Buzzsprout Vs Podbean: Which One Is Better For You?[2023]

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Are you trying to decide which podcast hosting is better, Buzzsprout or Podbean?

How do you actually tell which one is more suitable for you?

Are there any better alternatives?

In this blog post, I am going to give you all the information you need to decide which podcast hosting platform is better for you and your business. 

What Is Podcast Hosting (And Why You Need It)

So, what is podcast hosting?

Podcast hosting stores all your audio files and also acts as the link between you and podcast directories.

And podcast directories are places you’ll want your podcast to be, so listeners can find your show and listen to it.

Here is a list of popular podcast directories with millions of listeners every month:

• iTune
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• Google Play Music
• Pocket Casts

After you finish recording your audio and have your final audio file, you upload your audio files to your podcast host.

Then, your podcast host will provide you with a podcast RSS feed.

Now, what is a podcast RSS feed?

An RSS feed contains all your podcast information (all the episodes, its show title, description, artwork, etc)

So, what does RSS feed do?

It passes all the information to podcast directories such as Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, or Spotify, so your listeners can stream or download your podcast

To get your podcast listed in all the podcast directories, you just need to submit your podcast RSS feed URL (i.e. a link) to the directories.

Different podcast hosts have their own versions of RSS feeds URL.

Here’s one example of what podcast RSS feeds looks like:

https://showname.podcasthostname.com/rss

Now, do you need to submit RSS feed every time you publish a new episode?

The answer is no. 

The good news for everyone is that you only need to submit your podcast RSS feed ONCE to the various directories.

After your submission has been approved by them, you don’t have to submit it ever again.

Whenever you publish a new episode, your podcast host will automatically update your podcast’s RSS feed.

And the podcast directories and podcast apps (that have previously approved your submission) will detect when you have a new episode in your RSS feed, and will automatically update your show.

Can you do without podcast hosting?

Yes, it’s possible to host it on your own website server.

BUT, audio files take a lot of storage space and bandwidth to be streamed.

So, it is going to make your website very slow and might even risk crashing your website once your podcast starts to get more and more listeners.

On top of that, you need to generate your own RSS feed which is going to be extremely challenging and time-consuming.

So, getting good and reliable podcast hosting will save you a lot of time and trouble.

What To Look For In Podcast Hosting

So,  what should you look for when you are choosing between Podbean and Buzzsprout?

(1)Podcast Hosting Features

This should be the very first thing you look at.

Generally, when you go to the podcast hosting company website, you will see “Features” in the top menu.

When you go through the features, you need to keep in mind all the essentials you need.

#1. Storage Capabilities

Most podcast hosting plans have a fixed monthly limit either based on file sizes or total time.

For example, Buzzspout’s monthly hosting plans only allow you to upload 3 hours of audio content every month.

If you exceed your monthly allowance, you will be charged extra.

Of course, there are also podcast hosting plans that offer unlimited audio (e.g. Podbean).

So, when you choose your podcast hosting, you need to choose one that meets your needs and won’t go over your budget.

#2. Distribution to all podcast directories

This one is very important.

To reach more listeners, you need to get your podcast listed on all the places your audience listens in, such as iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Alexa, and Tuneln.

So, you need to make sure that your podcast hosting company offers RSS feeds that are compliant with the requirements of the podcast directories.

And all the RSS feeds are validated for compliance before it’s submitted to various directories.

This way, you avoid having your submission rejected for non-compliance reasons.

With both Buzzsprout and Podbean, you don’t have to worry about this at all.

Because they have taken care of everything to make sure that you can easily publish your podcast with just a few clicks.

#3. Embeddable Players

Does your podcast host offer customizable players to embed your podcast on your websites and blogs?

You will find this tool very useful if you already have an existing website or blog.

Because it allows you to offer audio content to your website or blog audience and also helps grow your listenership.

This brings us to the next feature.

#4 Podcast Website With A Custom Domain

Does the podcast host offer a free podcast website to put all your podcast episodes in one place?

For example, both Buzzsprout and Podbean includes a free podcast website with your account.

This free podcast website domain will look like this:

YourPodcastName.Podbean.com

But, if you want to grow your own brand in the long term, I highly recommend that you get your own domain name which looks like this:

YourPodcastName.com

Both Buzzspout and Podbean allow you to use your own branded domain for your podcast website.

#5. Podcast Analytics

Does your podcast hosting company provide you comprehensive statistics on your podcast, so that you can track how your podcast is performing over time?

Here are some statistics you want to know:

(4) Pricing

Lastly, it’s pricing. 

The prices must be competitive when it’s compared to its competitors’ pricing.

There must be a free trial because you should never pay for a podcast hosting that you cannot try it for free.

So, that’s why I always want to go with podcast hosting with a free trial because it lets me test drive the podcast host platform with zero risks. 

BuzzSprout Podcast Hosting

Now, let’s first look at Buzzsprout podcast hosting.

Buzzsprout has a very easy-to-use dashboard that allows you to upload, distribute, and track your podcast with just a few clicks.

Also, it has a customizable player that allows you to embed your podcast on your website or blog.

You can choose to have a separate player for each episode or put multiple episodes into one player

It also offers you advanced podcast statistics to help you track your progress.

What about its customer support?

With Buzzsprout, you also don’t have to worry about having to figure things out on your own because it provides you with not just in-depth podcasting guides, but also a private Facebook community and customer support via email.

How about its reviews from customers?

There are over 700 verified positive reviews from its customers.

Famous podcast hosts like Pat Flynn also use and recommend Buzzsprout.

So, how much does it cost?

It has a FREE podcast hosting plan which allows you to upload 2 hours of content every month.

Then, they will host your episodes for 90 days for free, after which your audio files will be deleted unless you upgrade to a paid plan.

Once you upgrade to the paid plan, you will get more storage and they also host your audio files indefinitely.

Currently, they have three different types of paid plans:

• $12/month (upload 3 hours of content each month)
• $18/month (upload 6 hours of content each month)
• $24/month (upload 12 hours of content each month)

Try out Buzzsprout and get a 30-day free trial now (no credit card required)

Right now, when you sign up with the link below and upgrades to a paid plan once Buzzsprout’s 30-day trial ends, you get a $20 Amazon gift card for free.

Claim your free $20 Amazon gift card here>>

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Podbean Podcast Hosting

Now, what about Podbean podcast hosting?

Which one is better if you compare Buzzsprout with Podbean?

Podbean podcast hosting has been around for over 10 years and it’s trusted by more than 360,000 podcasters

On top of that, many of the biggest companies in the world such as IBM, Stripe, J.P Morgan, and DHL are using Podbean to host their podcasts.

As of today, over 6.9 billion downloads have completed with the help of Podbean

Now, let’s take a look at its features and functionality.

Podbean comes with all the essential features that you need for starting a podcast:

• Easy-to-use dashboard to create, upload and publish a podcast
• Embeddable player
• Podcast statistics
• RSS feed for you to get listed in all the directories
• Podcast website with a custom domain

On top of that, it has some very cool and unique features that Buzzsprout doesn’t have.

For example, Podbean has live audio streaming which allows you to expand your podcast with live audio streaming and engage your audience in new and exciting ways.

With live audio streaming, you not only can take listener calls and get real-time comments, but you can also earn virtual currency from ticket sales and gifts

You can also use Podbean‘s app recorder to record, edit, and publish podcasts right from your phone with the free, easy-to-use Podbean app.

It’s designed to make you sound great, regardless of your skill level.

Recently, Podbean just released a new social media auto-sharing feature. 

So, what does it do?

With this new tool, Podbean can automatically post your new podcast episodes to social networks once you connect them with your Podbean account.

So, I would say that Podbean is a much more robust platform than Buzzsprout for podcast hosting.

What about monetization options?

With Podbean, you can easily monetize your podcast in the following ways:

• Advertising (i.e. it allows you to get advertising revenue regardless of your podcast size. Opt out anytime)
• Sell Premium Content (i.e. it allows you to sell premium audio, video, and PDF content in just a few clicks)
• Patron Program (i.e. it allows you to receive recurring monthly revenue from your podcast fans)

Now, what about security and reliability?

Podbean is built for speed, security, and reliability.

It has a 99.9% uptime guarantee.

Security-wise, it has been security-tested by some of the world’s largest organizations

So, you don’t have to worry about anything and just focus on podcasting.

How much does it cost?

Just like Buzzsprout, Podbean also offers a FREE hosting plan.

Its free hosting plan gives you a total storage of 5 hours of content indefinitely.

Once you upgrade to its paid plans, you will get unlimited storage and unlimited bandwidth.

In term of pricing, Podbean has a few paid plan:

• $9/month if billed annually or $14 monthly (Best for audio)
• $29/month if billed annually or $39 monthly (Best for video podcast & podcast monetization)
• $99/month if billed annually or $129 monthly (Best for podcast networks and business podcast)

Try out Podbean and get a 30-day free trial now. (No credit card required)

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Buzzspout Vs Podbean

So, what do Buzzsprout and Podbean have in common?

Both Buzzsprout and Podbean offer a free podcast hosting plan.

Although their free hosting plan is structured differently, it’s actually more or less the same in essence.

In terms of podcast hosting features, both Buzzspout and Podcast offer all the essential features:

• Easy-to-use dashboard for uploading and distributing your podcast
• RSS feed for you to get listed in all the podcast directories
• Embeddable player
• Podcast statistics and analytics
• Podcast website

So, is there any difference between Buzzsprout and Podbean?

Yes, there are a few key differences.

Features

Podbean provides a lot of pretty cool features that you won’t find on Buzzsprout.

For example, it has a live streaming function and Podbean app audio recorder which Buzzsprout doesn’t have.

On top of that, Podbean offers video podcasting which Buzzsprout does not have currently.

So, if you are planning to live-stream your podcast or go into video podcasting, then Podbean is the obvious choice.

Having said that, Buzzsprout also has some cool features that Podbean does not have.

For example, Buzzsprout has a feature called Magic Mastering.

It uses advanced technology to automatically sweeten audio files and then optimize them to match the industry’s best practices for spoken word or music heavy productions.

Basically, it is like an Instagram filter for your audio.

But, this feature comes at an extra cost of at least $6/month.

Also, Buzzsprout also allows to attach a transcript to any episode within your podcast and then displays the transcript on your Buzzsprout provided public website.

Lastly, let’s compare the different monetization options offered.

Podbean gives you a lot more monetization options than Buzzsprout.

For example, it allows you to sell premium audio content to your listeners.

Also, it allows you to make money with ads inserted into your podcast.

So, in terms of functionality, Podbean is definitely much better than Buzzsprout because you can do so much more on its podcasting platform.

Pricing

Now, let’s compare Buzzsprout and Podbean in terms of pricing.

Buzzsprout only offers a monthly plan while Podbean offers both monthly plans and annual plans. 

For Buzzsprout, the cheapest monthly plan starts from $12/month.

On the other hand, Podbean allows you to get bigger savings with an annual plan ($9/month if billed annually)

More importantly, you get unlimited audio with Podbean, while you only get 3 hours of audio content every month with Buzzsprout’s cheapest plan.

If you exceed the storage limit, you will be looking at an extra charge of $4 per hour.

Which One Is Right For You, Buzzsprout Or Podbean?

So, which one is right for you, Buzzsprout or Podbean?

This depends on your unique podcast hosting needs as well. 

Do you have multiple collaborators?

Are you are planning to host multiple podcast shows?

If you have multiple collaborators or you are planning to host multiple podcast shows, only Podbean’s most expensive plan ($99/month) offers you multiple podcast shows and multiple team members.

On the other hand, all Buzzsprout’s paid plans allow unlimited team members.

So, what is the best affordable podcast hosting for this situation?

I will recommend Buzzsprout if you are planning to host only one podcast show and have multiple team members. 

Right now, when you sign up with the link below and upgrades to a paid plan once Buzzsprout’s 30-day trial ends, you get a $20 Amazon gift card for free.

Claim your free $20 Amazon gift card here>>

But, if you are only planning to host one podcast show and you are hosting this by yourself, then Podbean is the better option because it offers unlimited audio for a cheaper price, a lot more powerful podcasting tools, and a lot more monetization options.

Try out Podbean and get a 30-day free trial now. (No credit card required)