Podcasting add-on

For more ideas, our guide on how to start a podcast covers sponsorships and other revenue streams.

The Best Video Podcast Hosting

Video podcasts are now mainstream. Edison Research found that 57% of Americans have both listened to and watched a podcast, up from 48% the year before (2026).

Video usually costs more than audio-only hosting. Here’s the cheapest way to get video on each platform that lists it:

  • Spotify for Creators: free, audio and video
  • Blubrry: from $7/month, audio and/or video on every plan
  • Libsyn: from $12/month, up to 100GB of video a month on every plan
  • Buzzsprout: $25/month (annual) for Audio + Video, publishing to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube in 1080p
  • Podbean: $29/month (annual) for Unlimited Plus, about 10 hours of video a month
  • RedCircle: $34.99/month for Pro, publishing video episodes to YouTube
  • RSS.com: $37/month (annual) for Max, unlimited audio and video podcasts
  • Acast: $39.99/month (annual) for the Video plan, up to 10,000 video views a month
  • Transistor: $49/month for Professional
  • Castos: $99/month for Pro (Growth at $49 republishes audio episodes to YouTube)

If you’re video-first, compare upload allowances carefully. Video files are far bigger than audio, so hour- or gigabyte-based limits fill up fast.

The Best Private Podcast Hosting

Private podcasts are for internal company updates, courses, memberships or paid client content. A public podcast with an unlisted feed isn’t the same thing, because anyone with the feed URL can still listen.

Hosts with true private podcasting:

  • Transistor: from $19/month with 50 private subscribers, up to 3,000 on Business
  • Castos: from $19/month with 100 private subscribers, up to 500 on Pro (plus add-ons)
  • Captivate: private podcasting on every plan, from $17/month (annual)
  • Spreaker: enhanced private podcasts from $20/month
  • Podbean: Business plan at $99/month (annual) with SSO and 100 private members
  • Resonate: unique private feed per listener, from $1,000/month

We didn’t find a free private podcast plan on any of the platforms we checked. The cheapest way to try one is a free trial: Captivate offers 30 days, and Transistor and Castos offer 14 days.

How Podcast Distribution Works

Your podcast host doesn’t put your show in front of listeners by itself. It creates an RSS feed (a list of your episodes, titles, descriptions and media files), and podcast apps such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify read that feed.

The good news is that you only submit your feed to each directory once. After that, every new episode you publish on your host appears in each app automatically.

Most of the hosts on this list offer some form of one-click or guided distribution to the major apps. Several now publish video straight to YouTube as well, including Buzzsprout, Libsyn, RedCircle and RSS.com.

A dedicated website helps people find you on search engines too. Most hosts include a simple podcast page, but if you want more control, see our guide to building a podcast website.

How to Choose a Podcast Hosting Platform

There’s one podcast host for every type of show. Use these quick picks:

  • Total beginner on a budget: Buzzsprout for ease of use, or RSS.com’s free plan if you want episodes that never expire.
  • Completely free: Spotify for Creators (audio and video) or RedCircle (audio).
  • Under $20/month: Blubrry ($7), Fusebox ($9), Podbean ($12 annual), Libsyn ($12), Audioboom ($12.99), Acast ($14.99 annual), Buzzsprout ($15 annual), RSS.com ($15 annual), Simplecast ($15), Captivate ($17 annual), Transistor ($19), Castos ($19).
  • Under $30/month with video: Blubrry, Libsyn, Buzzsprout Audio + Video ($25) and Podbean Unlimited Plus ($29 annual).
  • Earning from ads early: RSS.com Plus, Spreaker or Acast.
  • Several shows: Transistor or Captivate (unlimited shows on every plan).
  • Private or internal shows: Transistor, Castos or Captivate.
  • WordPress site: Castos or Blubrry.

Before you pay for a year upfront, start a free trial and check two things: how the upload or download limit matches your publishing schedule, and whether the host can redirect your feed if you ever leave.

Podcast Hosting FAQ

What is podcast hosting?

Podcast hosting stores your audio and video files and generates the RSS feed that podcast apps read. When you publish an episode, your host updates the feed, and apps like Apple Podcasts and Spotify show the new episode to your subscribers.

More feature-rich hosts also provide analytics, a podcast website, monetization and team tools to make publishing and growing your podcast easy.

Can I host a podcast for free?

Yes. Spotify for Creators, RSS.com, RedCircle and Spreaker all have free plans with unlimited episodes for one show. Podbean, Buzzsprout, Acast and Podomatic also have free plans, but with storage, time or episode limits.

What is the best free podcast hosting platform?

Spotify for Creators is the best completely free option because it includes unlimited hosting for both audio and video. If you only publish audio and want a host that isn’t tied to one app, RSS.com’s free plan has unlimited episodes and storage with no expiration.

Is it free to host a podcast on Spotify?

Yes. Spotify for Creators offers free hosting for audio and video podcasts and distributes to other podcast apps. To earn money through the Spotify Partner Program, you need at least 3 episodes, 2,000 consumption hours and an audience count of 1,000 on Spotify in the last 30 days.

How much does podcast hosting cost?

Paid podcast hosting on our list starts at $7 a month (Blubrry) and most entry-level plans cost $12–$19 a month. Video plans usually cost $25–$50 a month, and private or enterprise hosting can cost hundreds of dollars a month or more.

How many downloads do I need to monetize my podcast?

It depends on your host. RSS.com Plus allows ads from 10 downloads, RedCircle requires 500 weekly downloads, and Buzzsprout Ads requires 1,000 downloads in 30 days on a paid plan. Spreaker, Podbean and Acast list ad monetization on their free plans without a stated minimum.

Can I host audio and video podcasts on the same platform?

Yes. Spotify for Creators, Blubrry, Libsyn, Buzzsprout, Podbean, RSS.com, Acast, RedCircle, Transistor and Castos all offer video hosting, though usually on a higher tier than audio-only plans.

Do I need a separate website for my podcast?

Not to get started. Most hosts give you a basic podcast page, and Blubrry includes a free WordPress website. A separate podcast website gives you more control over SEO, email signups and sponsorship pages.

Can I switch podcast hosts without losing subscribers?

Yes, as long as your old host lets you redirect your RSS feed to the new one. Podcast apps follow the redirect, so subscribers keep getting new episodes. Download your files and analytics before you cancel the old account.

Is starting a podcast worth it?

The answer is a resounding yes, if you enjoy it. You spend your time talking to interesting people, and there’s potential to turn your show into a side hustle or full-time job.

That said, podcasting is not the easiest way to make money online. You’re likely better off learning how to start a blog if you’re only in it for the money. Most podcasts that succeed pair good content with consistent self-promotion.

Podcast Hosting Sites – Summary

The podcast hosting platforms featured above show there’s one for every type of podcaster. Beginners can start with a host that’s simple and easy to use, such as Buzzsprout, which has most of the key features podcasters look for.

If you need free podcast hosting, Spotify for Creators and RSS.com are the most generous options. Podcasters looking to earn early should check out RSS.com’s low download threshold for ads, and anyone running a private or multi-show setup will be well served by Transistor or Castos.

Ready to launch? Follow our step-by-step guide on how to start a podcast, then pick the host above that matches your budget and format.

Founder & Software Review Editor
Axel Grubba is the founder of Findstack, a B2B software comparison platform, with his background spanning management consulting and venture capital where he invested in software. Recently, Axel has developed a passion for coding and enjoys traveling when he is not building and improving Findstack.
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