Podcast Host Comparison: Buzzsprout vs. Libsyn vs. Spreaker

As the competition in the podcast hosting space continues to grow, several of the veteran platforms remain top options with competitive pricing, commitments to innovation, and extensive add-on features. If you are looking for a platform to start hosting with or considering switching over, you have probably encountered Buzzsprout, Libysn, and Spreaker in your search. How are the three platforms similar and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Let this extensive podcast host review guide you and hopefully help find you find the hosting platform that best suits your needs. 

Podcast Hosting Plan Options and Pricing

Most searches for a new hosting plan will start with pricing and storage options. Libysn and Buzzsprout have very similar plan options, structured based on the amount of audio you can upload per month. Buzzsprout has the advantage of offering a free podcast hosting plan, which caps you at two hours of audio per month. Their next plans are $12 per month, $18 per month, and $24 per month, offering 3, 6, or 12 hours of uploads per month respectively. In all options, audio is stored indefinitely and you have the option to upload more content at an hourly rate. 

Libsyn’s plans are by MB rather than hours of audio, starting at $5 per month for 50 MB of audio, then $15 per month for 250 MB, $20 per month for 400 MB, and $40 per month for 800 MB. If you are a new podcaster, you are certainly asking how much storage capacity you would actually need and how big a single podcast file might be. While sizes will vary, a general rule of thumb is that the average hour-long audio podcast is about 25 MB. Because audio file sizes vary, it is hard to give one platform an edge over the other. 

Spreaker, however, structures its plans based on total audio storage rather than a monthly limit. The $6 per month On-Air Talent plan allows for 100-hours of storage, the Broadcaster plan, priced at $18 per month, increases to 500-hours of storage, and the Anchorman plan allows for 1,500 hours of storage. These pricing options are appealing if you are transferring over an existing library of audio files or if you are planning to release episodes less frequently or only for a single season. In fact, if that is your situation it means you will be less likely to overspend if you are using Spreaker compared to other options. For podcasters with bigger ambitions or enterprise clients, there is also the unlimited Publisher plan at $120 per month. Spreaker also offers a free plan which allows for five total hours of uploads, which would be a great place to start if you are not sure you are ready to commit to a paid hosting plan. 

All three platforms allow you to add extra storage as you go, and offer larger options for enterprise clients. The most important consideration to make is how much storage space you need both monthly and as a whole. If you know you will not need more than 100 or 500 total hours of storage, Spreaker is a great option that will likely end up being less expensive. However, if you are not sure, Libsyn and Buzzsprout are both great providers with competitive pricing.

Spreaker Review and Features

Spreaker has a nice balance of simplicity and power, combining some of the best features offered by Buzzsprout and Libsyn, and leads the pack in several areas as well. You will immediately notice Spreaker’s clean, simple to navigate design and the ease of use when it comes to publishing is on par with Buzzsprout. Where Spreaker excels above the pack is in innovation and modern features, as the company continues to rapidly update its offerings to meet modern needs. One example is the ability to host live podcasts, which can be streamed directly through a Spreaker platform and then distributed to other podcasting apps. They also offer a podcast recording app, Speaker Studio, which would be a nice benefit for a new podcaster who is less experienced with editing. 

Spreaker has also found a niche appealing to professional podcasters with straightforward monetization tools, as well as features like the ability to host multiple podcasts on the same account. Monetization is another area where Spreaker is pushing the boundaries and providing modern features. For example, they have integrated programmatic advertising, easy dynamic ad insertion, and other tools that make monetizing easy for podcasters of all sizes. Spreaker also offers podcasters a way to grow their audience with their AdHub. Podcasters can upload an audio ad — for example, promoting their show — and then specify both a budget and target audience and then it will be dynamically inserted as an additional promotional method.

When looking at a list of features offered by Spreaker, you may notice that a few common offerings are missing, but in many cases that will not be a disadvantage. For example, Spreaker does not offer podcast websites (Buzzsprout, Libsyn and some other hosts do), but not all users will need that feature and frankly, making a website with Squarespace, Wix or WordPress is usually a better option. Ultimately, in our opinion, nothing essential is missing. If you evaluate what your key needs are, and decide which features offered will actually be useful for you, we are fairly certain that all of your top needs, and more, are going to be met with Spreaker. 

Spreaker has great support, and provides lots of resources for their network of podcasters, including tools and articles on how to start a podcast, how to monetize, and how to understand your analytics. They also like to prominently feature podcasts that use their services, which could give your show a nice boost. 

Buzzsprout Review and Features

Buzzsprout prides itself on being intuitive, straightforward, and long-term contract-free (meaning only monthly plans are available). Their platform makes it incredibly easy to transfer over files from another hosting provider.

One of Buzzsprout’s recent releases is Magic Mastering, which was first announced in May 2020. The company describes it as an Instagram filter for your audio, again putting an effort into making their platform one of the easiest to use for podcasters of all skill levels. While some people may prefer to do their own touch-ups, it is a nice option have especially for podcasters that do not work with an editor or want to spend time mastering. The extra option can be added to all of Buzzsprout’s paid plans. 

Other features that are unique to Buzzsprout or less common include the option to automatically get uploads transcribed, and a Dynamic Content tool that can help with adding pre-roll or post-roll segments. The Dynamic Content tool is especially helpful as it allows you to automatically add a pre-roll message such as an ad, announcement, or show update to all of your past episodes with a single click. 

Buzzsprout also offers many of the key features that have now become standard in the podcast hosting space. This includes detailed podcast statistics, easy-to-create podcast websites, custom embed players, and monetization options integrated into the platform. 

Related reading: Buzzsprout podcast host review

One benefit of using a platform like Buzzsprout (or Spreaker and to an extent Libsyn) is that their network is large, support is quick and helpful and options for enterprise or professional podcasters are extensive. Although other plans may be slightly less expensive, Buzzsprout does a good job of getting you your money’s worth without taking any shortcuts or short-changing users with their features. Although many of Buzzsprout’s key features are aimed at new podcasters or early-stage podcasts with simplified actions and automated add-ons, they are a great bet for professionals as well. 

Libsyn Review and Features

If Buzzsprout and Spreaker excel at making things modern and automated, Libsyn excels at offering powerful, robust features. While they certainly are a top option for enterprise-level producers, their long list of features and capabilities will also be helpful for podcasting newbies as well. 

Libsyn offers some of the most complete and comprehensive statistics available, with the ability to review stats from specific date ranges, stats related to social media engagement, location-specific stats, and more. They have also integrated the option to easily download statistics for quick marketing reports or other analysis. 

The platform and their publishing formats are extremely customizable, with the ability to seamlessly schedule episodes to be released at a later time, set episode expiration dates, or limit who a released episode is available to. While some of these features will not be useful for all podcasters, having the ability to several of these things just in case is a nice perk. 

In addition to the competitively priced Enterprise plans, Libsyn also excels in the professional market because of its monetization features. The platform provides users at certain tier levels with dynamic ad insertion, as well as ad management tools and stats. There is also the MyLibsyn service, which is similar to Patreon or another paywall platform, allowing you to set up premium content that listeners can subscribe to through the Libysn app.

Are There Any Standout Disadvantages?

All three platforms have been in the podcast hosting market for over a decade, and as a result they all have the basic features on lock, with helpful support and an array of features for podcasts of all sizes. If you are just looking for a reliable way to get your podcast on as many platforms as possible, you cannot go wrong with any of the three. 

With that, you will certainly notice that Spreaker and Buzzsprout have a much more modern interface than Libsyn and although Libsyn has a lot of features, it tends to be less intuitive. Do not think that just because Spreaker and Buzzsprout feature simplified design and emphasize their ease equates to key features or a lack of functionality. In fact, it is just the opposite. In almost all regards, Spreaker and Buzzsprout’s simplicity is an advantage. 

Although Spreaker has some areas where it is different or takes a different approach than it’s competition, transitioning to the platform is very easy and we truly feel that a lot of the choices they are making are better for many, if not all, users. Take for example their pricing structure. While at first it will stand out as different, it is actually much more intuitive than a monthly cap and gives you more freedom, more transparency and more bang for your buck. 

So, Which Podcast Host Should You Choose?

In the battle between Buzzsprout, Libsyn, and Spreaker the first thing to consider is pricing. Buzzsprout and Libsyn have similar enough plans that it really just comes down to which way of thinking about the cost you prefer. On Spreaker, you will have to take into consideration if you will max out the lower-priced 100 or 500-hour audio storage plan. While some podcast hosts may see 500+ episodes in their future, in most cases 500 hours of storage will be more than enough. If you only see yourself releasing a short episode or two a month, the Spreaker On-Air Talent plan at $6 per month is probably the most cost effective of all three platforms. 

Next, evaluate which features you will actually use. Assume that the statistics and RSS and distribution options available on all three will be substantial, and consider what would then become the most important features for you. Perhaps you are eager to monetize and like the idea of live podcasting. In that case, Spreaker may be the right tool for you. 

Ultimately, there are very few cons with all three of these options and the choice really becomes about which platform is best for you. All three strive to appeal to users of all skill levels and storage needs and have the features and range of plans to prove it. Most importantly, they all also offer flexible plans and have simplified the process of moving content over to their platforms if you change your mind after committing to a different service. Instead of thinking of choosing a podcast host as a stressful choice you have to make, instead let it be an exciting chance to choose between several great options all eager to welcome you into their podcasting communities. 

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