Free Podcast Hosting
Which podcast hosting platforms a startup can publish a company podcast with for free today, how many episodes or upload hours the free plan covers, whether ads or branding are added, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, read from each provider's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . Podcast hosts change their free plans from time to time: confirm the terms on the provider's page before you rely on it.
Podcast hosts a startup can publish with for free today include Spotify for Creators (Completely free podcast hosting), Simplecast (14-day free trial, no card), RSS.com (Free: unlimited episodes and downloads), Transistor (14-day free trial), and RedCircle (Free Core plan (1 podcast)). Each of the 11 free plans below links to the provider's page that states it, with its main limit, whether ads or branding are added, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs.
A company podcast needs a host that stores the episodes and publishes your feed to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and every other app. Several hosts have a free plan, and the rest offer a free trial.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. Free plans cap upload hours or episodes, delete episodes after a while, or insert the host's ads into your show. Each host below shows what is free, its main limit, whether ads or branding are added, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, quoted from the provider's own page with the date we read it.
Which hosts we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which hosts are listed or where.
Podcast hosting with a free plan
Publish episodes to Apple, Spotify and every app with no monthly fee.
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Spotify for Creators
Podcasters who want free hosting on Spotify
Spotify calls its podcast hosting completely free, in three easy steps.
Start free at Spotify for CreatorsTerms read on creators.spotify.com on Spotify for Creators: the free allowance and how to start - 2
RSS.com
Free unlimited episodes and downloads
RSS.com lets you publish unlimited episodes and downloads for free. Ads start on its Plus plan, at $15 a month billed yearly.
- Ads and branding
- Ads start on the Plus plan (source: rss.com)
- First paid plan
- Plus: $15 a month, billed yearly (source: rss.com)
- 3
RedCircle
One podcast with unlimited episodes, free
RedCircle's free Core plan allows one podcast. Core includes dynamic insertion of RedCircle Ad Platform ads, and Growth is $14.99 a month.
- Ads and branding
- Dynamic insertion of RedCircle ads (RAP) (source: redcircle.com)
- First paid plan
- Growth: $14.99 a month (source: redcircle.com)
Start free at RedCircleTerms read on redcircle.com on RedCircle: the free allowance and how to start - 4
Podbean
A free account you can upgrade from later
Podbean lets you sign up for a free account and upgrade at any time. Its Unlimited Audio plan costs $17 a month.
- 5
Buzzsprout
A small first show with no card to start
Buzzsprout's free plan gives 2 hours of podcast uploads a month and hosts your episodes for 90 days. No credit card is required.
- Payment card
- No card needed (source: buzzsprout.com)
Start free at BuzzsproutTerms read on buzzsprout.com on Buzzsprout: the free allowance and how to start - 6
Acast
A free show that can earn from ads
Acast's free Starter plan covers one show and five episodes, with ad monetization listed as a key feature. Unlimited episodes need the show to be available in Acast's advertising marketplace.
- What's free
- Free: 1 show, 5 episodes (source: acast.com)
- Ads and branding
- Monetize with ads on Starter (source: acast.com)
- First paid plan
- Essential: $25 or $14.99 a month (source: acast.com)
Podcast hosting with a free trial
Paid podcast hosts you can try free before the first bill.
- 1
Simplecast
A 14-day trial with no card to start
Simplecast's plans all start with a 14-day commitment-free trial, with no credit card required. Its Basic plan includes 20K downloads a month.
- Ads and branding
- No ads run without your permission (source: simplecast.com)
- Payment card
- No credit card required (source: simplecast.com)
Start free at SimplecastTerms read on simplecast.com on Simplecast: the free allowance and how to start - 2
Transistor
Several shows on one account, after a 14-day trial
Transistor offers a 14-day free trial. Its Starter plan is $19 a month and includes 20K monthly downloads.
- What's free
- 14-day free trial (source: transistor.fm)
- First paid plan
- Starter: $19 a month (source: transistor.fm)
Start free at TransistorTerms read on transistor.fm on Transistor: the free allowance and how to start - 3
Castos
Unlimited episodes and downloads after a 14-day trial
Castos offers a 14-day free trial, and a card is added when the trial starts. Essentials is $19 a month.
- First paid plan
- Essentials: $19 a month, $190 a year (source: castos.com)
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Captivate
A longer 30-day trial with every feature unlocked
Captivate offers a no-obligation, 30-day free trial. Plans start at $19 a month for up to 30,000 downloads.
- 5
Libsyn
A 30-day trial, with a card needed to start
Libsyn offers a 30-day free trial, and a credit card is needed to start it. After the trial, Basic is $12 a month with 3 hours of audio uploads.
- What's free
- 30-day free trial (source: libsyn.com)
- First paid plan
- Basic: $12 a month (source: libsyn.com)
Also useful for marketing and content
Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.
Compare the top options
How this comparison is built
The list covers podcast hosting platforms a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each host's terms. Every term comes from the host's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. A cap on upload hours a month, episodes deleted after a while, ads inserted into free shows, analytics kept for paid plans can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the provider states them. Some of these hosts pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a host appears, and no host pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
What is the best free podcast hosting?
By the terms each provider states, Spotify for Creators offers completely free podcast hosting, RSS.com's free plan includes unlimited episodes and downloads, and RedCircle's free Core plan covers 1 podcast.
Is Buzzsprout free?
Buzzsprout's free plan allows 2 hours of uploads a month, but episodes are hosted for 90 days; its Audio plan is $15 a month, billed yearly.
Which free podcast host has no ads?
By their own pages, RSS.com starts ads only on its Plus plan, while RedCircle's free Core plan includes dynamic insertion of RedCircle ads.
Is Acast free?
Acast's free Starter tier covers 1 show and 5 episodes, with unlimited episodes if you join its ad marketplace.
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