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. If you want to narrow the field further, run a side-by-side comparison between your top picks or browse the full creator software directory for options outside this category. Every listing is scored using the same review methodology.
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10 tools with free access highlighted below, plus 0 more in this category.
Published price means the vendor states a figure; quote only means it does not. The best-fit line is each tool’s own authored sentence, not a description of its deployment model.
| Tool | Published price | Pricing model | Deployment | Free trial | Best for | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Buzzsprout | $0 (episodes removed after 90 days) | Upload hours, not downloads | Cloud | Yes | You will get the most from Buzzsprout if you are a solo podcaster or small team launching a first show and you want a platform that walks you through every step. | Read review |
 Captivate | $19/mo Personal ($17 annually) | Monthly downloads and private subscribers | Cloud | Yes | You'll get the most from Captivate if you host multiple podcasts, want accurate download analytics you can show to sponsors, or plan to use dynamic ad insertion to monetize. | Read review |
 Castos | $19/mo Essentials ($190 a year) | Flat monthly fee | Cloud | Yes | You will get the most from Castos if you run a WordPress site and want your podcast publishing workflow integrated directly into WordPress, or if you need private podcast feeds for courses, memberships, or internal team communications. | Read review |
 Libsyn | $5/mo Basic Audio, 162 MB of new uploads | Per-episode | Cloud | Yes | You will get the most from Libsyn if you are an established or growth-focused podcaster who values reliability, wide distribution, and monetization tools over a slick interface. | Read review |
 Podbean | $0 (5 hours of storage in total) | Nothing on paid plans: storage and bandwidth unlimited | Cloud | Yes | You'll get the most from Podbean if you publish a single audio podcast on a regular schedule and want hosting, distribution, and monetization handled in one place without overthinking it. | Read review |
 RedCircle | $0 Core, unlimited hosting for 1 podcast | Freemium | Cloud | Yes | You will get the most from RedCircle if monetization is your top priority and you want to start earning from ads, donations, or subscriptions without paying a monthly hosting fee. | Read review |
 RSS.com | $0 on the Free plan | Flat monthly fee | Cloud | Yes | One audio show on a zero budget | Read review |
 Simplecast | $15/mo Basic ($13.50 annually) | Flat monthly fee | Cloud | Yes | Shows that sell on listener data | Read review |
 Spotify for Podcasters | $0, the only plan | Freemium | Cloud | Yes | A first show on a zero budget | Read review |
 Transistor | $19/mo Starter ($15.20 annually) | Flat monthly fee | Cloud | Yes | Networks and teams running several feeds | Read review |
Showing 10 of 10
Free plan + paid tiers · Cloud · Free trial
Buzzsprout is a podcast hosting platform that stores your audio files, generates an RSS feed, and distributes your show to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and every major directory. It is known for its beginner-friendly interface and guided onboarding. Plans start at $19/month with a limited free tier available.
Flat monthly fee · Cloud · Free trial
Captivate is a podcast hosting platform built for growth-focused podcasters. You get unlimited podcasts, unlimited storage, and unlimited uploads on every plan, with pricing based on monthly downloads. It includes IAB-certified analytics, dynamic ad insertion via its AMIE engine, built-in podcast websites, and team management tools. Plans start at $19/month with a 7-day free trial.
Flat monthly fee · Cloud · Free trial
Castos is a podcast hosting platform built for creators who want WordPress integration, private podcasting, and video episode hosting. It offers unlimited podcasts and episodes on every plan, with automatic distribution to major directories. Plans start at $19/month with a 14-day free trial, and the WordPress plugin makes it a natural fit for WordPress-powered podcast sites.
Per-episode · Cloud · Free trial
Libsyn is a podcast hosting platform that has been around since 2004 and hosts over 75,000 shows. It stores your audio and video files, generates your RSS feed, and distributes episodes to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and 20+ directories. Plans start at $5/month with a 30-day free trial on all tiers.
Free plan + paid tiers · Cloud · Free trial
Podbean is a podcast hosting platform that gives you unlimited audio storage, one-click distribution to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and every major directory, plus built-in monetization through ads, premium content, and listener patronage. It also offers live streaming and a mobile app for recording and publishing on the go. Plans start at $9/month annually with a free tier available.
Freemium · Cloud · Free trial
RedCircle is a podcast hosting platform focused on monetization, offering unlimited hosting on a free plan plus a built-in ad marketplace, listener donations, and exclusive content subscriptions. It connects podcasters directly with advertisers through its RAP (RedCircle Ad Platform). Paid plans start at $19.99/month for multi-show hosting and additional features.
Flat monthly fee · Cloud · Free trial
RSS.com is a podcast hosting platform that lets you publish unlimited episodes with automatic distribution to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major directories. It stands out for its generous free plan and beginner-friendly interface. Paid plans start at $11.99/month annually, with a forever-free tier for new podcasters.
Flat monthly fee · Cloud · Free trial
Simplecast is a podcast hosting platform owned by SiriusXM that offers unlimited storage, automatic distribution, and IAB-certified analytics. It is known for its clean interface and detailed listener insights. Plans start at $15/month with a 14-day free trial, and all tiers include unlimited uploads.
Freemium · Cloud · Free trial
Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor) is a free podcast hosting platform that lets you upload audio and video episodes, distribute to all major directories, and access listener analytics. Without paying a cent. Monetization is available through the Spotify Partner Program and paid subscriptions. There are no paid tiers; every feature is included for free.
Flat monthly fee · Cloud · Free trial
Transistor is a podcast hosting platform that lets you host unlimited shows, distribute to every major listening app, and track listener analytics from a single dashboard. It stands out for multi-show hosting on every plan and unlimited team members. Plans start at $19/month with a 14-day free trial.
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.
New reviews, repriced plans and fresh comparisons in podcast hosting platforms, as we publish them.
Read our buyer guides for deeper editorial takes, check the glossary when a term needs clarifying, or explore pricing calculators to model costs before committing.
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