Transistor review: $19 a month on Starter, unlimited shows
Transistor is the podcast host to pick when one account has to carry several shows and a team. Our check of transistor.fm/pricing on 1 October 2026, about two weeks before this review, recorded Starter at $19 a month, Professional at $49, Business at $99 and Enterprise from $199 a month upwards.
The short answer
Buy Transistor if you publish more than one show or share the dashboard with a producer. Starter was $19 a month, or $15.20 a month billed annually, when we checked transistor.fm/pricing on 1 October 2026, which is $228 paid monthly against $182.40 across a year on the annual rate.
Skip it if you run a single audio show on a tight budget. RSS.com recorded a permanent Free plan at $0 and Plus at $20 a month on 6 October 2026, and Spotify for Podcasters was $0 on 11 June 2026, so a one-show podcaster can publish for nothing.
Where Transistor fits
Transistor fits the podcaster who has stopped having one podcast. The account is the unit rather than the show, so a main feed, a bonus feed and a private feed for a course all sit on the same bill. Our check of transistor.fm/pricing on 1 October 2026 recorded Starter at $19 a month, Professional at $49, Business at $99 and Enterprise from $199 a month.
That check is about two weeks old at the time of writing, which makes it among the freshest evidence in this category. It is still a snapshot, so transistor.fm/pricing is the authority if the two disagree.
The meter is downloads. Our snapshot recorded the model as subscription with download-volume based tiers, which means the price you pay is set by how often episodes are fetched rather than by how many you publish or how long they are. The snapshot recorded the four prices and not the download threshold attached to each one, and we are not going to invent those numbers: read them off the pricing page next to the tier you are considering.
The annual discount was a flat fifth off on our October check, which is generous by this category's standards. Starter at $19 a month is $228 across a year, and $15.20 a month billed annually is $182.40, a saving of $3.80 a month and $45.60 over twelve months. Professional at $49 a month is $588 a year against $470.40 at the annual rate of $39.20, a saving of $117.60.
Business at $99 a month is $1,188 across a year, and $79.20 a month billed annually is $950.40, a saving of $237.60. At the top, Enterprise was recorded as $199 a month and upwards, which is a starting figure rather than a price, so anything above Business is a conversation.
The case for paying $19 a month rather than nothing rests on what the account carries. Unlimited shows and unlimited team members on every tier is what our snapshot's tier names do not tell you and what the product is sold on, and a network paying per show elsewhere is the reader who saves money here. A single show does not: RSS.com recorded a Free plan at $0 on 6 October 2026, and Buzzsprout recorded Audio at $15 a month on 1 October 2026.
So Transistor is a structural choice more than a price choice. If the structure is one show, the cheaper hosts win on the number alone. The podcast hosting platforms category holds them, and Buzzsprout against Transistor sets the two closest options side by side.
Transistor pricing
Transistor sells four tiers graded by monthly download volume, with a fifth off for paying annually. Every figure below comes from our check of transistor.fm/pricing on 1 October 2026, which is about two weeks old, and it records prices rather than download allowances.
| Plan | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $19/mo | $15.20/mo billed annually, which is $182.40 a year against $228 paid monthly |
| Professional | $49/mo | $39.20/mo billed annually, which is $470.40 a year against $588 paid monthly |
| Business | $99/mo | $79.20/mo billed annually, which is $950.40 a year against $1,188 paid monthly |
| Enterprise | $199+/mo | A starting figure rather than a price. Quoted above Business |
Downloads set the tier and the tier sets the bill. Four things decide what you pay:
- Monthly downloads. Our 1 October 2026 snapshot recorded download-volume tiers without recording each threshold, so that is the figure to read off the pricing page first.
- Which tier you land on: $19, $49 or $99 a month, with Enterprise starting at $199 a month, all as recorded on 1 October 2026.
- Billing period. Annual billing was $15.20, $39.20 and $79.20 a month on the three published tiers, which is a fifth off and $237.60 a year on Business.
- Not the number of shows, and not the number of people. Both were unlimited on every tier on our check, which is the reason a network pays less here than it does on a per-show host.
- What sits outside the host. There is no recording or editing in what we verified, so an editor and a recorder are separate lines in the same budget.
Transistor pricing against the other podcast hosts
At $19 a month Transistor starts above the cheapest hosts and below the enterprise ones. Buzzsprout was $15 a month on Audio and $30 on Multi-Podcast, verified 1 October 2026, which is the closest comparison and the same check date. RSS.com recorded a Free plan at $0 and Plus at $20 a month, verified 6 October 2026. Captivate was $19 a month on Personal, matching Transistor Starter exactly, verified 15 June 2026. Castos was $19 a month on Essentials, verified 14 June 2026. Simplecast was $15 a month on Basic, verified 15 June 2026. The three June dates are four months older than ours, so that part of the ranking needs re-checking rather than trusting.
Transistor billing terms worth knowing
The annual discount is the largest single saving available here, so the arithmetic is worth having in front of you.
- Starter
- $19 a month, or $15.20 billed annually. $228 or $182.40 across a year.
- Professional
- $49 a month, or $39.20 billed annually. $588 or $470.40 across a year.
- Business
- $99 a month, or $79.20 billed annually. $1,188 or $950.40 across a year.
- Enterprise
- From $199 a month on our 1 October 2026 check. A floor, not a quote.
- Annual saving
- A fifth off, which is $45.60 a year on Starter and $237.60 on Business.
- Trial
- Fourteen days with no card required, as recorded on 1 October 2026.
- Download allowances
- Not recorded in our snapshot. Read the threshold for each tier yourself.
Transistor plans: Starter $19/mo ($15.20/mo billed annually); Professional $49/mo ($39.20/mo billed annually); Business $99/mo ($79.20/mo billed annually); Enterprise $199+/mo.
Those are the four prices and the date they were read, 1 October 2026. If transistor.fm/pricing shows something else today, the rate card is right and this page is behind. Our creator tool cost calculators will total a podcast stack once you have the current rates and your own monthly download figure.
What Transistor gives up
You give up a free tier. There was a fourteen day trial on our 1 October 2026 check and nothing permanent at $0, so the cheapest year here is $182.40 on Starter billed annually. RSS.com recorded a Free plan at $0 on 6 October 2026 and Spotify for Podcasters was $0 on 11 June 2026.
You give up native video hosting. Transistor is an audio platform in what we verified, so a show publishing a camera feed needs another home for it. Spotify for Podcasters hosts video at $0 on our 11 June 2026 check, and Buzzsprout sold an Audio plus Video plan at $25 a month, verified 1 October 2026.
You give up recording and editing. The host takes a finished file, so Audacity at $0 or a paid editor is a separate decision and a separate cost.
You give up predictability as the show grows. Downloads are the meter, and because our snapshot does not record the thresholds, the move from $19 to $49 a month is a step you cannot date in advance. Success is what triggers it.
You give up the elaborate website. The built-in site is functional rather than something you would design, and a show that needs a real site will build one elsewhere and point the feed at it.
You give up monetisation from the host. Advertising marketplaces and listener subscriptions are not part of what we verified here, where RedCircle recorded a free Core plan at $0 and Growth at $19.99 a month on 13 June 2026 and built its product around that.
Finally, you give up the argument entirely if you have one show. Unlimited podcasts and unlimited team members are what the $19 a month buys, and a solo audio podcaster with a single feed is paying $228 a year for headroom they do not use.
How Transistor compares
The three hosts below are the ones weighed against Transistor, and the axis is per-account breadth against per-show price. Each price is that vendor's own published rate with the date we read it, and Captivate's is four months older than the rest, so compare them with that in mind. The wider field sits in the podcast hosting platforms category.
| Tool | Best for | Price | Where it breaks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transistor | Several shows and a team on one account | $19/mo Starter, $99/mo Business (Oct 2026) | No free plan, no native video, no editing |
| Buzzsprout | One show, run simply, with video available | $15/mo Audio, $30/mo Multi-Podcast (Oct 2026) | Multi-show economics cost more as you add feeds |
| Captivate | Growth tooling around a download-metered host | $19/mo Personal, $99/mo Business (June 2026) | Our pricing check is four months old |
| RSS.com | Publishing one audio show at no cost | $0 Free, $20/mo Plus (Oct 2026) | Thin website, shallow analytics, audio only |
What to test on the Transistor trial
Our 1 October 2026 check recorded a fourteen day trial with no card required. The trial is long enough to test the structural claim, which is the thing worth testing.
- Open transistor.fm/pricing and read the download threshold beside each price. Our snapshot recorded $19, $49, $99 and from $199 a month on 1 October 2026 and did not record the allowances.
- Work out your real monthly downloads from your current host before you choose a tier, because that number alone decides which rung you need.
- Create two shows during the trial, not one. Unlimited podcasts per account is the reason to be here and it should be tested rather than assumed.
- Add a producer and set their permissions, since unlimited team members is the second half of the same claim.
- Set up a private feed if you sell a course or run an internal show, and check the subscriber flow end to end.
- If you need video or monetisation from the host, price those elsewhere rather than working around the gap: Buzzsprout sold Audio plus Video at $25 a month on 1 October 2026, and RedCircle recorded Growth at $19.99 a month on 13 June 2026.
- Before prepaying, do the year at a fifth off: $182.40 on Starter, $470.40 on Professional, $950.40 on Business, and the cost calculators will add the recorder and editor to it.
Transistor questions buyers ask
How much does Transistor cost per month?
Our check of transistor.fm/pricing on 1 October 2026 recorded Starter at $19 a month, Professional at $49 a month, Business at $99 a month and Enterprise from $199 a month. Billed annually those three published tiers were $15.20, $39.20 and $79.20 a month, a fifth off, so Starter is $228 across a year paid monthly against $182.40 billed annually. The tiers are graded by monthly download volume and our snapshot recorded the prices rather than the download threshold for each tier, so read those off the pricing page. Every plan includes unlimited podcasts and unlimited team members.
Does Transistor have a free plan or free trial?
Transistor had no free plan on our 1 October 2026 check of transistor.fm/pricing, but it did have a 14-day free trial on all plans with no credit card required, which gives you full access to upload episodes, test analytics and set up distribution before paying. If you need a permanently free option instead, Spotify for Podcasters was recorded at $0 with no paid tier on 11 June 2026, and RSS.com recorded a Free plan at $0 a month on 6 October 2026.
Who is Transistor best for?
Transistor is built for podcasters who host multiple shows, work with a team, or need private podcast feeds. It is particularly strong for podcast networks, creators with a main show plus bonus feeds, businesses running internal podcasts, and course creators who deliver audio content to paying students. Solo podcasters with a single show and a tight budget may find better value with Podbean or Buzzsprout.
Transistor vs Buzzsprout: which is better?
Transistor wins on multi-show hosting (unlimited vs. Buzzsprout's per-show pricing), team collaboration (unlimited members vs. limited), and private podcasts. Buzzsprout wins on beginner-friendliness, its free tier, and add-on features like Magic Mastering for audio cleanup. If you run one show and want the simplest experience, go Buzzsprout. If you run multiple shows or need team access, go Transistor.
What platforms does Transistor distribute to?
Transistor distributes to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pocket Casts, Overcast, Google Podcasts, Deezer, and most other podcast directories via your RSS feed. The Professional plan and above also auto-post episodes to YouTube as video files. You submit your RSS feed once per platform and all future episodes are picked up automatically within 4-6 hours of publishing.
Can I host multiple podcasts on one Transistor account?
Yes, and it is the main reason to be here. Every plan, including Starter at $19 a month on our 1 October 2026 check, carries unlimited podcasts, and each show gets its own RSS feed, analytics, website and team permissions. You do not pay per podcast, which is what separates Transistor from hosts that either limit you to one show on their cheapest plan or charge extra for each additional feed.
How good are Transistor's podcast analytics?
Transistor provides IAB 2.1-compliant download stats, which means bot traffic and duplicate requests are filtered out. The dashboard shows total and per-episode downloads, listening app breakdown (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.), device types, geographic data by country and state, and estimated subscriber counts. You can export data as CSV. The analytics are accurate and clean but do not include listener retention, drop-off points, or audience demographics: for those, you would need Spotify for Podcasters or a third-party tool like Chartable.
Does Transistor support video podcasts?
Transistor does not host video podcast files directly, but the Professional and Business plans can automatically convert your audio episodes into video files (using your podcast artwork as the background image) and post them to YouTube. If you need full video podcast hosting with video playback in podcast apps like Spotify, you would need a platform like Podbean or Spotify for Podcasters, which support native video uploads.
Is Transistor worth the money?
If you host two or more podcasts, yes: the unlimited shows feature alone saves you money compared to paying per show on other platforms. If you work with a team, the unlimited collaborators are a bonus you will not find elsewhere without paying extra.
Can I cancel Transistor anytime?
Yes. Transistor is month-to-month with no long-term contract. You can cancel from your account settings at any time and your service continues through the end of your current billing period. If you are on an annual plan, cancellation stops auto-renewal but you keep access through the remainder of your paid year. Transistor also makes it easy to export your RSS feed and redirect it to a new host if you decide to move.