9 of the Top Podcasting Platforms (2023)

Dec 16, 2022

For your convenience in researching For your convenience, we've written a brief introduction and highlighted the most important features and outlined the pricing plans for nine of the best podcasting platforms. We've ranked the platforms according to cost, upload speed and limitations, tools for monetizationand more. Let's get started!

This is our top selection of the 9 podcasting platforms that are the top of the line:

  1.       PodBean
  2.       Buzzsprout
  3.       RSS.com
  4.       Captivate
  5.       Transistor
  6.       Audioboom
  7.       Resonate
  8.       Castos
  9.       Libsyn

     PodBean

With over 10 years of experience, PodBean boasts an impressive 650,000 registered podcasters on its platform. PodBean allows users to access easily-to-read data like podcast downloads according to hours and days, trends and the top 10 most popular podcasts with listener demographics as well as retention rates for users. It also allows you to stream live live to your viewers and allows listeners as well as guests call in to take part or hear your show.

The key features

  • Free plan available
  • A podcast website that you can modify on any of the plans
  • Embeddable and customizable podcast player on your site
  • Native tools which make it easy to make money from your podcast
  • Auto-sharing of linked accounts on social media
  • Live streaming, with the option for viewers to dial in and listen

Price Band

PodBean is one of the few companies that provide an affordable package. Its free plan works with MP3 formats, and comes with five hours of storage (500MB) as well as 100GB of bandwidth per month.

Alongside the no-cost plans, PodBean has three plans for paid customers including Unlimited Audio ($9), Unlimited Plus ($29) as and Network ($79). Unlimited Audio and Unlimited Plus plans provide unlimited storage space in addition to bandwidth. The Network plan limits bandwidth to 3TB with the option of buying additional bandwidth.

     Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout is the preferred podcast hosting service of choice for more than 100,000 of the world's podcasters. The platform offers advanced analytics which allow you to monitor the number of downloads for your podcasts, from the region they're from in addition to the ways they connect to your show. They also give you access to a range of tools , including an embeddable player for websites as well as transcripts of your episodes that are optional, and "Dynamic Content," which lets you alter posts and pre-roll segments once you've posted them.

If you upload your podcast on Buzzsprout it will be able to showcase your podcast on the major directories including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Alexa, Castro, Podchaser, as well as many other. It will also enhance the audio file you upload to make your podcast sound top-quality.

Important Features

  • Available free plan
  • Podcast Website that is customized for all plans
  • Embeddable customizable podcast player for your site
  • Ability to create chapters markers for episodes
  • Advanced statistics to monitor your progression
  • Dynamic content lets you modify posts or pre-rolls right away after you have published

Price price range:

Buzzsprout is also among the very few platforms that offer a free plan. As for their paid options They offer three plans that include $12, $18, and $24 for a month. There are no pricing for an annual period at this time, which means you'll have choose to pay for month-to month pricing. One difference between the paid plans and the free ones is the amount of upload hours each plan includes.

     RSS.com

RSS.com offers a user-friendly interface that is well-known for its ease of use and ease of use. It gives users access to features including comprehensive analytics, the scheduling of episodes, and an embeddable player as well as social media sharing and podcasting sites that are available.

Different from other platforms for podcast hosting, RSS.com offers a donation button that you can either enable or deactivate. The donation button lets you raise funds along with conventional advertising and sponsorship methods. However, if ads and sponsorships are more your style, they can be purchased. Podcasters can find sponsors via RSS.com's Podcorn marketplace.

Important aspects

  • Unlimited audio and podcasts for all plans
  • Podcasting site is customizable on all plans
  • Embeddable podcast player for your website
  • Native episode scheduler
  • Donation button with donation option
  • Ability to create audiobites, chapters, episode as well as transcripts in the platform.

Price band:

It appears RSS.com offers three plans, most users will only receive one, which is that of the All in One Podcasting plan at $12.99 per month. Non-government organizations and students can avail a program that's specifically designed for them, at $4.99 per month. The Student plan has the same features as the All in One plan, but you'll have to be certified. Anyone with over 10,000 downloads per day can be accepted into this Podcast Networks plan, but you'll have to talk to the network before joining.

     Captivate

Captivate is an excellent choice to those just starting out as podcasters. The hosting dashboard of Captivate is well-known by the industry of podcasts due to its simple interface. It will allow users to broadcast their podcasts to all the major podcast directories, sell their content using built-in tools for marketing, and monetize with private podcasting.

The main Features

  • A podcast site that is customizable for any plan
  • Unlimited Podcasts, Uploads , and storage space included in all plans.
  • Podcast player that can be embedded on your site
  • Extra Captivate Sync(tm) WordPress Plugin for flexible control of hosting
  • Podcasting Premium/Private available on all plans.
  • Unlimitable team members and customizable roles

Price band:

Captivate offers 3 plans that include Personal ($19) in addition to Professional ($49) as well as business ($99). While there is no cost-free plan however, there is the free trial period of 7 days for every plan. The primary difference between paid plans is the amount of network-connected podcasts and private ones as well as subscribers to private podcasts you are able to have. In addition to these different options, both plans look similar.

     Transistor

Transistor is a high-end podcast hosting platform that hosts popular podcasts such as Cards Against Humanity. They have extensive analytics and exclusive shows, as well as the ability to broadcast with one click for all one of the most popular directories. They also offer the ability to broadcast with one click via Listen Notes and The Podcast Index Two search engines that are well-known dedicated to podcasts.

Transistor is a great option in the event that you have several podcasts. Transistor offers unlimited episodes on all plans. It doesn't place limitations on podcasters' bandwidth or storage or downloads monthly, but rather through monthly downloads. This makes it easier to identify limitations more quickly.

The key Key Features

  • A podcast site that you can customize on every plan
  • Unlimited podcasts in every hosting plan
  • Dynamic Ad Tool to facilitate the easy and quick insertion of advertising
  • Upload every episode in a timely manner to YouTube
  • Unique RSS feeds that are unique for every show that you have
  • Embeddable podcast player for your website

Price range:

Transistor offers 3 pricing plans beginning at the lowest price of Starter ($19) as well as Professional $49) and Business ($99). There are only a few features that vary between plans. They are the group members that you can include to your podcast, the amount of listeners that are not private, you can have, and the limit per month for downloading. It's good to know that Starter program allows you to download as many as at least 10,000 files per month, which will suffice for the vast majority of podcasters who are only beginning their journey.

     Audioboom

Audioboom is an acceptable platform with distribution through prominent directories, unlimited episode, and a high one-year limit of 15,000 downloads for their basic plan. Its approach to monetization is what sets it different from other platforms. Podcasters can access the market for monetization when they reach 100,000 monthly downloads. For those with a substantial audience, this should not effect your podcast much. If your show is small, it may mean losing your chance to make money until you hit the crucial milestone.

The most important characteristics

  • Unlimited episodes per month
  • 15,000 downloads per month on entry-level plan
  • Distribution of the most popular directories
  • IAB compliant analytics dashboard
  • The ability to access the global marketplace for advertising when you have reached 10,000 downloads per month

Price Band:

Pricing plans for Audioboom are easy to understand! The company has two monthly plans which include the Standard Plan ($9.99) and the Plus Plan ($19.99). The Standard plan permits up to 15,000 downloads per month. If you're looking for greater, then the Plus Plan allows up to 50k. If that's not enough for you, then you'll have contact the company to inquire about a custom Account for Podcast Professionals.

     Resonate

Resonate is a great podcasting platform , which is perfect for people looking for an all-encompassing solution. While their hosting plans provide a variety of sought-after features, they're lacking the capability to personalize their site, premium or private podcasting, and customer support for their cheaper plans. However, where Resonate lacks on the common elements for hosting, it could compensate with additional options.

Resonate offers a range of podcasting services, like launch, producer videos marketing, as well as enterprise services. This allows podcasters to make quality production and highly-produced show all on the same platform.

The most important characteristics

  • Automatically created podcast microsite
  • Embeddable podcast player for your website
  • In-depth analytics from embedded player
  • Integrated Dynamic Ad Insertion to the Adsense system that is time-sensitive and synchronized with announcements as well as ads

Price band:

Resonate offers two month-long pre-installed plans which are Basic ($25) and the Premium ($49). Both plans include Unlimited episodes, unlimited downloads, and people who watch the series. However, the microsite feature can only be found on the Premium plan and separates Resonate from the platforms that offer websites as part of the basic plans. If neither the Standard or Premium plans will meet your needs, consider the Professional plan which gives you more microsites and help choices.

     Castos

As opposed to other podcasting platforms, Castos is a WordPress plugin. It's made to sync to Seriously Simple Podcasting and allows podcasters to manage their podcasts from a WordPress website. Castos allows users to create custom podcasts with accurate analysis.
   
    In comparison to Buzzsprout in audio transcription their services are significantly less costly in comparison to Buzzsprout and cost a low cost of $0.10 for each minute. If you're planning on launching your own podcast on YouTube, Castos will also instantly upload your episodes to YouTube with specific plans. Castos is committed to making its services better and has implemented unique features that will provide analytic reports tailored to prospective advertisers as well as statistics on the duration of playback that lets you be aware of how long your listeners remain in the loop.

Important features

  • A custom-designed podcast site can be built for every plan
  • Unlimited podcasts episode uploads
  • Private podcasting feature for premium content
  • Templates for web pages which are built in advance
  • Automatic podcast transcriptions (optional)
  • YouTube is publishing

Price price range:

Castos provides four price plans starting at Starter ($19) and Growth ($49) Pro ($99) and Premium ($499) every month. If you choose to pay annually, you'll lower your monthly costs by around 17. Although the basic plan offers your general options, only the Growth plan and above come with YouTube Republishing.

     Libsyn

Since 2004. Libsyn is a well-established market leader in the field of podcasting. It's an excellent option for podcasters who are new or hosts who have short segments and short episodes or for monetizing podcasts. Keep on your toes that the platform can only upload files as well as bandwidth. This could cause issues when podcasts have a huge number of episodes or massive audiences. To increase storage capacity and capacity to meet the demands of your audience, you'll have to choose bigger plans. That's why this is the most suitable option for smaller audiences or shows that earn an income.

Principal attributes

  • A custom-designed podcast site can be created for all plans
  • Built-in monetization through ads and private podcasting
  • Visual-builder integrated with Canva
  • Create a custom iOS as well as Android app to show your events
  • Distribution to the top podcast directories

Price Band:

Libsyn provides a total of six choices, including 3 options for audio podcasts as well as three to support videos-based podcasts.

Audio Podcasts

The price for audio begins at $5and goes up to $15 and $20 for a month. However, Libsyn limits the number of hours it allows you to upload per month in addition to the overall capacity for storage. This is in contrast to other platforms featured in this table. A higher-priced plan can get you more of both.

Video podcasts

Plans for video podcasts start at $40, then increase to $75 to $150 monthly. The metrics remain the same however, upload and bandwidth limits change with the amount you pay more.

The final reflections

And there you have it! Nine of the best podcasting platforms. The choice of a platform is just one of the crucial options you'll have to make as a producer. In your search for the most suitable platform, be sure to consider your specific demands in the area of podcasting. Begin by considering the fundamental requirements, such as uploading, bandwidth downloads and budget. Then, consider ways to make money from your website and social media integration after narrowing the choices down to your most preferred options.

Do you need help to start your own audio podcast? Take a look at our other podcasting posts:

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