Buzzsprout vs Podbean: Which Podcast Hosting To Choose?

Last Updated: October 13, 2020

So, you want to start podcasting or have an awesome podcast, but you’re wondering where to host it between Buzzsprout and Podbean.  

Congrats, you’ve come to the right article.

Picking the right podcast hosting platform isn’t all that easy. There are so many options but the two best and well-known are PodBean and Buzzsprout and it can be difficult to decide which one to go with.

Don’t worry! In this post, I’m going to compare Buzzsprout vs Podbean in terms of:

• Ease of Use
• Features
• Directories & Apps
• Monetization
• Pricing

Before going to dig deeper, let’s talk about the main differences first.

Buzzsprout vs Podbean: What’s The Difference?

Buzzsprout is extremely easy to use but doesn’t support unlimited podcast hosting, and its prices range from $12 to $24 per month. Podbean is not quite as intuitive for beginners but supports both audio and video podcasts with unlimited podcast hosting, and its monthly price plans range from $14 to $129.

Both offers a free plan with some limitations but you’ll have better understanding of which is better for you and can test out fully before choosing.

• Try Buzzsprout Free
• Try Podbean Free

However, I’ve set up this list comparing the main features, pricing, ease of use, and more to make it slightly easier for you to find the right one quickly.

Now let’s dive into the in-depth review to find out the absolute best one for your podcasting needs.

Ease of Use

When choosing a podcast hosting platform, ease of use is definitely one of the most important factors for the majority of users.

Let’s see how Buzzsprout and Podbean stacks-up in terms of ease of use.

Buzzsprout – Ease of Use

Buzzsprout is extremely easy to use and has a very clean interface which makes it the perfect platform for beginners to host their podcasts in a matter of minutes.

I think currently not any podcast hosting platform can beat Buzzsprout in terms of ease of use. It’s kind of notorious for being easy to use.

To host a podcast, all you need to create a free Buzzsprout account, do basic settings like adding the title, description, author, thumbnail/artwork, category of your podcasts, and once that’s done, you can easily upload your first episode.

For each episode, you’ve to simply fill out basic info such as episode title, description, summary, artist name, episode thumbnail or artwork, etc.

Check out this short video highlighting how easy Buzzsprout is to use:

Podbean – Ease of Use

Podbean is also easy to use the platform but it isn’t as easy to use as Buzzsprout and the interface is also not as user-friendly as Buzzsprout, but it’s still pretty good.

To start publishing podcasts on Podbean, all you need to create a free Podbean account, do basic settings (under the Podcast Dashboard Setting tab) to set up your podcast and publish your first episode.

Take a look at this video to get an idea of how’s the interface of Podbean and how you can publish your podcast.

Buzzsprout vs Podbean – Ease of Use: The Verdict

Buzzsprout wins for ease of use plus it has a better and cleaner interface than Podbean. 

Let me share my experience with you, so a few months before writing this review, I started using both platforms at the same time to test out each platform.

To be honest, I used to Buzzsprout within a few hours, whereas Podbean took me much more time than Buzzsprout to get familiar with it.

So, if you’re looking for a beginner-friendly podcast hosting platform then I highly recommend you go with Buzzsprout.

Features

Features are a crucial aspect to consider when choosing a podcast hosting platform because the more helpful features the platform offers, the more opportunities we’ll have to set up a successful podcast.

Both platforms provide the features you need to build an effective podcast but since you’ve to choose one, it comes down to your specific needs to set up a podcast.

Let’s compare Buzzsprout and Podbean in terms of features, so you can choose the right one based on your podcast needs.

Buzzsprout Features

• Magic Mastering
• Audio Transcriptions
• Chapter Markers
• Automatic Episode Optimization
• Customize Podcast Player & Embed
• Monetization
• Create & Manage Multiple Podcasts
• Unlimited Team Members
• Visual Soundbite
• Podcast Website
• Podcast Statistics
• Move To Another Host

Now let me explain each feature in detail.

Magic Mastering

Magic Mastering helps in making the quality of your audio files clear and correctly leveled automatically. 

All you have to do is to add this feature to your Buzzsprout plan and whenever you upload a new podcast episode, it will improve the overall quality of your audio to match the industry best practices for music heavy productions or spoken word.

Image Credits: Buzzsprout

Audio Transcriptions

Buzzsprout allows you to transcribe your episode to make your podcast more accessible to search engines (SEO), speed-readers, and the hearing impaired.

Image Credits: Buzzsprout

Chapter Markers

You can easily create chapter markers inside Buzzsprout, it allows your podcast listeners to jump to navigate to their favorite segments or skip spoilers they don’t want to hear.

Image Credits: Buzzsprout

Automatic Episode Optimization

Just upload your audio file, and Buzzsprout will automatically optimize the uploaded audio file types, ID3 tags, or bitrates.

Customize Podcast Player & Embed 

Buzzsprout lets you customize your audio podcast players to match the colors and look of your website.

To customize the players just follow the steps below.

1. Go to the Players sections from your account.
2. Click the Customize Your Players button.

From there, you can easily customize the podcast player that you can embed on your website.

Once you customize your podcast player, you can simply copy the code from the Player section in your account and paste it on your website.

Monetization

Buzzsprout allows you to monetize your podcast so you can make money from it. (more details below)

Create & Manage Multiple Podcasts

Have a great idea for a second, third, fourth, or even more podcast? Well, you can easily create an entirely new podcast and manage all your podcasts under one account. 

Each podcast will have its own episodes, allowance of hours, billing plan, and RSS feed.

Unlimited Team Members

What makes Buzzsprout apart from other podcast hosting platforms is that you can add unlimited team members, no matter which Buzzsprout plan you choose. 

When adding a team member, you can give a role to your team members as an Editor of your podcast (limited access) or an Admin (full access) of your podcast.

It’s a time-saving feature if you’re working with team members on your podcasts or have someone to manage your podcast.

Visual Soundbite

Once you publish an episode to your podcast, you’ll definitely share your podcast episode on social media accounts. 

So before sharing, create a Visual Soundbite that matches your brand because it makes your podcast episode more engageable and generates more clicks on social media.

Podcast Website

Buzzsprout offers you a podcast website. It’s a single page where anyone can see your podcast episode, social media, and directory links.

Your Buzzsprout podcast website is going to look something like this:

You can do limited customization of your podcast websites such as changing the colors or background, adding social media accounts and directories links.

Apart from that, you can either choose a default web address like “ www.buzzsprout.com/123456 “ or you can add your own domain “www.mydomain.com”.

Please keep in mind that you’ll need a website for your podcast. However, if you already have one then you don’t need a podcast website from Buzzsprout. 

Podcast Statistics

Get advanced statistics of your podcast to track your progress. You can see stats like your total episode downloads over time, listener location, apps/devices used, top apps, popular episodes, and more.

Image Credits: Buzzsprout

For more details, watch this video.

Move To Another Host

If you’ve hosted many podcast episodes and maybe at any point, you think that Buzzsprout isn’t a good option for you, don’t worry because you can simply move to another podcast host.

Podbean Features

• Live Streaming
• Customize Podcast Player & Embed
• Podcast Website & Themes
• Monetization
• Podcast Statistics
• Video Podcast Support
• Multiple Podcasts & Team (Business Plan Only)
• Move To Another Host

Let’s discuss each feature in detail.

Live Streaming

Most podcast hosting platforms don’t have live streaming functionality but Podbean allows podcasters to easily host a live podcast. 

You can invite multiple co-hosts, guests, and callers to join the live stream and be a part of your show which then you can publish the live stream as a podcast episode.

It also has built-in interactivity so you get real-time messages, feedback from your audience, and also monetization (virtual gifts from your fans) options.

Customize Podcast Player & Embed

Podbean also allows you to customize your podcast player and embed your podcast episodes on your websites.

Once you customize the player, copy the embed code of your podcast episodes, and paste that HTML code to any website to embed.

Podcast Website & Themes

Podbean also includes a free website that you can customize. However, it offers a variety of premium themes to choose from with professional layouts that you can customize to fit your needs.

You can choose and customize the premium themes for your Podbean podcast website only when you’re on their paid plans. Keep in mind, the customization options depend on the plan you choose.

Monetization

Podbean also allows you to monetize your podcast either with podcast advertising, offers premium content and get paid, and adds a patron page (crowdfunding page) so your listener can support you voluntarily (more details on Podbean monetization below).

Podcast Statistics

Podbean provides you comprehensive statistics of your podcasts so you can understand how your podcast is performing. 

You can see downloads for all your episodes, where your audience comes from, user interaction, most popular episodes, sources of episode downloads, daily listeners, and more.

Video Podcast Support

Podbean supports both audio and video podcasts with unlimited storage and bandwidth. However, video podcasting is supported only with Podbean Unlimited Plus and Business plan (more on pricing and plans later).

Multiple Podcasts & Adding Team Members (Business Plan Only)

Podbean lets you set up multiple podcast channels so you can manage multiple podcasts under one account.

Also,  you can add unlimited team members to your podcasts and set different roles of each member such as owner, admin, author.

Move To Another Host

You can also move your Podbean podcasts to other hosts through your Podbean RSS feed or another host may ask for the email & password of your Podbean account to migrate from Podbean to their platform.

Buzzsprout vs Podbean – Features: The Verdict

When it comes to features, the winner depends on your specific needs.

If features like audio transcriptions, chapter markers, adding unlimited team members, visual soundbite, magic mastering, create multiple podcasts under one account are important for you then Buzzsprout is the winner for you.

On the other side, if video podcast support, unlimited audio hosting, live streaming, podcast website themes, premium content monetization method, adding and creating multiple podcasts are more important features for you then Podcast is the clear winner for you.

Directories & Apps

Since you’re starting a podcast so you’ll definitely host your podcast episodes on other online directories such as Apple Podcast, Spotify, etc. to expand your podcasts reach.

Let’s take a look at where Buzzsprout and Podbean stand in terms of available directories for each.

Buzzsprout Directories & Apps

Buzzsprout supports many popular podcast directories to help people find and listen to your podcast in their favorite app.

Here are the directories Buzzsprout supports:

In total, Buzzsprout supports 12 of the most popular podcast directories.

Podbean Directories & Apps

Podbean also lets you submit your podcast to the most popular directories. Both Buzzsprout and Podbean support many common directories except these two:

• Podcast Addict 
• Podchaser

However, Podbean has an app for both iOS & Android whereas Buzzsprout doesn’t.

Buzzsprout vs Podbean: Directories & Apps – The Verdict

In terms of directories, Buzzsprout easily beats Podbean because it offers you more online directories to submit your podcast and help people find your podcast.

However, Podbean offers you a mobile app for both Android and iOS to help you listen to any podcast episode anywhere so in terms of that Podbean is the winner for you.

Monetization

At the end of the day, we all want to make money for the effort we’re putting in, whether it’s a podcast, a blog, or anything else.

We’ve already discussed that both Buzzsprout and Podbean allow you to monetize your podcasts, but both let you monetize in different ways.

So let’s talk about the monetization options that both platforms offer you.

Buzzsprout Monetization

There are many ways to monetize your podcast but Buzzsprout lets you monetize your podcast in three ways.

1. Sponsors

Add sponsors of your podcast if you already have and add them to your episodes or find sponsors with Podcorn.

2. Buzzsprout Affiliate

If you truly believe that Buzzsprout may be the perfect option for your podcast listeners, then you can promote it and if anyone signs up to any of their paid plans with your affiliate link, you’ll earn $25 per referral.

Also, there are some marketplaces that you can promote or add custom brands as well.

However, after reading this guide and decided to choose Buzzsprout, you can sign up with my Buzzsprout affiliate link to support me.

3. Add Support Link

You can add support links such as your Patreon, PayPal, Buy Me a Coffee, or any other support link to your podcast players, so your podcast fan/listener can support you. 

Podbean Monetization

Like Buzzsprout, Podbean also offers you three methods to monetize your podcast.

1.  Podcast Advertising

Podbean offers you an Ad Marketplace which you’ve to join and list your podcast there so the top brands around the world may sponsor your podcasts. 

Advertising your podcast is one of the common monetization methods but if you’re just starting a podcast then it isn’t the easiest way to start making money off of because you need a decent-sized audience to get companies to be willing to spend on your podcast.

However, if you’re thinking how much can I earn through sponsorship on my podcast? See the image below to get an idea or calculate Podbean advertisement earnings from here.

2. Premium Content

Podbean allows you to sell premium content to your listeners and get paid from the paid members.

You can pick which content to monetize, set your own prices, and either sell subscription-based content or individual episodes.

3. Patron

Another way to monetize your Podbean podcasts is known as Patron. It’s a crowdfunding page where your listener can support you voluntarily directly from your podcast.

They can set (pledge) an amount per month, for example, $5, $10, or more per month and you’ll receive recurring funding as long as the listener supports you.

Buzzsprout vs Podbean: Monetization – The Verdict

Both offer you three great monetization ways like podcast advertisements, crowdfunding support, affiliate marketplace, and premium content monetization to monetize your podcast.

However, Podbean wins this round because of the premium content monetization method.

Pricing

When choosing a podcast hosting platform, it’s important to know about how much that podcast hosting platform is going to cost you in terms of both money and opportunities.

So let’s talk about the pricing and what you’ll get in each plan.

Buzzsprout Pricing

Buzzsprout offers three pricing plans:

• $12 per month for 3 hours of upload time and cost $4 per hour for more content.
• $18 per month for 6 hours of upload time and cost $3 per hour for more content.
• $24 per month for 12 hours of upload time and cost $2 per hour for more content.

Each plan offers Magic Mastering functionality as well, which costs an extra between $6 to $12 depending on the plan you choose.

However, Buzzsprout offers you a free plan as well in which you get up to 2 hours of upload time for free each month but your episodes and content will be removed after 90 days if you didn’t upgrade your plan.

There will be limitations in the free plan but 90 days are enough to test out Buzzsprout and within that period you can easily decide whether Buzzsprout is the right podcast hosting for you or not.

Now let’s talk about what you’ll get with each plan.

No matter which Buzzsprout plan you choose, you’ll get all the features I shared with you above, the only difference with each plan is that you get extra hours of upload time + cheaper additional hours for more content if you choose the higher plans.

Podbean Pricing

Podbean offers three pricing plans:

• Podbean Unlimited Audio: $9 per month if billed annually or $14 monthly.
• Podbean Unlimited Plus: $29 per month if billed annually or $39 monthly.
• Podbean Unlimited Audio: $99 per month if billed annually or $129 monthly.

Like Buzzsprout, Podbean also offers you a free plan in which you get 5 hours of upload time each month and this plan is free forever but since it’s free, there will be limitations.

So now it’s time to discuss what features you’ll get in each plan.

Buzzsprout vs Podbean: Pricing – The Verdict

Since Buzzsprout’s monthly price plans range from $12 to $24 per month whereas Podbean’s monthly price plans range from $14 to $129 per month.

So, if you want to host less than 12 hours of the audio podcast each month with all the features and functionality than Buzzsprout is absolutely the best and cheaper option for you.

On the other hand, Podbean is much cheaper than Buzzsprout for audio podcasting plus offers you unlimited storage to host your podcasts. However, you’ll not get all the features with the Podbean Audio plan.

So if you’re looking for a cheaper audio podcast with many features hosting then Podbean is the right option for you.

Conclusion

Buzzsprout and Podbean both are widely used podcast hosting platforms. But since you need to choose one, it comes down to your specific needs and the purpose of your podcasts.

I hope after reading this detailed guide you can easily find out which one is better for you when deciding between Buzzsprout vs Podbean.

However, if you’re still undecided then here’s a quick recap of what you’ll need to know to choose the right one.

You Should Choose Buzzsprout If:

• You’re looking for a super easy and beginner-friendly podcast hosting platform with a clean interface.
• You want to add chapter markers or visual soundbites to your podcast episodes.
• You’re looking for more directories options to submit your podcast.
• You have a team and want to add unlimited team members to manage your podcasts.
• You need a Magic Mastering service to improve the quality of your podcast episodes.
• You want to transcribe your podcast episodes directly from Buzzsprout (an additional cost of $0.25 per minute).

You Should Choose Podbean If:

• You’re looking for unlimited storage to host your podcasts.
• You’ve to do live streaming.
• You’re looking for a cheap audio podcast hosting solution.
• You need better monetization methods to monetize your podcasts.
• You want to listen to Podbean podcasts on your mobile phones.
• You need video podcast support.
• You want premium themes for your Podbean podcast website.
• You want to add team unlimited team members and create multiple podcasts, and budget isn’t an issue for you because these two functionalities are available in the Podbean Business plan ($99 per month if choosing annually or $129 per month).

I hope this Podbean vs Buzzsprout comparison helped you make the right decision for your podcasts.

If you still have any questions about picking between Buzzsprout and Podbean for your podcasting needs? Let me know in the comments section below!