The short answer: Buzzsprout is the best podcast hosting platform for most beginners, with a free plan and paid plans from $15 a month billed annually. Spotify for Creators is the best completely free host. RSS.com is the best budget pick if you want ads and Apple Podcasts subscriptions early, from $15 a month billed annually. Podbean suits podcasters who want every monetization tool in one account from $12 a month billed annually, and Acast is the strongest choice if advertising revenue is the main goal, with a free Starter tier and paid plans from $14.99 a month billed yearly.
Every price below is vendor-published, checked September 2026 on each vendor’s own pricing page, in US dollars. Where a vendor did not show a US dollar figure, we say so instead of converting.
Best podcast hosting platforms in 2026 at a glance
| Rank | Tool | Best for | Starting price (vendor-published) | Free plan | Monetization built in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buzzsprout | Beginners who want the simplest setup | Audio $15/month billed annually ($18 monthly) | Yes: 2 upload hours a month, episodes hosted for 90 days | Buzzsprout Ads, listener support, subscriptions |
| 2 | Spotify for Creators | Free hosting with no upload limits | Free | Yes: free uploads and storage | Spotify Partner Program (eligibility rules), subscriptions |
| 3 | RSS.com | Budget monetization for new shows | Plus $15/month billed annually | Yes: unlimited episodes and audio | Programmatic ads and Apple Podcasts Subscriptions on Plus; donations on Free |
| 4 | Podbean | All-in-one monetization and unlimited storage | Unlimited Audio $12/month billed annually ($17 monthly) | Yes: free account | Ads Marketplace, dynamic ads, Apple Podcasts subscriptions |
| 5 | Captivate | Growth tools for serious independent shows | From $19/month (Personal, up to 30,000 downloads) | No: 30-day free trial | Dynamic ads and sponsorship tools |
| 6 | Transistor | Multiple shows and private podcasts | Starter $19/month | No: 14-day free trial | Dynamic ads from Professional ($49/month) |
| 7 | Acast | Advertising and sponsorship revenue | Essential $14.99/month billed yearly ($25 monthly) | Yes: Starter, 1 show and 5 episodes | Ads marketplace, sponsorships, premium subscriptions |
| 8 | Libsyn | Established shows that also publish video | Basic $12/month; an $8 plan for bare essentials | No: 30-day free trial | Monetization options on all plans; dynamic ads on Professional/Enterprise |
| 9 | Riverside | Recording, editing and hosting in one tool | Pro $24/month billed annually ($29 monthly) | Free recording plan only; hosting starts on Pro | Publishing to YouTube, Spotify and Apple; no ad marketplace listed |
Compare more options, with buyer reviews and ratings, in the podcast hosting platforms category on Spotsaas.
What is the best platform to use for a podcast?
For a first podcast, Buzzsprout or Spotify for Creators. Buzzsprout gives the clearest dashboard and a free plan to test with; Spotify for Creators costs nothing and has no upload cap. Once you know you will publish every week and want income from the show, move to a host whose monetization matches your plan: Acast or Podbean for ads, RSS.com or Podbean for Apple Podcasts subscriptions, Captivate or Transistor for a network of shows.
Every host on this list distributes your RSS feed to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and the other major apps, so listeners will not notice which one you picked. The differences are in upload limits, analytics, how many shows you can run, video support and which revenue tools you can switch on.
Compare the best podcast hosting platforms for a beginner on a budget
On a tight budget, start free and upgrade only when a limit gets in your way. Three free options are worth a look, and each has a different catch:
- Spotify for Creators: free hosting with free episode uploads and storage. Ad revenue through the Spotify Partner Program needs an audience threshold (see the review below).
- RSS.com Free: unlimited episodes and audio, distribution to every major directory, listener donations and Value for Value payments. Ads and Apple Podcasts Subscriptions need the Plus plan.
- Buzzsprout Free: 2 hours of uploads a month, but episodes are hosted for 90 days only. Fine for testing, not for a long-running archive.
The cheapest paid plans that keep your whole back catalog online are Podbean Unlimited Audio at $12 a month billed annually, Libsyn Basic at $12 a month (3 hours of audio uploads a month), and Buzzsprout Audio or RSS.com Plus at $15 a month billed annually.
The best podcast hosting platforms in 2026, reviewed
1. Buzzsprout: best for beginners
Buzzsprout is a podcast host built around ease of use: upload an episode, and it is listed in the podcast directories, with a podcast website, advanced stats, transcripts and custom embed players included on paid plans. Paid plans cap uploads by hours per month, not by storage or downloads. Buzzsprout Ads, listener support and subscriptions are part of its premium features, and Magic Mastering and Cohost AI are paid add-ons.
Best for: first-time podcasters and solo creators who want to publish without learning hosting jargon.
Pricing: Free plan with 2 upload hours a month and 90-day episode hosting (no paid add-ons or video distribution). Audio: $18 a month, or $15 a month billed annually (6 hours a month, 72 hours a year). Audio + Video: $30 a month, or $25 a month billed annually, adding 1080p video distribution to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Multi-Podcast: from $36 a month, or $30 a month billed annually, for up to 5 shows sharing 15 hours a month (a 10-show tier is also offered). An Archive plan at $5 a month keeps a finished show live. Source: Buzzsprout pricing.
Limitations: unused upload hours do not roll over, and annual plans get a fixed yearly allowance with no extra hours for sale; you have to upgrade. Video costs extra over the Audio plan.
See the Buzzsprout profile on Spotsaas.
2. Spotify for Creators: best free podcast hosting
Spotify for Creators (formerly Anchor) is Spotify’s own hosting and podcast management tool. Spotify describes it as “completely free podcast hosting,” with free episode uploads and storage, and it distributes to other podcast apps as well as Spotify. It handles both audio and video podcasts, and gives you comment management, clips and analytics inside Spotify.
Best for: new shows with no budget, and video podcasters who expect most of their audience to be on Spotify.
Pricing: free. Monetization through the Spotify Partner Program is open to eligible creators in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia whose show has at least 1,000 Spotify audience members and 2,000 Spotify hours consumed in the last 30 days, and 3 or more published episodes. Podcast subscriptions are available in 34 markets to creators with at least 2 published episodes. Source: Spotify for Creators monetization.
Limitations: the Partner Program is only available when your show is hosted with Spotify for Creators, so you are tied to Spotify’s tools to earn from it. Spotify says subscriptions are moving to a new Memberships format this fall, so check the terms before building a paid tier on them.
See the Anchor (now Spotify for Creators) profile on Spotsaas.
3. RSS.com: best budget host with monetization
RSS.com offers a genuinely usable free plan (unlimited episodes and audio, a podcast website, transcripts, analytics, donations) and puts programmatic ads, Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and audio-to-video conversion for YouTube on its first paid tier. Its newer Max plan adds unlimited video podcasts with video ads on a revenue share and automatic YouTube publishing.
Best for: beginners on a budget who want to start earning from ads or subscriptions without paying for a large plan.
Pricing: Free. Plus: $15 a month billed annually (25% off monthly). Pro: $26 a month billed annually, up to 10 podcasts and unlimited team seats. Max: $37 a month billed annually, unlimited audio and video podcasts and API access. Custom and Enterprise plans on request. 30-day money-back guarantee. Source: RSS.com pricing. The monthly-billed prices were not displayed when we checked, so confirm them at signup.
Limitations: the free plan has no ad insertion or Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, and branding is removed from the embed player only on paid plans.
See the RSS.com profile on Spotsaas.
4. Podbean: best all-in-one monetization
Podbean combines hosting with an Ads Marketplace (programmatic and host-read ads), dynamic ad insertion, Apple Podcasts subscriptions and AI credits for noise reduction, show notes and chapter markers. All paid plans include unlimited total storage, and monthly limits are set by upload size instead.
Best for: creators who want several revenue streams from one dashboard, and podcasters who publish long episodes.
Pricing: free account available. Unlimited Audio: $17 a month, or $12 a month billed annually (1 podcast, 1GB uploads a month, about 16 hours of audio). Unlimited Plus: $39 a month, or $29 billed annually (2 audio or video podcasts, 10GB a month, about 160 hours of audio or 10 hours of video). Network: $99 a month, or $79 billed annually. Business: $129 a month, or $99 billed annually, for private and public podcasts with SSO. Dynamic ad insertion of your own ads is $1 CPM on most plans. Source: Podbean pricing.
Limitations: Podbean does not list free-plan limits on its pricing page, and paid plans cannot be downgraded back to free. Video hosting starts on Unlimited Plus.
See the Podbean profile on Spotsaas.
5. Captivate: best for growing independent shows
Captivate is a host aimed at podcasters who want to grow, with every feature on every plan and pricing set by monthly downloads, not uploads. You can host unlimited podcasts with unlimited uploads and storage on any tier. Captivate also includes its Growth Labs courses and workshops.
Best for: independent creators and small networks who publish often and want marketing and monetization tools without upload caps.
Pricing: Captivate says its plans “start at $19 per month” for up to 30,000 downloads (Personal). Professional covers up to 150,000 downloads and Business up to 300,000 downloads a month. Every plan includes a 30-day free trial. Source: Captivate pricing. The page showed euro prices from our location, so we list only the US dollar figure Captivate publishes in its FAQ; check the Professional and Business US prices on the page.
Limitations: no free plan. If you go over your download tier two months running, Captivate asks you to move up a tier.
See the Captivate profile on Spotsaas.
6. Transistor: best for multiple shows and private podcasts
Transistor allows unlimited podcasts and unlimited team members on every plan, which makes it a common choice for companies, agencies and creators running several shows. It also hosts private podcasts for internal teams or paid audiences, and supports video podcasts, a podcast network website and an API.
Best for: teams or creators with more than one show, and businesses running private podcasts.
Pricing: Starter: $19 a month (20,000 monthly downloads, 50 private podcast subscribers). Professional: $49 a month (100,000 downloads, 500 private subscribers, dynamic ads, auto-posting to YouTube). Business: $99 a month (250,000 downloads, 3,000 private subscribers, branding removal). Enterprise from $199 a month. Yearly billing gives 12 months for the price of 10. Transcription add-ons: $5 a month for 5 hours, $20 for 20 hours. 14-day free trial. Source: Transistor pricing.
Limitations: dynamic ads and YouTube auto-posting are not on Starter, and there is no ad marketplace; you bring your own sponsors.
See the Transistor profile on Spotsaas.
7. Acast: best for ad and sponsorship revenue
Acast is a podcast host with its own advertising marketplace. Shows that opt in can earn from ads inserted into episodes, and paid plans add sponsorships, premium subscriptions, dynamic intros and outros, and a customizable website. Its Video plan publishes video episodes to Apple Podcasts. Established creators can apply to the Acast Creator Network for extra services.
Best for: podcasters whose main goal is advertising income, and networks that want team management and a publishing API.
Pricing: Starter: free, 1 show and 5 episodes (unlimited episodes if you make the show available in Acast’s advertising marketplace). Essential: $25 a month, or $14.99 a month billed yearly. Pro: $40 a month, or $29.99 billed yearly. Video: $50 a month, or $39.99 billed yearly, with up to 10,000 video views a month. Acast asks for card details at signup even on the free tier but says it will not charge them. Source: Acast pricing.
Limitations: the free Starter tier caps you at 5 episodes unless you allow ads; sponsorship tools start on Essential.
8. Libsyn: best for established shows that add video
Libsyn is one of the longest-running podcast hosts. Every plan now includes video uploads up to 100GB a month (about 50 hours, by Libsyn’s estimate), IAB-verified analytics, a customizable website and monetization options. Libsyn says it has paid out over $112 million to podcast creators since 2017.
Best for: podcasters who want a stable, long-established host and plan to distribute video to YouTube and Spotify.
Pricing: Basic: $12 a month (3 hours of audio uploads a month, YouTube video distribution). Advanced: $25 a month (10 hours, YouTube and Spotify video distribution, advanced stats). Max: $150 a month (55 hours). An $8 plan covers the bare essentials. Professional and Enterprise plans (dynamic ad insertion, API, unlimited storage) are quote-based. First 30 days free on every plan; a card is needed to start the trial. Source: Libsyn plans.
Limitations: audio upload caps are tight on Basic, and dynamic ad insertion sits on the quote-based tiers.
See the Libsyn profile on Spotsaas.
9. Riverside: best for recording and hosting in one tool
Riverside started as a remote recording studio (separate audio and video tracks, up to 4K) and now includes podcast hosting and analytics on its paid plans. You can record, edit with text-based and AI tools, and publish to YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Instagram and LinkedIn from the same account. For more on its recording side, read our Riverside FM recording review.
Best for: video-first independent creators who would otherwise pay for a recorder, an editor and a host separately.
Pricing: Free: recording and editing only, 720p with a watermark, no hosting. Pro: $29 a month, or $24 a month billed annually ($288), with hosting for 1 show. Grow: $39 a month, or $34 billed annually ($408), with hosting for 2 shows, video hosting and livestreaming. Webinar: $99 a month, or $79 billed annually ($948). Business: contact sales. 14-day free trial. Source: Riverside pricing.
Limitations: hosting is not on the free plan, and Riverside does not list an ad marketplace or dynamic ad insertion, so monetization is up to you.
See the Riverside.fm profile on Spotsaas.
Podbean vs Acast: which is better?
Podbean is better value if you want unlimited storage and several monetization options on a low-cost plan; Acast is better if ad revenue is the priority and you want to be sold into a large advertising marketplace.
| Podbean | Acast | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, free account (limits not listed on pricing page) | Starter: 1 show, 5 episodes (unlimited if you join the ad marketplace) |
| Entry paid plan | Unlimited Audio: $12/month billed annually, $17 monthly | Essential: $14.99/month billed yearly, $25 monthly |
| Storage | Unlimited total storage; monthly upload caps by size | Unlimited episodes on paid plans |
| Ads | Ads Marketplace (programmatic and host-read); dynamic ad insertion at $1 CPM on most plans | Acast advertising marketplace; ads available on the free tier |
| Other revenue | Apple Podcasts subscriptions, listener support tools | Sponsorships and premium subscriptions from Essential |
| Video | Unlimited Plus, $29/month billed annually (about 10 hours of video a month) | Video plan, $39.99/month billed yearly (up to 10,000 video views a month) |
| Multiple shows | 1 on Unlimited Audio, 2 on Unlimited Plus, unlimited on Network | Multiple shows from Essential |
For a solo podcaster, Podbean’s $12 plan covers more. For a show with a growing audience that wants advertisers to find it, Acast’s marketplace is the main reason to choose it.
Which video podcast hosting suits independent creators?
For independent video podcasters, the cheapest route is Spotify for Creators (free) if Spotify is your main channel. If you want video on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube from one upload, look at Buzzsprout Audio + Video ($25 a month billed annually), Libsyn (video included on every plan from $12 a month) or RSS.com Max ($37 a month billed annually). If you also need recording and editing, Riverside Grow ($34 a month billed annually) replaces three tools. Acast Video and Podbean Unlimited Plus suit creators who want video plus an ad marketplace.
How to choose a podcast hosting platform
- Check the limit that matters to you. Hosts cap different things: upload hours (Buzzsprout, Libsyn), upload size (Podbean), monthly downloads (Captivate, Transistor) or episode count (Acast Starter). Match the cap to how often and how long you publish.
- Decide how you want to earn. Ad marketplace (Acast, Podbean, Spotify, RSS.com), dynamic insertion of your own sponsors (Transistor, Captivate, Podbean), or listener subscriptions (Apple Podcasts Subscriptions via RSS.com or Podbean; Spotify subscriptions). Not every host offers all three, and some gate them to higher plans.
- Plan for video now. Moving hosts later is possible, but it is easier to pick one that already handles video if you think you will add it.
- Count your shows. Transistor and Captivate allow unlimited podcasts on every plan; most others charge more for multiple shows.
- Check what a free plan deletes. Buzzsprout’s free plan removes episodes after 90 days; Acast Starter stops at 5 episodes without ads. Spotify for Creators and RSS.com Free keep your archive.
- Use the trial. Captivate (30 days), Libsyn (30 days), Transistor and Riverside (14 days) let you test analytics and publishing before paying.
Before picking a host, it helps to know who the show is for; our guide to audience research for content creation covers that step. If you plan to add live episodes, see our StreamYard review.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular podcast hosting platform?
There is no independent, public count of shows per host that we can verify, so any “most popular” claim comes from vendors. Spotify for Creators is Spotify’s own free host, and Buzzsprout, Podbean, Libsyn and Acast are long-established names. Podbean, for example, says it is trusted by more than 121,000 podcasters.
What is the best platform to use for a podcast?
Buzzsprout for most beginners, Spotify for Creators if you need it free, Acast or Podbean if you want ad income, and Transistor if you run several shows. All of them distribute to Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
How much does a podcast with 5,000 listeners make?
It depends on how you monetize, so there is no single number. Ad income is usually priced per 1,000 downloads (CPM), so the maths is: downloads per episode divided by 1,000, times the CPM, times the number of ad slots. The CPM is set by advertisers and ad networks, and the hosts in this list do not publish the rates they pay creators. Sponsorships you sell yourself, listener support and paid subscriptions can earn more per listener than programmatic ads. Also note the Spotify Partner Program requires at least 1,000 Spotify audience members and 2,000 hours consumed in 30 days before you can apply.
Is there a completely free podcast host?
Yes. Spotify for Creators offers free hosting with free uploads and storage, and RSS.com’s Free plan includes unlimited episodes and audio. Buzzsprout, Podbean and Acast also have free tiers, but with limits: 90-day hosting on Buzzsprout and 5 episodes on Acast Starter unless you join its ad marketplace.
Which podcast hosting platform is best for monetization?
If you want ads sold for you, Acast or Podbean. If you want listener subscriptions, RSS.com Plus or Podbean (Apple Podcasts Subscriptions). If you sell your own sponsors, Transistor Professional or Captivate for dynamic ad insertion. If you are in the US, Canada, UK or Australia and mainly on Spotify, the Spotify Partner Program once you meet its thresholds.
How much does podcast hosting cost?
$0 to about $20 a month for a single show. Entry paid plans in this list run from $12 a month (Podbean billed annually, Libsyn Basic) to $19 a month (Captivate, Transistor). Multi-show, video and network plans cost more, from about $25 to $150 a month.
Can I switch podcast hosts without losing subscribers?
Yes, if the old host redirects your RSS feed to the new one. Most hosts, including Podbean, Acast and RSS.com, offer an import tool, and Acast says it will redirect your feed on request if you leave. Keep the old account active until the redirect is confirmed in Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
