30+ Best Podcast Hosting Platforms To Help You Publish, Distribute, and Monetize Your Podcast

You can’t just post your podcast to your website’s hosting provider and call it a day. Instead, you need to work with one of the best podcast hosting providers to avoid fees and get the most out of your podcast.

We’ve reviewed all the best podcast hosting providers to help you avoid overcomplicating the selection process and to simplify the management of your podcast.

Why Do You Need Podcast Hosting?

When you're looking into how to start a podcast and make money, you may have wondered why you need podcast hosting.

An hour-long podcast can average around 60MB or more. Just as your website hosting is optimized to quickly and efficiently deliver assorted content such as text and images, podcast hosting exists to deliver large audio files efficiently.

Podcast hosting exists to deliver large audio files efficiently.

This is similar to why most people choose to host their videos on platforms like YouTube instead of locally on their own servers. The server size needed to host large numbers of audio files is immense, and managing those servers is complex. 

What Are The Best Podcast Hosting Services?

Now that you understand why you need podcast hosting, let’s look at the best podcast hosting platforms to make it easier to get up and running.

1. Podbean

Podbean is one of the top-rated podcast hosting platforms available. They have an average of 4.5 stars across various review platforms such as G2 and Trustpilot.

They offer reasonable prices with a free starter plan for new shows with 5 hours of storage space. All plans, including the free starter plan, include podcast analytics to help you make informed decisions.

Companies as large as HBO and The Wall Street Journal use the platform along with top podcasts, including The Tim Ferriss Show.

Pros of Hosting on Podbean:

• High ratings across review platforms
• Free starter plan for new podcasts
• Robust features, including advanced analytics
• Used by numerous top podcasters

Cons of Hosting on Podbean:

2. Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout is another option if you’re looking for a free starter plan to host your new podcast. The downside is their free plan doesn’t offer as much time and inserts ads into your podcast.

With Buzzsprout, you get all the necessary analytics and features, including a custom embed player, listings in podcast directories, and unlimited storage.

More than that, you will be paying per hour of upload time. If you upload long shows regularly, you may want to consider Podbean.

Pros of Hosting on Buzzsprout:

• Unlimited podcast storage
• Free starter plan for new podcasts
• Advanced podcast stats
• Unlimited team members on account

Cons of Hosting on Buzzsprout:

3. Libsyn

Libsyn, short for Liberated Syndication, was the first dedicated podcast hosting platform in existence. 

Founded in 2004, the company has since become publicly traded, with some of the largest podcasts around using the platform. Top-rated podcasts, including The Dave Ramsey Show and eBay for Business, are hosted with Libsyn.

Pricing with Libsyn is a bit more than other platforms. On their lowest plan, you will need to pay extra for analytics. Also, there is no free starter plan for new podcasts to try out.

Pros of Hosting on Libsyn:

• Advanced statistics on higher plans
• Apple podcast-compliant RSS
• Advanced episode scheduling
• Cancel anytime

Cons of Hosting on Libsyn:

4. Castos

Castos is one of the newer podcast hosting providers, founded in 2017. The company provides WordPress-friendly hosting options with an easy-to-use plugin for integrating with your WordPress website.

Pricing is quite a bit more than other options such as Podbean. Starter pricing with Castos is almost double the cost of mid- and upper-tier plans on other platforms.

Pros of Hosting on Castos:

• Unlimited podcast uploads
• Easy to use mobile app
• Simple to distribute your podcast
• One-click migration from other hosts

Cons of Hosting on Castos:

5. Blubrry

Blubrry offers simplified hosting for beginner podcast users who aren’t yet committed to a more advanced option.

The platform offers 2 simplified hosting plans for lower-tier users and an advanced plan for heavy users with larger upload needs. As with other podcast hosts, you get analytics and easy distribution options.

For what you get, their pricing is a bit high. With their lower two plans, you get restrictive storage limits. The upper-tier plan is also quite expensive compared to similar services.

Pros of Hosting on Blubrry:

• Simplified hosting plans
• Basic WordPress site included
• Unlimited downloads
• Multiple support options

Cons of Hosting on Blubrry:

6. Transistor

Transistor offers straightforward podcast hosting with features similar to many of the other options on this list.

Primary features include a unique RSS feed, advanced analytics that help you grow your podcast, a basic webpage to better interact with listeners, and more.

One downside is they are more expensive than some of the other podcast hosting providers you can find. The monthly download limits also mean you will need to upgrade eventually if you grow too quickly.

Pros of Transistor:

• Easy to distribute your podcast
• Basic webpage
• Advanced analytics
• Unlimited number of podcasts

Cons of Transistor:

7. SoundCloud

SoundCloud is one of the most popular hosting platforms for audio of all types. Founded in 2007, the platform helped shake up the traditional distribution channels for music.

Over the next decade, they became a popular platform for all types of audio, including podcasts. The main draw is that it’s free to get started and use the platform. While some limitations exist, it can be a good option for newer podcasters.

The major downside with SoundCloud, though, is it’s geared more toward musical artists. So, the infrastructure for podcasts isn’t quite as robust as a dedicated podcast host.

Pros of Hosting on SoundCloud:

• Free for newer users
• Highly trafficked platform
• Easy to upload and promote your podcast
• Simple to embed the player on your website

Cons of Hosting on SoundCloud:

8. Captivate

Captivate is a platform that offers a place for you to manage and monetize your podcast, all in one place. The hosting platform provides a simple 7-day free trial letting you test out features before committing to a plan.

Their prices are also similar to other companies with a similar features list.

Pros of Hosting on Captivate:

• Free trial for new users
• Helps you monetize your podcast
• Simple plans allow you to scale up
• Access to courses and a community for success

Cons of Hosting on Captivate:

9. RSS.com

RSS.com is a good platform for newer podcasters who don’t yet need highly complex hosting solutions and want simple pricing.

One of the main benefits of RSS.com is there is only one unlimited plan for beginner users. That means you can get started and host unlimited episodes with an unlimited duration for 1 price. 

This dramatically simplifies getting set up and helps you avoid getting hit with a huge bill as with other plans with limited usage. One additional benefit is they offer a lower price plan for NGOs, students, and educators, all with the same benefits and features.

Pros of Hosting on RSS.com:

• Simple pricing plan
• Cheaper than many alternatives
• Discounts for students, NGOs, and educators
• All of the features of competitors

Cons of Hosting on RSS.com:

10. Resonate

Resonate is a company offering a suite of podcast tools including remote recording to help you launch a new podcast, create videos, and market your podcast.

Their hosting is a bit more expensive than similar options, making it a better choice if you have starting capital and plan on treating your podcast as a business you want to grow quickly.

With their upper-tier plan, you get dynamic ad insertions to improve monetization potential.

Pros of Hosting on Resonate:

• Offers complete podcasting solutions
• 14-day free trial for getting started
• Help with monetization and marketing
• Posts on all top podcast platforms

Cons of Hosting on Resonate:

11. Simplecast

Simplecast advertises itself as the last podcast solution you will ever need. They offer hosting and distribution for podcast owners looking for a simple solution.

This isn't a major issue for newer podcasts with low traffic numbers. However, if you manage an established podcast with monetization potential, this can be a considerable drawback.

Pros of Hosting on Simplecast:

• Simple plans and pricing
• Unlimited storage and uploads
• Distribution to major platforms
• 14-day free trial

Cons of Hosting on Simplecast:

12. bCast

bCast offers simplified hosting for growth-oriented businesses. Their plans are similar to many others on this list, with 3 different options based on your current monthly downloads.

One of the nice things about bCast is they offer a tool for quickly dropping inserts in for things like advertisements or quick edits. This can save a lot of time editing that you don’t need to do manually.

A significant drawback to bCast is that they don’t offer monetization methods through dynamic ads like some other recommendations. For established podcasts, you’ll be doing all of the heavy lifting of finding advertisers.

Pros of Hosting on bCast:

• Simplified hosting options
• Free trial for new users
• Easy to scale up to higher plans
• Advanced analytics on all plans

Cons of Hosting on bCast:

13. Spreaker

Spreaker is a podcast hosting platform from freemium broadcasting powerhouse iHeartRadio. They offer podcasters the opportunity to host, distribute, and monetize their podcasts through an extensive network.

One of the primary upsides to Spreaker is they make it easy to monetize each episode of your podcast through their extensive advertising network. You can get paid through their platform and benefit from advanced analytics to see what's working and what isn’t.

They offer numerous plans based on your current size. However, their plans can be confusing with 5 different options, including a free starter plan for newer podcasts.

Pros of Hosting on Spreaker:

• Extensive monetization option
• Free starter plan for new users
• Easy to scale as you grow
• Wide distribution network

Cons of Hosting on Spreaker:

14. PodServe.fm

PodServe can be a good option if you are a newer to medium-sized podcast looking for a simple hosting provider without too much to think about.

There is only 1 plan to choose from, which offers unlimited storage and unlimited podcast uploads. You can get started with a 14-day free trial to see if the podcast hosting platform is right for you.

Pros of PodServe:

• 1 plan to choose from
• Unlimited uploads and storage
• 14-day free trial
• Podcast promotion service

Cons of PodServe:

15. Podcast Giant

Podcast Giant is a hosting and website building service offering you an all-in-one solution. Unlike many other platforms, they build your website and offer a hosting platform and distribution channel.

This can be a good choice for new podcasters who want to focus on building their brand without dealing with website creation. The service is a bit more expensive, but they offer a simple plan with unlimited uploads and storage along with your website.

One other benefit is they offer a CDN for improving your website speed and page delivery. This, combined with their nightly backups and SEO-optimized pages, can give you a boost over your competitors.

Pros of Hosting on Podcast Giant:

• All-in-one service
• Offers websites for your podcast
• CDN for faster site delivery
• Unlimited storage and uploads

Cons of Hosting on Podcast Giant:

16. Backtracks

Backtracks is a bit different from the other podcast hosting platforms on this list as they offer hosting and focus on advanced podcasting analytics and advertising for monetization.

With all of the plans offered by Backtracks, you get unlimited episodes, downloads, and bandwidth. The downside is their platform is one of the most expensive on this list.

Aside from their advanced AI-driven analytics, they offer advertisers the chance to work with publishers on their platform. This is done using an AI system that matches advertisers with the best publishers in their niche.

Pros of Hosting on Backtracks:

• Advanced analytics for all plans
• Advertisers matched to publishers
• Unlimited uploads, downloads, and bandwidth
• 7-day free trial for starting out

Cons of Hosting on Backtracks:

17. ZenCast.fm

ZenCast is another podcast hosting provider that offers unlimited downloads and episodes, ensuring that users don’t max out and need to upgrade plans or have downloads cut off.

One of the advantages of using the platform is that they come in at a lower cost than many alternative platforms offering unlimited downloads. You can also benefit from advanced analytics, episode scheduling, and other features on their higher-tier plans.

You can choose from 3 different plans based on the features you need for your podcast's level.

Pros of Hosting on ZenCast:

• Lower cost than other hosting
• Unlimited uploads and downloads
• Advanced features on higher-tier plans
• 14-day free trial

Cons of Hosting on ZenCast:

18. Audioboom

Audioboom is a simplified podcast hosting provider offering a single plan for most podcasts and an enterprise-level plan for podcasts that get over 10,000 downloads per episode.

While their lower-tier plan is cheaper than many alternatives, you can get unlimited plans and uploads from alternative platforms for just a few dollars more per month.

You also don’t get many of their advanced features on the lower tier plan that you would get with other providers. So, while they are cheaper and maybe a good option for newer podcasts, they may not be great for well-established podcasts.

Pros of Hosting on Audioboom:

• Single plan makes it easier to get started
• Lower price than many alternatives
• Advanced analytics
• Distribution to major podcasting platforms

Cons of Hosting on Audioboom:

19. Megaphone

Megaphone offers modern podcasting technology to podcast publishers and advertisers looking to connect with publishers. The company has strong backing from its parent company, Spotify.

One of the platform's benefits is they offer all-in-one solutions to help you publish, distribute, and monetize your podcast. However, they focus on providing solutions to larger brands, so this won’t be a good option for you if you are just starting.

Pros of Hosting on Megaphone:

• All-in-one podcasting solutions
• Offers extensive advanced analytics
• Robust features for growing your podcast
• Work with some of the top names in podcasting

Cons of Hosting on Megaphone:

20. Whooshkaa

Despite the funky name, Whooshkaa offers serious podcast solutions for medium-sized up to enterprise-level podcasts. You can choose from 3 different plans based on your current level and expected growth.

With Whooshkaa, you will notice that pricing is quite a bit more than similar solutions. This is primarily due to the platform focusing on the higher-level podcast market. So, if you are just getting started, this may not be the best option for you.

Pros of Hosting on Whooshkaa:

• Cloud recording and editing
• Automated transcription
• Analytics to help you grow
• Enterprise-level solutions 

Cons of Hosting on Whooshkaa:

21. Fireside

Fireside offers hosting and advanced analytics to help podcasters get started and grow. They make it easy to upload and distribute your podcast to significant platforms such as Apple and Google Podcast, and Spotify.

Fireside can be a good choice if you’re looking to move from an existing hosting provider and want to transfer everything in 1 go seamlessly. They offer an easy transfer service that will move you from your current hosting provider.

You can choose from 3 different plans, with their starter plan coming in lower than many alternatives. The major downside is you are limited to 5 episodes and 10,000 downloads per month on their starter plan.

Pros of Hosting on Fireside:

• Easy to transfer from other hosting providers
• Lower cost than many alternatives
• Customizable podcast website
• Advanced downloadable analytics

Cons of Hosting on Fireside:

22. RedCircle

RedCircle is another brand that offers all-in-one solutions for podcasters to upload, distribute, and monetize their podcasts.

With RedCircle, you can get started with a free care plan that offers unlimited hosting and distribution and the ability to accept donations. Their plans easily allow you to scale up based on your needs.

Their upper plans allow you to utilize advanced features such as video creation, premium analytics, and ad-free podcast webpages. Pricing for RedCircle is also comparable to other hosting providers.

Pros of Hosting on RedCircle:

• Allows you to upload, distribute, and monetize
• Advanced and premium analytics options
• Free starter plan for new podcasters
• Easily scale as you need to

Cons of Hosting on RedCircle:

23. Anchor

Anchor is a Spotify brand and advertises itself as the easiest way to make a podcast.

They offer free unlimited hosting to all users with unlimited distribution to all major podcasting platforms such as Apple and Google Podcast.

The company makes its money on advertising. So, every time you run an ad on a podcast, Anchor will take a percentage of that ad.

This can be an excellent option for newer podcasters to save money and share ad revenue while your podcast is growing.

Pros of Hosting on Anchor:

• Free for all users
• Multiple ways to monetize your podcast
• Unlimited uploads
• Unlimited distribution

Cons of Hosting on Anchor:

24. Podcasts.com

Podcasts.com offers simple hosting free for all users. This can be a good choice if you are just starting a new podcast and don’t yet want to pay for hosting while building your listenership.

You can also benefit from basic analytics to learn how listeners interact and grow your podcast more easily.

One final benefit is they offer a mobile-optimized site so you can connect with listeners in other ways. While this may not be the best solution for a high-traffic podcast, it can be suitable for beginners.

Pros of Hosting on Podcasts.com:

• Free for all users
• Easy distribution
• Good for beginner podcasters
• Analytics to help you grow

Cons of Hosting on Podcasts.com:

25. Squarespace

You likely know Squarespace as a platform for creating basic websites for blogging and eCommerce. However, you can also host podcasts on the platform and easily share them on your Squarespace website.

If you already have a Squarespace website, it can be a good option to go ahead and host your podcast with them. This cuts back on the number of services you need and makes it easier to manage your workflow.

One downside to using Squarespace for hosting is you are limited with the file size you can upload. Otherwise, they offer distribution and basic analytics like other platforms.

Pros of Hosting on Squarespace:

• Good if you have a Squarespace website
• RSS feed for distribution across platforms
• Analytics for tracking audience
• Podcast-specific website themes

Cons of Hosting on Squarespace:

26. Omny Studio

Omny Studio is a Triton Digital company that advertises itself as a podcasting solution for enterprise-level podcasters.

Their plans start in the mid-level range, making them better for established podcasts looking to scale up from their current hosting provider. Each of their plans is tailored to your specific needs based on the number of downloads and uploads you have each month.

One of the great things about the company is they offer advanced features such as premium analytics, premium support, managed podcast migration, a dedicated campaign manager, and more.

Pros of Hosting on Omny Studio:

• Premium support and campaign manager
• Good for high-growth podcasts
• Easily allows you to scale
• Managed migration to the platform

Cons of Hosting on Omny Studio:

27. BlastPod

BlastPod is a hosting service provided by the website Podcast Blastoff. The site serves as a resource to help new podcasters learn how to get set up, what equipment they need, and how to get started.

The hosting provider offers 3 different plans, allowing you to scale up as needed.

Some of the features you get with the provider include download statistics, website widgets, an RSS feed generator, and mobile-friendly websites.

Pros of Hosting on BlastPod:

• Mobile-friendly podcasting website
• Scalable plans
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Download statistics

Cons of Hosting on BlastPod:

28. Acast

Acast advertises itself as being the world's leading independent podcast company. The platform has significantly expanded over the past few years by acquiring smaller podcast hosting companies.

All of their plans, including their free introduction option, include unlimited uploads and downloads.

You also get widespread distribution and advanced podcast analytics. Acast allows you to monetize your podcast by setting up listener donations or a subscription model.

Pros of Hosting on Acast:

• Allows you to monetize your podcast
• Free introductory plan
• Distribution across major platforms
• Unlimited downloads and hosting

Cons of Hosting on Acast:

29. Pinecast

Pinecast offers flat-rate hosting that helps to simplify the process. Instead of picking through multiple confusing plans, you can get started for a low monthly fee.

This can be a good option for users who are just getting started and don’t yet need to pay for many advanced features. You can get started with a free trial to see if the podcast hosting provider is right for you.

Some of the features you with Pinecast include the option to set up donations, premium podcast analytics, a podcasting website, unlimited episodes, and more.

Pros of Hosting on Pinecast:

• Free trial gives you 10 episodes
• Ability to set up donations from listeners
• Gives you a website with a custom domain
• Premium analytics to help you grow

Cons of Hosting on Pinecast:

30. Fusebox

Fusebox is a simplified podcast player with hosting. The company offers simplified pricing, eliminating confusing plans and forcing you to upgrade for advanced features.

Instead, they provide a free starter plan and a single-paid plan.

Their paid plan gives you up to 100,000 monthly views. After that, you will need to discuss a custom enterprise hosting plan.

Some of the features you get with the platform include transcription, multi-platform support, a pay-per-show model, social sharing, email capture, and more.

Pros of Hosting on Fusebox:

• Customizable Podcast Player
• Embeds on major platforms like WordPress
• Email capture
• Transcription support

Cons of Hosting on Fusebox:

31. PodOmatic

PodOmatic is an all-in-one solution that makes it easy for newer podcasters to get started. The company allows you to record, publish, distribute, and monetize your podcast all in one place.

Some of the features you get include podcasting analytics, partnerships with advertising and donations platforms, and more.

You can record directly from your mobile device and immediately upload each episode. This can help you get started faster without tons of money needed for equipment such as microphones, mixers, etc.

Pros of Hosting on PodOmatic:

• Free starter plan
• Low-cost paid plan
• Easy to scale as you grow
• Easy to monetize your podcast

Cons of Hosting on PodOmatic:

32. Sounder

Sounder is another simplified podcast hosting platform with a solid free option and a single paid plan.

This makes getting started easy without worrying about picking the right plan.

As you grow, they offer an Enterprise solution to scale up to.

You also get access to episode statistics and free episode transcriptions that can be used to make articles if you have a website.

With the paid plan, you can host unlimited podcasts and have up to 50,000 views each month before you need to upgrade to Enterprise.

Other features include automatic distribution to YouTube, premium support, and more.

Pros of Hosting on Sounder:

• Free plan for getting started
• Easy to scale up as you grow
• Free episode transcription
• Advanced analytics

Cons of Hosting on Sounder:

33. FeedPress

FeedPress offers simple podcast hosting and advanced analytics, making it easy to see how your podcast performs across channels.

Their hosting solution offers you unlimited storage space for your podcast and pricing that's based on your monthly downloads.

You can easily scale up as your podcast grows without switching plans or hosting providers.

Pros of Hosting on FeedPress:

• Advanced analytics across all channels
• Simplified hosting plans
• Easy to scale as needed
• Pricing based on usage

Cons of Hosting on FeedPress:

34. Podigeee

Podigee offers a simplified hosting solution they claim will allow you to start podcasting in as little as 5 minutes. 

The hosting provider offers 3 different plans, making it easy to scale up as your podcast grows.

One of the downsides to Podigee is they don’t offer the same level of features as some of the other podcasting hosting providers on this list.

Also, their price point is a bit more expensive for what you are getting than similar solutions.

Pros of Hosting on Podigee:

• Easy to get started
• Feeds for major platforms
• Basic and advanced analytics
• Unlimited audio storage

Cons of Hosting on Podigee:

Podcast Hosting vs. Website Hosting: What's The Difference?

The primary difference between podcast and website hosting is how resources are managed and allocated. 

With podcasts, you're expending bandwidth every time someone downloads an episode, similar to when someone accesses your website.

This goes for downloads across all podcast listening platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Podbean, etc.

There are other differences with podcast hosting as well. Most podcast hosting providers will provide you with analytics specific to your podcast, such as downloads, listening time, etc. This information can better help you make decisions about growth.

Benefits Of The Best Podcast Hosting

There are numerous benefits to choosing a podcast host over your regular website host. You still want a website to ensure listeners have a way to interact with you. 

However, using one of the best hosting companies will provide ample benefits for efficiently storing and delivering your audio files.

Storage Costs

Depending on the length of the podcast and how you choose to encode the audio, podcast files can be quite large. This can make hosting them quite expensive if you attempt to self-host the files.

Podcast hosting services offer different plans to ensure they have enough storage space for your podcasts, with various bandwidth options for podcasts of different sizes. 

Podcast hosting services offer different plans to ensure they have enough storage space for your podcasts.

Faster Streaming

Delivering audio files to users requires servers optimized for massive payloads. This ensures that your users aren’t dealing with annoying issues such as buffering or other delays that can ruin their experience and cost you listeners.

You want streaming to be as efficient as possible, thus ensuring they use as little data as possible and enjoy a high-quality listening experience. 

Fast and efficient streaming is essential when users try to download and listen to your podcast through mobile devices using data.

Built-In Analytics

As with your website, measuring the right data points can help you to improve your content and provide a better podcast for your listeners. 

Most of the best podcast hosting services provide cleaned-up and optimized analytics to help you grow through higher-quality information. 

This will allow you to extract the most useful information to make decisions about what your listener's preferences are and what they want from your podcast.

Podcast hosting services provide cleaned-up and optimized analytics to help you grow through higher-quality information.

Security

As with any online service, proper comprehensive and consistent security is critical for maintaining your podcast. 

The best podcast hosting providers offer security explicitly tailored to protecting audio files.

Different types of files require different solutions when it comes to security. Self-hosting a podcast requires an extra layer of complexity, creating unnecessary expenses. 

The best podcast hosting providers offer security explicitly tailored to protecting audio files, ensuring nothing will jeopardize your podcast. 

How Much Does Podcast Hosting Cost?

Podcast hosting costs vary widely, ranging from $5 per month to $50 per month.

Pricing varies depending on the company you go with, the number of episodes you produce (check out our list of the best podcast production companies), and the number of downloads you get.

To add to the pricing complexity, different companies may base their rates on factors such as total megabytes (MB), total hours of podcasts, or bandwidth usage.

You should expect this number to rise dramatically if your podcast becomes successful and can go as high as $100 per episode.

Which is the Best Podcast Hosting Service?

While there are many options when it comes to the best podcast hosting services, Podbean is a great option for most people.

Podbean also comes with essential features such as monetization and customization features that make it easy to manage and grow your podcast. 

Overall, Podbean is a solid choice for creating your podcast and scaling it up once you start developing a solid listenership.

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