Is Buzzsprout the best podcasting hosting platform for you?
This guide explores everything you need to make an informed decision, including Buzzsprout’s features, limitations, pros/cons, and prices. We also list six alternatives at the bottom of the guide to compare and contrast your options.
Now, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty, starting with a detailed introduction to Buzzsprout.
- Introduction to Buzzsprout
- Key features of Buzzsprout
- What people are saying about Buzzsprout
- Buzzsprout pricing plans and options
- Alternatives to Buzzsprout
- The bottom line on Buzzsprout
Introduction to Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout is a cloud-based podcast hosting platform designed to edit, publish, and monetize audio shows. It has supported creatives since 2009 and launched over 300,000 podcasts with over 125,000+ active podcasters.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what to expect from Buzzsprout:
| Best for | Features | Mobile app | Monetization tools | Monthly contracts | Free trial available | Price |
| Newer podcasters | Editing tools, website hosting, podcast directories, podcast statistics, and more | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | Starting at $0 USD per month |
Buzzsprout pros
- Buzzsprout is highly cost-effective. You can host up to two hours per month of podcast audio and unlock essential hosting features completely free.
- You don’t have to be an expert to use Buzzsprout’s platform. It’s simple and intuitive and can even automatically improve sound quality with its audio adjustment tools.
- Buzzsprout’s subscription and affiliate features can help you earn money from your podcast. However, you’ll need to upgrade first—this isn’t available on the basic plan.
- With Buzzsprout, you don’t have to worry about getting locked into an annual contract as their plans are based on a monthly fee and you can cancel at any time.
- Buzzsprout makes it easy to put your plan on pause. If you need to step away temporarily but still want to host your episodes, you can downgrade to the Archive plan for $5 per month.
- If you’re new to the podcasting world, Buzzsprout can help you build your online presence. All paid plans include a free podcast website, embeddable content players, and access to podcast directories.
Buzzsprout cons
- Buzzsprout’s free plan isn’t really free. It’s technically a 90-day free trial of the platform, after which you’ll need to purchase a paid plan (including Archive).
- The free plan comes with significant limitations. You can only upload two hours of content per month, which is six hours total over the plan’s lifetime. You also can’t access add-ons like Cohost AI or Magic Mastering or tap into podcast analytics to get key performance stats.
- You can’t get unlimited storage or bandwidth on any plan. The most you can get is 12 hours of content per month (plus $2 per month extra for every additional hour).
Key features of Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout makes it easy to publish and promote your podcast. It also offers some helpful tools for analytics, basic editing, and even monetization. Let’s take a closer look at Buzzsprout’s standout features:
Website Hosting
Once you set up a paid account with Buzzsprout, you can use their website-building feature to create a customized website for your podcast. You can alter your URL name to your liking, then your new website will be indexed on Google and other search engines.
You can use your Buzzsprout website to host all published podcast episodes, as well as their descriptions, transcriptions, and chapter markers. You can also use it as a hub for directory listings and subscriptions, which we’ll cover later.
A few standout features of Buzzsprout’s website hosting:
- You can also add host and co-host information directly to your website.
- If you want listeners to follow your social media profiles you can link those in the side menu.
- You can allow fans to send you messages directly through the website to provide comments, ask questions, give feedback, and more.
Podcast directories
Submitting your show to podcast directories is the easiest way to grow your listenership. With Buzzsprout, you can submit your show to dozens of directories without leaving your admin dashboard.
Some of the most popular directories on Buzzsprout include:
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Pandora
- Podcast Index
- Listen Notes
- Castbox
- iHeart Radio
- YouTube Music
- Amazon Music and Audible
- TuneIn Radio
Pro tip: Add an email address to your RSS feed to avoid hiccups or delays in the listing process.
Podcast analytics
Curious to know how your podcast is performing? With Buzzsprout’s advanced podcast statistics, it only takes a few clicks.
You can view:
- Podcast performance
- Podcast trends
- Episode downloads
- Preferred listener apps
- Preferred listener technology
- Listener location
Subscription tools
You can use Buzzsprout to make money on your podcast, with the most lucrative option being listener subscriptions.
With Recurring Support subscriptions, listeners pay monthly to maintain access to your content. With Premium Content subscriptions, listeners pay for exclusive access to premium content (such as bonus episodes or blooper reels).
You can enable both subscription types as long as you have a Buzzsprout website. Remember that you won’t keep all the revenue—Buzzsprout charges a 15% flat rate.
Editing tools
Buzzsprout offers a few helpful features to make the production process less tedious. While it doesn’t replace professional podcast editing software, it gives you the ability to easily get your audio to podcast industry standards without having the technical know-how of an audio engineer.
A few popular editing tools include:
- Podcast audiogram: Create a visual soundbite of your podcast to embed on your website or share on social media platforms.
- Dynamic content and ad insertion: You can insert pre/post content (such as one-off announcements), use the Smart Insertion Point tool to create mid-roll ads, or create instant transitions between dynamic content and your show.
- Canva artwork helper: Plug into Buzzsprout’s native Canva integration and design custom artwork with editable templates.
- Transcripts: Turn your show into a block of text to publish on your website or as a LinkedIn post.
- Chapter markers: Make it easier for listeners to navigate your show.
What people are saying about Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout averages a 97% positive sentiment rating from multiple online review sites.
Here are some platforms where you can check the score yourself:
- GetApp: 4.8/5 stars from 749 user reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 stars from 45 user reviews
- Software Advice: 4.8/5 stars from 749 user reviews
Customers love Buzzsprout’s simplified editing interface. They also appreciate the fast customer support, beginner-friendly resources, and help documents.
Here’s what current customers had to say:
- “They guide you step by step through the confusing maze of launching a podcast. I especially like how you can create video clips of podcast sections to use on Facebook. Probably not a necessary feature, but they go the extra mile to help you promote your show.” — Matt M., GetApp
- “Buzzsprout does all the work! Their guides help you register with every platform, then you simply upload your content, set the details and a publishing date, and it all happens automagically. The app even gives you your stats in real-time.” — Mark B., G2
- “The main benefit of Buzzsprout is that it does what I expect it to and doesn’t cause me any headaches or glitches. Runs perfectly. It is so easy to upload, link, and archive a podcast. It simply works, and tasks can easily be delegated to someone who hasn’t even used the software before.” — Kirsten, Software Advice
On the flip side, some customers express frustration with the limited bandwidth and storage options. Others wished there was more depth to the podcast analytics feature.
Buzzsprout pricing plans and options
You can choose from four different podcast hosting plans with Buzzsprout. The more you pay monthly, the more features and upload time you’ll receive.
Here’s what you can expect from each Buzzsprout plan:
Free
This Buzzsprout plan offers the biggest bang for your buck. For $0 per month, you’ll get:
- Two upload hours per month
- Advanced statistics
- Unlimited team members (aka sharing your account with anyone)
Just keep in mind there are several limitations. You won’t have access to add-on features, including Cohost AI or Magic Mastering. Also, you can’t store episodes longer than 90 days unless you upgrade to one of Buzzsprout’s paid plans.
Note: Buzzsprout’s Free plan isn’t free forever. It’s essentially a free trial that ends 90 days after signing up. When the trial runs out, your past recordings go away — unless you pay for the Archive plan ($5 per month) to keep your episodes hosted.
$12 per month
This is the first upgrade from Buzzsprout’s free plan. It also unlocks all its other features — which stay the same on every consecutive plan.
With this plan, you’ll also get three upload hours per month. If you need to go over the limit, you’ll pay $4 per additional hour.
Unlocked features include:
- Unlimited storage
- Free podcast importing
- A hosted website
You’ll also have access to three premium features:
- Premium content publishing (included): You can create specialty content for supporters in exchange for monthly subscription fees. Examples include releasing specific episodes early or offering bonus content to dedicated fans.
- Magic Mastering ($6 per month): You can automatically match your podcast’s loudness to Apple Podcasts’ Authoring Best Practices.
- Cohost AI ($10 per month): A generative AI designed to brainstorm titles, descriptions, and chapter markers. You can also generate podcast transcripts to publish on your website.
$18 per month
The $18 monthly tier offers the same features as the previous one. The most significant difference is upload time — six hours per month — and higher expenses for add-on features:
- Magic Mastering: $9 per month
- Cohost AI: $20 per month
Need to upload more than six hours of content per month? You’ll pay $3 extra per hour over the limit.
$24 per month
This is the ultimate Buzzsprout plan for podcasters, with up to 12 monthly hours of hosted content. You’ll get all the same features as the previous plans and access to add-ons whenever the need arises.
Just keep in mind that add-ons will cost extra: Magic Mastering costs $12 per month, and Cohost AI costs $20 per month. Plus, additional upload time costs $2 per hour. This plan could add up quickly if you need more than 12 hours per month.
Alternatives to Buzzsprout
If you’re a newer podcaster looking for an entry-level podcast hosting platform, Buzzsprout may be an excellent fit.
If you want a hosting platform with a different focus, check out the Buzzsprout alternatives below.
Spotify for Podcasters
Initially known as Anchor.fm, Spotify for Podcasters is a free podcast hosting platform. Each plan includes the basics to get your show off the ground, including unlimited uploads, analytics, monetization features, and audience engagement tools like polls.
It’s hard to pass up a free podcast hosting platform, but remember that Spotify for Podcasters is limited compared to Buzzsprout. You won’t get a custom website, no AI features, and you can’t set up subscription cycles unless you have at least 100 listeners.
Podbean
Podbean is a popular podcast hosting platform that lets you create multiple podcast channels. The Network plan (starting at $79 USD per month) allows you to host unlimited shows and expand your network with friends and colleagues.
Unfortunately, Podbean comes with a much steeper price tag than Buzzsprout. But in return, you get a variety of enterprise features. You’ll also unlock unlimited storage space and bandwidth, which may be more cost-effective if you record longer shows.
Libsyn
You may want to look into Libsyn’s hosting platform if you’re an established or professional podcaster. Libsyn is a popular site for enterprise brands looking to audit and optimize their show.
Libsyn isn’t as affordable as Buzzsprout and is not as intuitive for newer podcasters. But if you need more enterprise-heavy features or support for video podcasting, Libsyn may be a decent fit for your show.
Simplecast
If you’re an experienced podcaster needing expert editing tools, you might want to give Simplecast a try. This powerful platform offers near-limitless scalability, unlimited audio storage, SEO tools, customized reporting, and more.
The biggest drawback of Simplecast is limited team seats. Unless you upgrade to a more expensive plan, you’re limited to just two users per account — not ideal in business environments where multiple colleagues must work on each episode.
Captivate
If you’re looking for a podcast hosting platform to grow alongside your show, look no further than Captivate.fm. Its biggest claim to fame is its Growth Labs resource, which provides helpful information on making your show successful.
Each one of Captivate’s plans comes with unlimited storage, bandwidth, and upload time, as well as a base limit of 30,000 downloads per month. Just keep in mind it can’t do all the work for you: there are no editing or recording features to get your show off the ground.
Blubrry
There are several similarities between Blubrry and Buzzsprout: they’re both beginner-friendly platforms with plenty of useful features. But where Blubrry differs is with its more robust analytics, including native integrations with AWS, Google Analytics, and FeedBurner.
There are a few limitations to keep in mind, including the lack of a free plan for testing purposes. Plans are also a little steep—the most expensive tier starts at $100 USD per month.
The bottom line on Buzzsprout
There’s a good reason why Buzzsprout is such a popular podcast hosting platform. It offers all the essential features podcasters need and is cost-effective, extremely intuitive, and easily scalable to meet growing needs.
Just remember that Buzzsprout’s platform works best when paired with other podcasting tools. You’ll still need solutions for remote recording, video editing, and social media marketing, all of which we provide at The Podcast Consultant.
Want to learn more about our services? Schedule a Discovery Call today so we can discuss your needs.