• Dominic Hay
• May 23, 2023
• No Comments

25 Best Podcast Platforms for 2023 – Most are Free

It can be hard to choose between the variety of podcasting platforms available. In reviewing the very best podcast hosting sites and platform options available, we have compiled a list to help you choose the best podcast hosting solution.

Some companies have been around for a while, and new ones are popping up daily.

We can help you save money or upgrade to a more reliable podcast hosting provider or the best podcast platform around, whether you want to create a podcast.

You’ll need a podcast host to create your feed and store your MP3 files. As with a blog or website, you must sign up for a hosting service.

If you want to move your podcast to a better hosting site, it’s easy to do so with the best podcast hosts.

As of May 2023, the top seven best podcast hosting platforms and best podcast hosting companies are:

1. Buzzsprout
2. Captivate
3. Transistor
4. Castos
5. RSS.com
6. Podbean
7. Resonate

If you’d like to know more, please see the details below. Several useful services can help you grow your podcast.

The Best Podcasting Platforms

Let’s start with number 1.

Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout is designed to make podcasting easy, but without being limited. The dashboard is one of the most well-designed I’ve ever seen. This allows you to spend more time on creating content rather than wasting time with uploads.

It’s great that they release new features and updates regularly.

Recent updates or additions include:

• Built-in integration of transcription
• Magic Mastering – the perfect way to master your audio.
• Integrate Buzzsprout with your affiliate marketing program
• A brand new embedding player
• The publishing workflow
• The text editor for show notes
• There’s more!

Buzzsprout New Wave Embed Player

You can also get excellent statistics (recently up-to-date in 2020) and a mobile-friendly podcast website.

Buzzsprout has also added a marketplace for affiliates (to make money from your show), and the ability to create teams (admins or editors).

The plan is free for 90 days (no need to use a credit card), but your episodes are removed after that. After this period their plans begin at $12/month. Great value!

Captivate

Captivate, an incredible podcast hosting platform is created by unlimited team members who have been running Podcast Websites (mentioned on the next page), so their experience shows in the podcasting industry!

The dashboard is a good indicator of how carefully they considered the design.

• It is easy to understand and yet it has advanced analytics.
• The website and podcast player look great
• CTAs (calls to actions) are already built in to direct people to wherever you want.
• No limits on the number of team members you can add.
• Every plan includes private podcasting

Before you start, here’s a preview:

Captivate Dashboard Works On Any Device

A new addition to their podcast sponsorship kit is a PDF with a nice look and an easy way to generate it. It allows you to highlight the most recent episodes, and also shows download numbers.

Captivate Sponsor Kit

You can either choose to have your website automatically use your color scheme or create your own.

Includes mobile-friendly podcast website

The new podcast workflow has recently been updated, and the one thing I disliked about it was changed. This shows that they listen to feedback and make quick updates. I love that!

Starting at $19/month, you can host unlimited podcasts with 12K downloads.

Other providers limit the features of their core plans. This is not true with them.

Try Captivate for 7 days and decide!

Transistor

Transistor has a team of experts behind it and is one the newer platforms for podcasting and analytics. They are focused brands (one their early customers was Cards Against Humanity), and people who podcast seriously.

You can get:

• You can host as many shows as you like
• Add and manage team (producers)
• Get great podcast stats
• Have an excellent podcast site
• More…

The private Podcasting is also a fantastic feature. You can host both public and private podcasts on the same account, as you are a multiple-show host.

Transistor Podcast Statistics

Prices start at $19/month, which includes 10,000 monthly downloads. This is enough for most people. They also have higher tiers that include more downloads, team members and more.

If you’re interested in learning more, they also offer great comparisons between Anchor vs Transistor and Simplecast.

Click here to start your 2-week free trial.

Castos

Castos is ideal for business owners who may have a blog. The podcast hosting offers several excellent features that integrate seamlessly with WordPress. This will allow podcasters to manage multiple podcasts all within their WordPress dashboard.

For $19/month you can get unlimited upload and download bandwidth and a customizable player that you can embed in your website.

Castos offers a 14-day trial. However, if you apply the coupon code PI2018 you will get one month free! If you buy the whole year in advance, you get two months for free.

Sign up for Castos here.

RSS.com

RSS.com has been creating podcasting tools and resources for over a decade.

After your first episode has been published, you will need to select a plan.

The most popular monthly option is $12.99 (or $99 if paid upfront).

• Unlimited episodes
• Cross-platform Analytics
• Custom RSS feed URL
• Free Website
• Lots of bandwidth

It is also super simple to use!

Take a look at a recent testimonial:

RSS was a fantastic tool for me to reach out to my listeners as I am just getting started with my podcast. RSS dashboard made it easy to update and manage my podcast. It is a great tool for those who are just starting out in podcasting, or anyone seeking a powerful and easy way to reach more people.

Mike Tice is a former NFL Head coach

Start your RSS.com podcast here.

Podbean

Podbean offers great plans and pricing for new podcasters.

The unlimited upload plan starts at $9/month when paid annually and includes advanced statistics, a custom domain, and more.

Podbean has its own podcast application for iOS and Android, as well as Alexa integrated.

Sign up for unlimited plans and get a month free with this link.

Resonate Hosting

Resonate Records is one of my favorite podcast publishing and production companies. They recently added as a free podcast hosting platform.

This means that you can get professional editing, production and even hosting services, all on one platform.

You can also use Resonate hosting separately.

You will get your own podcast site, an embed player with a nice look that tracks how many people listen, detailed analytics and more.

Prices start at $25/month and include unlimited episodes, shows, and monthly bandwidth only.

Try them here for a 45-day special trial (only at Podcast Insights).

Other Podcast Hosting Companies

Simplecast

I’ve highlighted Simplecast for its cool features.

Their embeddable player is one of the smoothest and best-looking I’ve ever seen offering good user experience all around.

You can get unlimited uploads for $15/month. This includes analytics, a site, the option to have more than one person manage your, unlimited podcast hosting plans and much more.

You get more customization for $35/month. This includes additional team members, advanced analysis, the option to use a customized domain, 50K monthly downloads, and much more. You can see a preview of some of the analytics that you will be seeing:

Podcasts of all sizes and types are hosted by companies like Slack, Shopify and many others.

The platform has been updated with tons of features.

Click here to start your 14-day free trial.

Get 50% off for your first two months with Simplecast promo code: INSIGHTS

bCast

bCast was designed “for and by marketers”.

Some other cool features include

• A unique email opt-in feature
• Automatic transcription
• Automated notifications to guests when their episode is live
• Headliner Integration

This shows that they have thought deeply about the experience of podcasting marketers who use it as a tool to generate revenue and grow their business.

Prices start at $15/month. They also offer $35/month and $75/month plans.

Spreaker

Spreaker is a podcasting software that has been available since 2010. It has many unique features.

A feature that stands out is the Live Podcasting chatbox option. This allows podcasters to interact with listeners, which is really good for new streams.

Spreaker makes it very easy to use this feature.

Available for both Mac and Windows users and Android and iOs users.

The features vary by device but are both free.

The free plan is great for testing things out. However, the $20/month option Broadcaster is where it’s at.

Bluebrry

Bluebrry has been around since 2005 but is not as popular as some of the other podcast hosting platforms in this list.

There have been many changes since then, and I wouldn’t choose them as my first choice today. However, they are still worth mentioning.

The main reasons why some podcasters use them is because:

• The PowerPress for WordPress plugin allows for easy integration.
• Free advanced statistics from the industry’s leading companies included with your hosting plan
• You will not be charged for exceeding your monthly limit if you upload more .

Plans start at $12 dollars per month for 100MB audio storage.

Podcast Websites

Podcast websites offers a WordPress site, web hosting and unlimited podcast hosting. A blog and podcast work well together especially if you sell products and are an affiliate. It also includes a domain name, an email address, etc.

It is easy to build an email list with this service as it connects to the most popular email providers.

They recently added their Academy membership so you can learn from their video library.

This podcast was created by two long-standing (and well-known), podcasters who have a good understanding of the needs of new podcasters.

PodServe.fm

PodServe.fm allows you to host unlimited podcasts and 2,000GB of bandwidth per month. This is enough to download over 60K podcasts monthly, so most people should be fine.

The real difference is that they offer free advertising on PodParadise – a podcast directory receiving thousands of visitors each month.

It is also very easy to get everything listed and set up.

The price is $19/month. If you have lots of downloads, you can pay an extra $20 for every 3,000GB.

Start a free trial by clicking here.

Podiant

Podiant is a tool that makes creating and managing a podcast easy. It offers unlimited storage for only $12.99/month.

Some of its features include:

• Blog posts and Pages on Website
• Podcast Analytics
• Automatic posting to YouTube
• Dropbox Connection
• Social Sharing

PodcastGIANT

PodcastGIANT will meet your needs, whether you are just getting started or have thousands listeners. It is the solution if you do not want to waste time with website hosting or tech.

Get your setup fees waived when you visit the page of PodcastGIANT.

Backtracks

Backtracks claims it has “the most advanced podcast analytics platform in the world”.

If you are just starting, their price and features may be overkill. However, accessing advanced analytics quickly is incredibly valuable if you run a large media company or a brand.

They are used by many large brands and have a very nice player that can be embedded with transcripts. On their website, you can see an instance.

AudioBoom

audioBoom allows you to “host, distribute and monetize your podcast”. There are different podcast hosting providers, sites and plans depending on the number of downloads.

You can publish 5 episodes per week and get up to 10,000 views per month by choosing the “New Podcasters” option.

You’ll have access to targeted ads, sponsorships and branded partnership once you reach 10K monthly downloads. Once you get some traction, this is a great opportunity to monetize your podcast.

There is also a tier of monetization options and management for radio and podcast networks.

Libsyn

Libsyn has been around ever since the beginning of podcasting. It’s a popular choice because it is what many podcasters use and recommend. However, there are now better platforms. The dashboard and website are also in desperate need of a revamp.

Libsyn pricing starts at $5/month, with a 50MB upload limit (which is not enough for most people). You will need at least the $15/month package that gives you 250MB uploads per month as well as basic statistics.

Megaphone

Megaphone is a podcasting tool designed for enterprise-level podcasts.

Advertisers can also reach out to these popular podcasts.

The features that they offer podcasters include: dynamic ad insertion, ads, ad management and sales.

Free podcast hosting platforms

These are a few free podcasting platforms. Some offer both free and paid plans while others only have free plans.

Buzzsprout

I listed Buzzsprout as my favorite podcast host service. You can use their free plan for as long as you like.

The episodes will only be available for 90 days if you upload two hours of audio each month.

Check out our pricing page to learn more.

Podbean

Podbean offers a free plan that includes 5 hours of storage space and 100MB per month of bandwidth.

You can also start with this option, but to get advanced stats or a custom domain you will need to upgrade.

RedCircle

RedCircle was launched in February 2019, focusing on “semipro” podcasters.

A unique selling feature that caught my interest is that, they offer is the ability to cross-promote and reach out to other podcasters within the platform.

You can search podcasts and reach out to the creators to set up terms and pitch, or exchange pre-recorded messages to promote each other’s podcasts.

RedCircle Podcast Cross-Promotion

This is a great idea, and I’m excited to hear more.

Anchor

Anchor probably is the most popular free podcast platform.

You can edit and manage your podcasts using their web interface.

The program has a built-in advertising platform, allows for easy editing of audio files and is constantly updated with new features.

Podcasts.com

podcasts.com has an extensive directory of shows and is a host that offers unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth,, and podcasts.

Squarespace

Squarespace can be used to host a podcast.

It’s not technically free but if you pay them for a site, you can get a podcast free.

There’s no core feature here, but you do get an RSS feed and an audio player. Here are more details.

SoundCloud

SoundCloud can be used to host a podcast for free, but the features of their podcasting are limited.

Free storage is limited to three hours. Unlimited uploading costs $135/year. With this option, you can upload up to 30 hours a week of content which is usually sufficient for new podcasters.

You can save money by using the free option, as you will only be uploading 6 hours.

There are many podcast platforms.

Here are some other platforms that you may want to consider:

• OmnyStudio
• Podcast Blastoff
• Zencast.fm
• Acast
• Pinecast
• PodOmatic
• ShoutEngine
• Podigee

Common Questions about Hosting

What is podcast hosting?

A podcast host allows you to distribute and store your audio files; this works similarly to website hosting. With RSS you can submit all your episodes to Apple Podcasts or other podcast directories for listing.

You can also use web players, schedulers, analytics and other tools to publish and grow your podcast.

Some of them integrate social sharing, ad networks and other distribution options.

How do I choose a podcast host?

There are different podcasting platforms. Some podcast hosting services and platforms are tailored for different types of customers, including beginners, brands and enterprise clients, with corresponding pricing.

I have looked at the ease of use, price, customer service and audio quality best podcast hosting services. I also considered embed players, analytics and storage options. Start with the Top Podcast Hosting section.

What Does Podcast Hosting Cost You?

The average cost of podcast hosting is $5/month.

The price varies depending on the company, how many episodes are produced, and how many downloaded downloads.

Different companies charge differently based on the Megabytes (MB), downloads, hours or bandwidth.

What is a free podcast host?

You can but we do not recommend it. When a service comes free, you or your data are usually the “product”.

Just look at Facebook, and the recent issues surrounding data privacy.

Many free podcasting platforms have shut down, and your podcast with them. It is best to go for a paid podcast hosting service provider.

Why can’t I upload my audio files to my website host?

The files are huge compared to other types of files (a photo might only be 300kb but an MP3 can easily be 100x larger).

When you have multiple people downloading or streaming simultaneously (which is normal when you release a new podcast episode), your website may struggle to keep up. This will result in a bad experience for both website visitors and podcast listeners.

You don’t need to worry about being kicked off a website.

Where Can I publish my podcast?

You should start with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts are the “big 3” services.

The best podcast hosts will guide you through these steps. We also offer a Podcast Directory Guide to help you get going.

Complementary Services Recommended

You can find multiple podcasts and a list of podcasting resources on my website. Check out the complete list of podcasting resource.

Web host

It is important to have your own site. You need a website to show your listeners that you are the owner of. When you first start a podcast, some podcast hosts will give you a free basic website. If you need more customization and flexibility, you must use your own WordPress hosting.

Do you want to create your podcast website? This is a tutorial on how to create a WordPress blog.

These are my top recommended web hosts:

Bluehost

Bluehost has been my “go to” host for sites with fewer visitors (under 20K per month).

It’s super simple to get started with them. They offer great prices, 24/7 support and free SSL.

A 30-day money back guarantee is also available.

Kinsta

Kinsta offers entry-level plans to people who are just starting out (and also plans for those with larger sites). I really like what they have to offer. They host this website and many others.

Sign up for Kinsta if you don’t want to have your website go down when it is mentioned on a big news website.

They recently added a 30-day risk-free money-back guarantee!

Podcast Page

Podcastpage is another great alternative if you do not want to use WordPress.

It is a website creator that was specifically designed for podcasters. You can quickly and easily create a site (think Shopify, but for podcasts rather than online shops).

It’s a good idea to use Mailchimp, or ConvertKit for building your email list. This is one of the best methods to grow your podcast.

You can have your website up and running in just minutes. is available for free for 14 days.

Domain names

If you do not have your own website, you will still need a domain (the.com extension) for your podcast.

If you are like me, and want to buy a domain name as soon as an idea comes into your mind, I suggest buying from a domain seller.

Namecheap

Namecheap offers free Whois privacy when you buy a domain. This will stop people from spamming your email address because it is publicly available. Also, they offer SSL certificates and hosting. Grab your.com today!

Name.com

Name.com has its headquarters in Colorado, where I live. I support local businesses. It’s really easy to find and buy domains.

WordPress Themes

You can find free themes, but they’re either too limited or too bloated and slow down your website. It’s a recipe for disaster. You don’t know when they will be updated. I used to design websites for a company and we used WordPress theme which focused on speed, reliability, and great designs…

SecondLine Themes

SecondLine themes creates WordPress themes for podcasts.

There are currently 5 themes available:

• Gumbo
• Dixie
• Satchmo
• Bolden
• Tusant

StudioPress

StudioPress offers themes that are all built on Genesis Framework. This means they’re SEO-friendly, fast, stable and always updated. The detailed tutorials will help you to get your website looking just like the demos.

You should also consider:

WPEngine recently acquired them, so you can access all 35+ themes (professionally designed) if you subscribe to a WPEngine Hosting plan.

Email Marketing

Email is the best way to increase your podcast plays. You can inform people about new episodes or special offers. Or you can organize meetups.

ConvertKit

You must use ConvertKit for your email service.

These email marketing tools were designed specifically for podcasters and bloggers.

You can see why by watching the video demo or signing up for a free trial .

Leveling & Tagging

Auphonic

Auphonic’s was created to level and compress your audio, so that you don’t get really loud or really soft parts. Here are other built-in features:

It automatically uploads podcast episodes to SoundCloud, YouTube and Dropbox. Additionally, it can also save a copy of compressed files on Dropbox.

Transcription

Rev provides transcription services for audio and video. It uses real people who can transcribe the audio or video. The price is $1.50 per minute, with an average turnaround of 5 hours.

Podcast Reviews

Chartable

Charitable shows you your best podcast hosting service’s ranking with a quick indicator as to whether or not you are improving.

You can also find the ranking history and reviews of different platforms, countries and countries.

It would be impossible to track your reviews across all countries without this service.

You can also choose to receive a weekly or daily update.

SmartLinks can be used to track the number of downloads that your podcast receives from certain links. For everything to work together, you’ll have to integrate Trackable.

It’s a great tool for podcasting simplified. You get useful analytics.

Podkite

Podkite provides similar information about Apple, Google, and other podcasting services.

Podcast Player

Fusebox podcast player

Fusebox, formerly Smart Podcast player, is a player that you can embed into your WordPress website.

The podcast is produced by Pat Flynn, Smart passive income. It’s used by many of the biggest podcasts. Check it out!

Podcast Distribution

You must list your podcast in the top directories to allow people to find it and listen.

The most popular major podcast directories now are Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes), Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

You can also distribute your podcast on these sites.

Auphonic is a complimentary podcast hosting service that allows you to connect your podcast host and automatically upload your episodes. Many podcast hosts will also do this.