Every podcast hosting platform below stores your files, builds your RSS feed and sends episodes to Apple and Spotify, so features rarely decide which one is cheaper for you. The meter does: Buzzsprout, Libsyn and Podbean charge for what you upload, Transistor and Captivate for who listens, and Castos, RSS.com and Spotify for Creators for neither.
That is why a weekly hour-long show with 40,000 monthly downloads pays $180 a year on Buzzsprout and $490 on Transistor.
Every price below comes from each platform's own pricing page, checked November 4, 2026. Prices assume yearly billing unless noted.
How the Eight Platforms Compare on Price and Limits
Podbean's $12 Unlimited Audio plan is the cheapest paid option here. The limit most likely to catch you out is Buzzsprout's free plan, which deletes episodes after 90 days.
| Platform | Cheapest paid plan | What's metered | Free plan | Video from | Shows per plan | Private feeds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buzzsprout | $15 a month, Audio | Upload hours, 72 a year | Yes, 2 hours a month, episodes kept 90 days | Audio + Video, $25 | 1, or 5 to 10 on Multi-Podcast | Not listed |
| RSS.com | $15 a month, Plus | Nothing | Yes, unlimited episodes, 1 show | Max, $37 | 1 on Free and Plus, 10 on Pro | Not listed |
| Transistor | $19 a month, Starter | Monthly downloads, 20,000 | No, 14-day trial | Professional, $49 | Unlimited | 50 to 6,000 subscribers by plan |
| Captivate | $17 a month, Personal | Monthly downloads, 30,000 | No, 30-day trial | Apple video add-on, $12 a month per show | Unlimited | Included on every plan |
| Castos | $19 a month, Essentials | Nothing | No, 14-day trial | Pro, $99 | Unlimited | 100 to 500 subscribers by plan |
| Libsyn | $8 a month, entry plan | Upload hours, 3 a month on Basic | No, 30-day trial | Every plan to YouTube; Spotify from $25 | 1 | Not listed |
| Podbean | $12 a month, Unlimited Audio | Upload gigabytes, 1GB a month | Yes | Unlimited Plus, $29 | 1, 2 on Plus, unlimited on Network | Business plan, 100 members |
| Spotify for Creators | Free | Nothing | Yes, the only tier | Free | Several per account | Not listed |
Source: each platform's pricing page or help center, checked November 4, 2026. Libsyn bills monthly. All other paid prices assume yearly billing.
How Each Platform Charges You
Each platform meters one thing, and whichever grows fastest on your show sets your bill. Spotify for Creators meters nothing and costs $0, so it drops out of the comparison here.
Upload-Hour Plans Charge for What You Publish
Buzzsprout, Libsyn and Podbean count new uploads and ignore downloads, so a bigger audience never raises your bill. Each one counts uploads differently:
- Buzzsprout: hours per year, with 72 on Audio.
- Libsyn: hours per month, with 3 on Basic, resetting on the 1st.
- Podbean: gigabytes per month, with 1GB on its cheapest plan, about 16 hours of audio.
Episodes you've already published never count again.
These plans are cheapest when your audience grows faster than your output. Add up last year's upload hours. If the total is under 72, Buzzsprout's Audio plan covers you.
Download Plans Charge for Who Listens
Transistor and Captivate let you upload as much as you like, across as many shows as you like, and bill on monthly downloads instead: 20,000 on Transistor's $19 Starter, and 30,000 on Captivate's $17 Personal plan. Neither cuts a show off:
- Transistor: its pricing page says it asks you to upgrade only if you're consistently over.
- Captivate: its pricing page says it reaches out after a second month over the limit.
So one viral month costs nothing extra, but a lasting jump in audience moves you up a tier. These plans suit small audiences that publish a lot or run several shows.
Flat Plans Charge for Features Instead
Castos and RSS.com include unlimited episodes and downloads on every plan, so neither your uploads nor your audience changes the price. What you pay for is features. Castos keeps video file hosting for its $99 Pro plan, and RSS.com keeps video for Max at $37 a month.
Flat plans fit daily or long-form shows that would burn through upload hours. Before you commit, find the tier that holds the one feature you need, because that tier is your real price.
What Four Real Shows Pay in a Year
For a single audio show, the platform matters less than you think. For a growing audience, video or several shows, the yearly bill can more than double.
Each column below is one show, priced for a year on the cheapest plan that covers it. Spotify for Creators costs $0 in every column, so the findings compare the platforms you pay.
| Platform | Weekly 45-min audio, 5,000 downloads | Weekly 60-min audio, 40,000 downloads | Weekly 60-min video | Three 30-min shows, 25,000 downloads combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buzzsprout | $180, Audio | $180, Audio | $300, Audio + Video | $360, Multi-Podcast |
| RSS.com | $0 Free, or $180 Plus | $0 Free, or $180 Plus | $444, Max | $312, Pro |
| Transistor | $190, Starter | $490, Professional | $490, Professional | $490, Professional |
| Captivate | $204, Personal | $528, Professional | $348, Personal plus Apple video add-on | $204, Personal |
| Castos | $190, Essentials | $190, Essentials | $990, Pro | $190, Essentials |
| Libsyn | $300, Advanced | $300, Advanced | $300, Advanced | $432, three Basic plans |
| Podbean | $144, Unlimited Audio | $144, Unlimited Audio | $348, Unlimited Plus | $948, Network |
| Spotify for Creators | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
About 39 upload hours a year, 3.8 in your busiest month per show.
| Platform | Yearly cost | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| RSS.com | $0 | Free, or $180 on Plus for ad income |
| Spotify for Creators | $0 | Free |
| Podbean | $144 | Unlimited Audio |
| Buzzsprout | $180 | Audio |
| Transistor | $190 | Starter |
| Castos | $190 | Essentials |
| Captivate | $204 | Personal |
| Libsyn | $300 | Advanced |
How it works: yearly upload hours equal minutes per episode times episodes per week times 52, divided by 60, times the number of shows. Monthly limits use your busiest month, which is episodes per week times 31 divided by 7, rounded up. Each platform gets the cheapest plan whose hours, downloads, show count and video support cover your inputs, priced for 12 months on yearly billing, except Libsyn, which bills monthly. Video means Buzzsprout publishes to Apple, Spotify and YouTube, Captivate's add-on covers Apple only, Podbean sends Spotify audio only and Libsyn lists Apple video as coming soon. Prices checked November 4, 2026.
A Weekly Audio Show Pays Under $210 Almost Anywhere
A 45-minute episode every week adds up to 39 hours a year. At about 5,000 downloads a month, the yearly cost is:
- Podbean: $144
- Buzzsprout and RSS.com Plus: $180
- Castos and Transistor: $190
- Captivate: $204
Libsyn is the exception. Basic's 3 hours run out in any month with five episodes, so plan on Advanced at $300. Below that, the whole spread is $60 a year, so pick on fit, not price.
At 40,000 Downloads, Download Plans Cost the Most
Make the show an hour long and give it 40,000 downloads a month. Transistor moves you to Professional at $490, and Captivate moves you to Professional at $528. The other platforms don't change: Buzzsprout stays at $180, Podbean at $144, Castos at $190 and Libsyn at $300. On upload or flat plans, audience growth is free.
Video Costs About $300 a Year on Buzzsprout or Libsyn
Buzzsprout's $300 Audio + Video plan publishes to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Libsyn's $300 Advanced plan covers YouTube and Spotify, but its pricing page still lists Apple video as coming soon.
The other platforms cost more, or reach fewer apps:
- Podbean: Unlimited Plus is $348, but Spotify gets the audio only.
- Captivate: its help center lists Apple video as an add-on at $12 a month per podcast. That brings Personal to $348, before bandwidth charges past 1,000 video downloads a month.
- RSS.com: Max is $444.
- Transistor: Professional is $490.
- Castos: Pro is $990.
Three Shows Cost Least on Castos or Captivate
Three weekly 30-minute shows with 25,000 combined monthly downloads cost $190 a year on Castos and $204 on Captivate, because both include unlimited shows. The rest cost more:
- RSS.com Pro: $312
- Buzzsprout Multi-Podcast: $360
- Libsyn: $432, because each show needs its own plan
- Transistor: $490 on Professional, since combined downloads pass 20,000
- Podbean: $948, because its next listed plan for a third show is Network
Buzzsprout for First Shows on a Weekly Schedule
Buzzsprout counts the hours you upload, not the people who listen, so a weekly show can grow its audience without changing its bill. The Audio plan includes 72 hours a year, enough for one episode of up to about 80 minutes every week. Going over doesn't stop you from publishing; extra time is billed at your plan's hourly rate.
Best for: one weekly audio show of up to about 80 minutes.
Standout: transcripts generated free for every new episode on paid plans.
Pricing: Buzzsprout's pricing page lists Audio at $15, Audio + Video at $25 and Multi-Podcast at $30 a month billed yearly. There's also an Archive plan at $5 and a free plan with 2 hours a month.
Watch out for: free-plan episodes are deleted after 90 days, and unused hours don't roll over.
Worth paying for: yes, if your show publishes weekly and stays under 72 hours a year.
RSS.com for Free Hosting You Can Keep
RSS.com charges for features, not for uploads or downloads. Its free plan has unlimited episodes and downloads with no deletion clock. Paid plans add money first, then more shows, then video. Shows moving from another platform get 3 months free, according to RSS.com's homepage.
Best for: one audio show that wants to start free and keep its catalog.
Standout: the free plan never deletes episodes and has no download cap.
Pricing: RSS.com's pricing page lists Plus at $15, Pro at $26 and Max at $37 a month billed yearly, or $19.99, $34.99 and $49.99 monthly. The Free plan costs nothing.
Watch out for: video is only on Max, and Free and Plus cover one show each.
Worth paying for: Plus only once you want ad income or Apple Podcasts Subscriptions.
Transistor for Several Shows on One Bill
Transistor prices by monthly downloads, and that allowance is shared across every show on the account. Every plan, including the $19 Starter, includes unlimited podcasts and unlimited team members. Each show gets its own RSS feed, website and analytics page.
Best for: a team or brand running two or more audio shows under 20,000 combined monthly downloads.
Standout: unlimited podcasts and team members on every plan, including Starter.
Pricing: Transistor's pricing page lists Starter at $19, Professional at $49, Business at $99 and Enterprise 1 at $199 a month, with 17% off for yearly billing. Transcription costs $5 or $20 a month.
Watch out for: the download allowance is shared across shows, and video and dynamic ads start at $49.
Worth paying for: yes, from the second show on, or for a private feed of up to 50 listeners.
Captivate for Growing Shows That Want Every Feature
Captivate also prices by monthly downloads, but every feature is on every plan, so the only thing you buy more of is download allowance. Personal covers 30,000 downloads a month, 10,000 more than Transistor's Starter.
Best for: a show or small network between 20,000 and 30,000 monthly downloads, where it costs less than Transistor.
Standout: no feature sits behind a higher tier. Plans differ only in download allowance.
Pricing: Captivate's pricing page lists Personal at $17, Professional at $44 and Business at $90 a month billed yearly, with custom plans above 300,000 downloads. Students, charities and nonprofits get 25% off.
Watch out for: there's no free plan, and the bill rises with your audience.
Worth paying for: yes, once you pass 20,000 downloads, or for a nonprofit show.
Castos for WordPress Sites and Private Feeds
Castos charges one flat price, with unlimited podcasts, episodes and downloads on every plan. It gates features and seats by tier instead.
Best for: a brand that already runs its site on WordPress, or a private show for staff or members.
Standout: the Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin publishes episodes from the WordPress dashboard.
Pricing: Castos's pricing page lists Essentials at $19, Growth at $49 and Pro at $99 a month ($190, $490 and $990 a year). Premium starts at $499 a month, and an AI assistant costs $10 a month.
Watch out for: the 101st private subscriber moves you to Growth, and the 251st moves you to Pro, automatically. Essentials is also one user with no custom domain.
Worth paying for: yes for WordPress publishers and private feeds. No if video is the plan, since video hosting starts at $99.
Libsyn for Long-Running Shows That Sell Ads
Libsyn counts the audio hours you upload each month, resets the count on the 1st, and bills monthly after a 30-day trial. Video uploads up to 100GB a month sit outside that audio limit on every plan.
Libsyn also sells ads into the shows on its platform, which puts it partway to a network. A network sells ads across many shows and often doesn't store the files at all. Here's how podcast networks sell ads.
Best for: an established show that wants its hosting platform to sell and insert ads.
Standout: PodRoll, Automatic Podcast Ads and host-read ad sales.
Pricing: Libsyn's pricing page lists an $8 entry plan, Basic at $12 (3 hours), Advanced at $25 (10 hours) and Max at $150 (55 hours) a month.
Watch out for: a weekly 45-minute show outgrows Basic in any month with five episodes, and nothing sits between $25 and $150.
Worth paying for: yes on Advanced, which adds Spotify video and advanced stats.
Podbean for Heavy Uploaders and Business Feeds
Podbean meters the gigabytes you upload each month and gives every paid plan unlimited total storage. Its $12 plan allows 1GB a month, which its pricing page puts at about 16 hours of audio. Every plan includes its Ads Marketplace and Apple Podcasts Subscriptions.
Best for: an audio show uploading up to about 16 hours a month, or a company that needs private feeds behind SSO.
Standout: about 16 hours of audio a month for $12 billed yearly.
Pricing: Podbean's pricing page lists Unlimited Audio at $12, Unlimited Plus at $29, Network at $79 and Business at $99 a month billed yearly ($17, $39, $99 and $129 monthly). There's also a free plan.
Watch out for: dynamic ad insertion costs $1 CPM on every plan except Network, and video reaches Spotify as audio only.
Worth paying for: yes on Unlimited Audio for long or frequent episodes. Business only if you need SSO.
Spotify for Creators for Shows That Will Never Pay
Spotify for Creators hosts audio and video for free and has no paid tier. Your show still reaches Apple Podcasts and other apps through its RSS feed. If you'd rather not depend on Spotify's ads, these ways to earn without sponsors work on any platform.
Best for: a test or hobby show with no budget, or a video show aiming for Spotify ad income.
Standout: it's the only platform that can enroll you in Spotify's self-serve Partner Program, which shares ad revenue with creators.
Pricing: $0, with no paid tier.
Watch out for: Spotify's support page says the Partner Program requires three things: hosting on Spotify for Creators, at least 1,000 listeners and at least 2,000 consumption hours in the last 30 days. Moving to another platform later can mean giving that income up.
Worth paying for: there's nothing to pay. It's the right pick if you'll never pay, or if Spotify income is the plan.
How to Switch Platforms Without Losing Listeners
Your subscribers follow you as long as the old feed redirects to the new one. Your stats history, any inserted ads and some income don't transfer, so deal with those before you move.
Before you move
- Download your stats history: export your download reports first. Stats are logged by whoever serves the files, so your new platform starts its charts from zero.
- Turn off inserted ads: the new platform imports episodes through your public feed, so any ad your old platform inserts gets copied into the file permanently.
- Check the redirect setting: find the 301 redirect option on your old platform and confirm your plan includes it before you pay for the new one.
- Count what doesn't transfer: Buzzsprout's pricing page says legacy pricing ends if you cancel or move, and Spotify's Partner Program only pays shows hosted with Spotify.
Move day
- Import by RSS: paste your current feed address into the new platform's import tool, and let it copy your episodes, artwork and show notes.
- Set the 301 redirect: point the old feed at the new feed address, so Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other apps update without you resubmitting the show.
The month after
- Check each app: confirm that Apple Podcasts and Spotify both show your next episode from the new feed.
- Keep the old account open: leave the old plan running until both apps show the new feed, since closing it early can remove the redirect.
Which Platform to Start With This Week
If you'll never pay for hosting, stop here: use Spotify for Creators, or RSS.com Free if you want to own the feed independently. Otherwise, answer these three questions in order and stop at the first yes.
- Will you publish video? Start on Buzzsprout Audio + Video at $25 a month, or Libsyn Advanced at $25 a month if Apple video can wait.
- Will you run more than one show? Castos Essentials at $19 costs least if one person runs everything. Transistor adds unlimited team members from $19.
- Will your audience grow faster than your output? Buzzsprout at $15 or Podbean at $12 keeps the bill flat as listeners arrive. If your output grows faster than your audience, Castos charges $19 however much you upload.
If you plan to sell ads yourself, list shows in your category that carry sponsors with the Has Sponsor filter in MillionPodcasts, and see which brands repeat.