Up until a couple of years ago, Buzzsprout was something of an also-ran, but has seen major growth since 2018 and is now arguably the world’s biggest podcast host.
They share a lot of user-interface DNA with Libsyn, Podbean and similar companies that arose in the early 2000s, but since 2020 have been leading the charge in adoption of standards like the Podcast Index’s podcast
namespace.
The company’s vast educational resources, predictable pricing (including a free tier) and their somewhat silly name position Buzzsprout as a solid service for the hobbyist looking to flex their muscles. Podcasters looking to host their own website will likely want something more flexible than the out-of-the-box solution, but for all their positioning as a casual service for beginners, it has features and support for those ready to take their podcast more seriously, including IAB-certified analytics, dynamic content insertion, transcription, and an attractive embeddable player.
LibSyn is almost literally the first name in podcast hosting. They provide a rock-solid infrastructure and every possible feature you would expect from a mature platform. They have a huge user-base and run regular community events, many of whom are experienced podcasters who rely on LibSyn to run reliably.
LibSyn differs from most hosts in that it provides different RSS feeds for different apps and directories (as it calls them “destinations”) which is perhaps unnecessarily confusing, however when new directories and markets are opened up, LibSyn is almost always first in-line to adopt them.
The company is conservative in its development, often taking multiple years to roll out interface updates. This has meant they’ve fallen behind modern hosts whose designers and developers value user experience, however they offer support via email and they’ve been around for so long and have so many customers, that answers to most questions can probably be found in Facebook groups and Reddit threads.
Buzzsprout has the best price for this plan. They also offer the ability to host more podcasts. They also offer more storage at this tier. They also offer IAB-certified stats, whereas LibSyn doesn't. However, you can upload more episodes with LibSyn. They will also autopost your episodes to YouTube.
Buzzsprout | LibSyn | |
---|---|---|
Price | $12.00 per month | $15.00 per month |
Number of podcasts | Unlimited | 1 |
Episodes | 4 per month | Unlimited |
Downloads | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Storage | Unlimited | 250 mb |
Podcast website included | ||
Use your own domain | ||
IAB certified metrics | ||
Republish to YouTube | ||
Podcast network support |
Buzzsprout has the best price for this plan. They also offer the ability to host more podcasts. They also offer more storage at this tier. They also offer IAB-certified stats, whereas LibSyn doesn't. However, you can upload more episodes with LibSyn. They will also autopost your episodes to YouTube.
Buzzsprout | LibSyn | |
---|---|---|
Price | $18.00 per month | $20.00 per month |
Number of podcasts | Unlimited | 1 |
Episodes | 8 per month | Unlimited |
Downloads | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Storage | Unlimited | 400 mb |
Podcast website included | ||
Use your own domain | ||
IAB certified metrics | ||
Republish to YouTube | ||
Podcast network support |
Buzzsprout has the best price for this plan. They also offer the ability to host more podcasts. They also offer more storage at this tier. However, you can upload more episodes with LibSyn. They will also autopost your episodes to YouTube.
Buzzsprout | LibSyn | |
---|---|---|
Price | $24.00 per month | $40.00 per month |
Number of podcasts | Unlimited | 1 |
Episodes | 16 per month | Unlimited |
Downloads | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Storage | Unlimited | 800 mb |
Podcast website included | ||
Use your own domain | ||
IAB certified metrics | ||
Republish to YouTube | ||
Podcast network support |
Buzzsprout's user interface is a bit nicer than LibSyn. Buzzsprout allows for Podcasting 2.0 transcripts. Buzzsprout attempt to protect against feeds being imported into other providers without your consent. Buzzsprout allows you to designate portions of your episodes that can used to create audiograms in apps like Headliner. Buzzsprout works with apps that support Bitcoin donations.
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