Choosing a hosting platform for your podcast doesn’t have to be your biggest worry, especially not if you’re on a tight budget. There are so many podcast hosting sites out there and even a few free options for those of you looking to get your podcast off the ground without the added expense. All you need to do is find the one that will help you to simplify your podcast creation process and provide you with a few management tools, such as storing your audio files and providing you with basic analytics so you can grow your audience.
Keep in mind that paid hosting platforms or packages are a better option once you have a bigger audience. However, it is great to start with a free option and then upgrade as your podcast grows. If you are already in the place where you are looking to uplevel your podcast hosting platform, check out our post, 21 of the Top Podcast Hosting Companies, for more detail.
But if you are still getting started, here is a list of free podcast hosting platforms for you to choose from.
Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout was launched back in 2009 and as grown a lot since. They offer many great features like being able to create your podcast website and easily uploading and publishing episodes. Buzzsprout also syncs with popular podcast directories such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Stitcher, so your podcast will appear wherever people are searching for it.
Buzzsprout has a free plan that offers 2 hours of audio each month, with episodes hosted for 90 days. This allows you a three-month free trial period to get your podcast off the ground without a high initial hosting cost. Their plans make it easy to sign up, no contract or credit card needed and you can cancel any time. Once you are ready to commit full-time to their hosting platform, you can upgrade to their $12/month plan that offers unlimited storage, indefinite episode hosting and up to 3 hours per month.
Sign up here to host your podcast on Buzzsprout and try their 90-day trial for free.
PodBean
Podbean is an easy way to start podcasting without any difficult technology to learn. Their well-known platform hosts 320 000+ podcasters with more than 8 million episodes. Their always free, basic podcast starter package offers 5 hours of storage space with 100GB of bandwidth per month. You will also be able to build your own podcast website with access to beautiful podcast themes and a basic comprehensive podcasts stats overview.
They offer you every tool that you’ll need to share your podcast and grow your audience from nothing into something. This includes both an iPhone and Android mobile apps, which allows your audience to get to your podcast anytime, anywhere. Easily share your podcast across social media platforms and use Embeddeble Players to add your podcast episodes to your website or blog. From there you can upgrade to their $9/month audio podcasting plan for unlimited storage, advanced analytics, as well as podcast monetization strategies.
Related read: 7 Reasons Why Your Podcast Needs A Website
Soundcloud
SoundCloud is the world’s leading audio discovery platform, providing the right tools for artists, podcasters, and labels alike to share and grow your audience. When you publish your podcast episode, listeners can find, like, share, and comment on specific sections they loved. With their embeddable player and RSS capabilities, you can share your podcast to any bog or website as well as podcast directories like Apple Podcasts and Stitcher, all from one central hosting platform.
Their SoundCloud Basic free package gives you three hours of content per month, basic podcast analytics and basic embed controls, including two embed players styles and customizable color. From there you can upgrade to their SoundCloud Pro for $7.50/month or their SoundCloud Pro Unlimited plan for $15/month. With each of these plans, they also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee for you to try it out risk-free.
Related read: Top 10 Mistakes that Podcasters Make
Spreaker
Spreaker was launched back in 2010 and has used that time to grow its brand as well as grow its audience to more than a million active listeners. Whether you are just starting your podcast or are already established in the podcasting game, Spreaker is there to help you take your show to the next level!
Spreaker is a very well-known hosting platform and offers unlimited bandwidth to all of their subscribers, even to the free option. Their Free Speech $0 plan allows you 5 hours of audio storage and 15 minutes per live podcast. From there you can upgrade to their $6/month On-Air-Talent package to gain access to their Programmatic Monetization feature. Or sign up for their most popular $18/month Broadcaster plan for 500 hours of audio storage and advanced statistics.
Podomatic
Podomatic allows you to record, upload and promote your episodes, everything you need in a single dashboard. There is no need to go through a ton of extra methods to share your podcast episodes, simply use their built-in sharing option so your listeners can enjoy your podcast directly on Facebook or Twitter. Podomatic also has a free podcast app for both iOS and Android users, so that everyone can enjoy your podcasts.
With their free Basic package, you receive 500 MB of storage to store up to 6 hours of recording for free. You also get 15GB of bandwidth per month and total data for all your episodes and daily tracking for free. From there you can upgrade to the Pro plan for $8.32/month for 100 GB of bandwidth per month and 2GB of storage.
Related read: 7 Tips to Market Your Podcast on Instagram
Anchor
Anchor is a completely free platform, with no paid version options This means you’ll receive unlimited storage, monetization options, and the analytics you might need to grow your podcast. With Anchor, it is easy to create and host unlimited episodes, distribute your show everywhere, and monetize it all from one place.
Anchor gives you the stats to see your podcast episodes at a glance and understand how your episodes are doing over a period of time. Their mobile apps, iPad apps, and desktop platform make it easy to capture audio, on-demand and easily distribute your podcast to the major podcast directories. Anchor also provides you with different options to earn an income by matching you with great brands who are interested in sponsoring your show. All you have to do is decide which brands you want to work with and which episodes you want to monetize.
Related read: How to Reach Out to a Potential Podcast Sponsor
Podigee
Podigee makes podcasting as easy as 1-2-3! After uploading your episode, Podigee will publish your show on your website and all other major podcast directories, such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Their analytics engine has been specifically designed to measure podcast usage and give you statistics that are actually beneficial in growing your audience. As an official Spotify partner, Podigee allows you to publish your show directly onto Spotify.
To start, they offer a 14-day free trial to try out their platform to see if it is the right fit for you. No credit card needed, no automatic subscription or charge after the trial period, and your content remains yours and can be deleted at any time. With their services, they handle everything from enhancing your audio quality, adding metadata and sharing in-depth analytics with you so you can track, measure and improve your podcast. Another great feature Podigee offers is that their RSS feeds are compatible with Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.
Related read: 27 Most Popular Podcast Apps
