saasrankedSoftware, ranked on the facts

podcast host · Podbean

Podbean

Podcast host with a free plan, unlimited storage and bandwidth on paid plans, and monthly upload allowances.

77/100

#1 of 10 podcast hosts
Facts checked 9 Oct 2026

In short

Podbean suits creators who want a free start and a low-cost paid plan with unmetered bandwidth1,4. It documents importing a show, a 301 redirect out and API access7,8,9. The catch: the cheapest paid plan covers one channel and caps uploads at 16 hours of audio a month, and private podcasts need the $99 Business plan1.

Best for: Creators who want a free start, a low paid tier and a clear way to leave.

Where the points come from

Hosting limits10 of 20
Publishing27 of 28
Ads and stats13 of 13
Your data15 of 21
Price12 of 18

Hosting limits 10 of 20 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Unlimited episodesYesUnlimited Audio lists unlimited storage; no total storage limit shown for it1.4 / 4
No monthly upload capNoUnlimited Audio allows 1GB (16 hours of audio) of uploads a month1.0 / 6
No download capYesUnlimited Audio lists unmetered bandwidth1.6 / 6
More than one showNoUnlimited Audio covers 1 channel1.0 / 4

Publishing 27 of 28 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Directory submission guidesApple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon MusicHelp pages guide Apple Podcasts and one-click Spotify submission; features page names Amazon Music for distribution. YouTube Music is not named3,5,6.3 / 4
Private podcastsYesOnly the Business plan lists private podcast hosting, with 100 private members1,14.6 / 6
Video podcastsYesUnlimited Plus and above host audio or video; help page covers auto-sharing episodes to YouTube1,10.4 / 4
Automatic transcriptsYesAI Content Assistant makes transcripts at 300 credits per hour of audio; Unlimited Audio includes 600 credits a month1,11,13.3 / 3
Team membersYesNetwork includes 50 team members and Business unlimited1.4 / 4
Public APIYesPublic API docs cover publishing a new episode with a developer account9.3 / 3
Show website and playerYesPaid plans list a professional website and a customisable player1.4 / 4

Ads and stats 13 of 13 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Dynamic ad insertionYesDynamic ad insertion is billed at $1 per thousand impressions, and is free on Network1,15.7 / 7
IAB-certified downloadsYesHome page describes IAB-certified podcast analytics and shows an IAB Tech Lab Certified badge2.6 / 6

Your data 15 of 21 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Import from another hostYesImport tool takes an RSS feed URL and copies episodes; needs Unlimited Audio or higher7.7 / 7
Redirect when you leaveYesAdvanced Feed Settings has a 'Redirect to a New Feed' field that sets a 301 to the new host8.8 / 8
Download your filesNot publishedNot published on the vendor's help pages; only a generated-video download is described12.0 / 6

Price 12 of 18 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Free plan that publishesYesFree account with a public feed of up to 20 episodes and 100GB monthly bandwidth; the Apple Podcasts guide lists no plan limit4,5.8 / 8
Cheapest paid plan$12/moUnlimited Audio, $12 a month on annual billing ($17 month to month)1.4 / 10

The rule behind each line: how we score podcast hosts.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

PlanPrice as listedPer monthNotes
FreeFree accountFree4$05 hours (500MB) total storage and a 20-episode feed
Unlimited Audio1 channel$12/month billed yearly ($17 monthly)1$12Unlimited storage, unmetered bandwidth, 1GB (16 hours) uploads a month
Unlimited Plus2 channels$29/month billed yearly ($39 monthly)1$29Audio or video; 10GB uploads a month
NetworkUnlimited channels$79/month billed yearly ($99 monthly)1$7950 team members; 40GB uploads a month; 3TB bandwidth
BusinessUnlimited private plus 2 public podcasts$99/month billed yearly ($129 monthly)1$99Unlimited team members; 100 private members

Yearly prices are the per-month figures shown for annual billing; monthly billing costs more1.

Strengths

  • Unlimited Audio has unlimited storage and unmetered bandwidth1.
  • A 301 redirect field in Advanced Feed Settings sends listeners to a new host8.
  • Free import from a previous host is on every paid plan1,7.
  • Public API docs cover publishing new episodes9.
  • Podbean says its analytics are IAB certified2.

Limits

  • Unlimited Audio caps uploads at 1GB (16 hours of audio) a month1.
  • Unlimited Audio covers one channel; two channels start on the $29 plan1.
  • Private podcasts are listed only on the Business plan, $99 a month billed yearly1.
  • Dynamic ad insertion costs $1 per thousand plays on most plans1.
  • One-click Spotify submission is for paid users only6.

What Podbean says

Vendor claims. We show them, but they earn no points.

  • Podbean says its podcast analytics are IAB certified2.

Other podcast hosts

  1. 2
    CastosCreators who want no caps and a WordPress-friendly host
    77/100
    $15.83/mocheapest paid plan
  2. 3
    RSS.comCreators who want a free start and AI transcripts included
    72/100
    $15/mocheapest paid plan
  3. 4
    AcastCreators who want free hosting or plan to sell ads through the host's marketplace
    67/100
    $14.99/mocheapest paid plan
  4. 5
    PodigeeCreators who want video, private feeds and ad insertion in one host
    65/100
    $19.58/mocheapest paid plan

Podbean vs Castos · Podbean vs RSS.com · All 10 podcast hosts

Sources

  1. Podcast hosting pricing, Podbean. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  2. Podbean home page, Podbean. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  3. Podcast hosting features, Podbean. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  4. Basic Free Plan Features, Podbean Help. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  5. Submit Podcast to Apple Podcasts, Podbean Help. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  6. Submitting Your Audio Podcast to Spotify, Podbean Help. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  7. How to Move Your Existing Podcast to Podbean, Podbean Help. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  8. Moving to a New Host?, Podbean Help. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  9. Publishing a New Podcast Episode via Podbean API, Podbean Help. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  10. How to Share Your Video Podcast to YouTube, Podbean Help. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  11. Podbean AI Credits, Podbean Help. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  12. Podbean Help solutions index, Podbean Help. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  13. Podbean AI Content Assistant, Podbean Help. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  14. Setting Up a Private Podcast, Podbean Help. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  15. How Billing Works for Dynamic Ad Insertion, Podbean Help. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.

Website: www.podbean.com · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Podbean.