Free podcast hosting exists, but the trade-offs vary significantly. Buzzsprout and Podbean both offer free plans — Buzzsprout gives you 2 hours of upload per month and hosts for 90 days, Podbean offers 5 hours of storage with bandwidth limits. Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor) is technically unlimited and free but locks you to Spotify's distribution model. Below are the platforms with real free paths, followed by the full category for context.
10 tools with free access highlighted below, plus 0 more in this category.
Free plan + paid tiers · Cloud · Free trial
Buzzsprout is positioned here as a podcast hosting software option for creators comparing workflow fit, output quality, pricing structure, and how much creative effort the product is likely to save after adoption.
Flat monthly fee · Cloud · Free trial
Captivate is positioned here as a podcast hosting software option for creators comparing workflow fit, output quality, pricing structure, and how much creative effort the product is likely to save after adoption.
Flat monthly fee · Cloud · Free trial
Castos is positioned here as a podcast hosting software option for creators comparing workflow fit, output quality, pricing structure, and how much creative effort the product is likely to save after adoption.
Per-episode · Cloud · Free trial
Libsyn is positioned here as a podcast hosting software option for creators comparing workflow fit, output quality, pricing structure, and how much creative effort the product is likely to save after adoption.
Free plan + paid tiers · Cloud · Free trial
Podbean is positioned here as a podcast hosting software option for creators comparing workflow fit, output quality, pricing structure, and how much creative effort the product is likely to save after adoption.
Freemium · Cloud · Free trial
RedCircle is positioned here as a podcast hosting software option for creators comparing workflow fit, output quality, pricing structure, and how much creative effort the product is likely to save after adoption.
Flat monthly fee · Cloud · Free trial
RSS.com is positioned here as a podcast hosting software option for creators comparing workflow fit, output quality, pricing structure, and how much creative effort the product is likely to save after adoption.
Flat monthly fee · Cloud · Free trial
Simplecast is positioned here as a podcast hosting software option for creators comparing workflow fit, output quality, pricing structure, and how much creative effort the product is likely to save after adoption.
Freemium · Cloud · Free trial
Spotify for Podcasters is positioned here as a podcast hosting software option for creators comparing workflow fit, output quality, pricing structure, and how much creative effort the product is likely to save after adoption.
Flat monthly fee · Cloud · Free trial
Transistor is positioned here as a podcast hosting software option for creators comparing workflow fit, output quality, pricing structure, and how much creative effort the product is likely to save after adoption.
Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor) is the most unlimited free option — no storage caps, free distribution to all major platforms. Buzzsprout's free plan gives 2 hours/month with 90-day hosting. Podbean offers 5 hours of storage free. All three have meaningful constraints compared to paid tiers.
Yes, it's completely free with unlimited storage and distribution. The trade-off: Spotify owns the platform and has changed its terms multiple times. Your podcast is also hosted on infrastructure controlled by a direct distribution partner, which some creators find uncomfortable long-term.
When your episodes get deleted due to storage limits (Buzzsprout's 90-day policy), when you need advanced analytics beyond download counts, when you want monetization tools like dynamic ad insertion or a paid subscription tier, or when you need a custom podcast website.
