Podbean vs Buzzsprout – Which One Should You Go For?

We understand it can be difficult to pick the best podcast hosting platform especially if you are new to this industry. 

If you are an online course creator that wants to start a podcasting channel, we highly recommend Podbean and Buzzsprout.

Read this article carefully to understand which podcast host is the best for your needs. 

Features	Podbean	Buzzsprout
Monetization	4.8 out of 5 stars	4.8  out of 5 stars
Directories	4.7 out of 5 stars	4.6  out of 5 stars
Ease of Use	4  out of 5 stars	4.8  out of 5 stars

Read this article carefully, it will help you understand the key differences between Podbean and Buzzsprout features. 

Podbean Review – Versatile and Affordable 

Podbean currently has over 300,000 active users from across the globe with over 10 years of experience in the podcast industry. 

They offer innovative features that help you monetize your content and engage with your podcast listeners through various platforms. 

Let’s discuss some of the key features of Podbean. 

Features of Podbean

• Unlimited storage 
• Allows you to host a live podcast
• You can transfer podcasts through Podbean RSS feed to other podcast hosts
• 128 kbps of stereo bit rate 
• Free plan users can post up to 3 episodes per day 
• They provide you with advanced statistics for each podcast episode 
• Allows you to post images in .jpg and .png formats

Pros	Cons
• Offers integration with multiple podcast channels  • Compatible for business and private podcasting • Has a free version •  Unlimited bandwidth • Gives you access to the top podcast directories • Offers an affiliate marketplace • Unlimited storage space	• Difficult to use for new podcasters • Does not allow you to add team members for free

Benefits of Podbean

Monetization 

Podbean allows online course creators to host podcasts and monetize their episodes. This hosting service will help you find sponsors, affiliates, and add advertisements to each episode.

Live Stream 

It is crucial to engage with your podcast listeners once in a while. Podbean allows you to host live podcasts so that you can interact with your users. 

You can engage with your customers and inform them about the new courses you are planning to offer. 

Statistics

Through Podbean you can download statistics for each podcast that you upload. By analyzing the stats, you can identify the demand for a course and identify future prospects.

 This will also help you identify which strategies work best or what you need to do to improve your business. 

Factors to Consider Before you Decide to Buy Podbean

Price

You can choose between three pricing plans:

1. Podbean Unlimited Audio

These basic plans start from $9 per month. However, if you purchase the annual package, it will cost you $14 per month.

2. Podbean Unlimited Plus

This paid service starts from $29 per month and costs $39 if you choose to get billed annually. 

3. Podbean Unlimited Audio

This package starts from $99 a month. Their monthly subscription will cost you $129 monthly. 

Monetization

Podbean allows you to monetize your podcast episodes through advertising, subscriptions, and crowdfunding pages. 

This means you can continue to generate revenue without any inconvenience. 

You can even include advertisements through the listener location and podcast genre. 

Directories

You can share your content on other podcast websites through Podbean directories. Podbean has over 12 directories that can help you increase your business efficiently. 

Ease of Use

In our opinion, Podbean is difficult to use, especially if you are new to the podcast industry. As your first podcast host, it could take you some time to get used to its features.  

Features

Podbean’s advanced features allow you to create a podcast website, share your content, and monetize at the same time. 

What Do the Customers Think?

After a thorough customer analysis, we were able to conclude that customers are quite satisfied with Podbean. 

Since users can choose from a variety of price plans, they can manage their budgets by choosing a package that suits their business needs. 

Moreover, customers claim that Podbean has helped their business grow. Once they create a new podcast they can choose a monetization feature so they can maximize profits.

Podbean allows you to post on other hosting platforms, podcasters have been able to reach out to a greater audience. This has helped them increase traffic and recognition for their businesses. 

Furthermore, Podbean’s statistical analysis feature has allowed online course creators to create a strategic business plan based on the episode feedback. This helps them find the best strategies for their website. 

Best versatile podcast hosting service 

The best versatile podcast hosting service is Podbean because it gives you comprehensive statistics for each episode. Moreover, you get access to the top directories that can help you reach a global audience. 

Note: If you are interested in finding out how Podbean compares to SoundCloud, CLICK HERE. 

Buzzsprout Review – User-Friendly Interface 

For online course creators who want to get started with podcasting, we highly recommend Buzzsprout. 

This web hosting service is extremely easy to use. Moreover, they offer flexible pricing options that you could choose from based on your budget. 

Let’s discuss some of the features in detail to understand how easy Buzzsprout is. 

Features of Buzzsprout

• Allows you to publish podcasts within minutes 
• You can transcribe episodes 
• Gives you access to advanced statistics 
• You can create multiple podcasts at once
• You can create an RSS feed and manage it yourself 

Pros	Cons
• 90-day free trial • Simple interface • Does not require credit card details • Automatic episode optimization • Unlimited storage	• Buzzsprout does not have a free website builder • Does not have a mobile app

Benefits of Buzzsprout

Easy to Use 

If you are new to podcasting, you would be glad to know that Buzzsprout is extremely easy to use. 

You can record your first podcast and directly share it with Buzzsprout. Their smart software will handle all the technical stuff for you. 

Pricing 

Buzzsprout offers flexible pricing to all its users. Their packages start from $12 a month and go up to $24 a month. You can choose a price bundle based on the upload hours for each episode. 

Free Trial 

Choosing a podcast host can be intimidating. Buzzsprout offers a free 90-day trial to all its users. You can avail of this option before purchasing their paid version. 

Factors to Consider Before you Decide to Buy Buzzsprout 

Price

Buzzsprout offers three pricing plans to its users: 

1. Three hours of upload for $12 per month 
2. Six hours of upload for $18 per month 
3. Twelve hours of upload for $24 per month 

Monetization

Through Buzzsprout you can monetize your episodes to earn revenue from them. You can find sponsors, add an affiliate, or add support links. 

Directories

Buzzsprout gives you access to popular directories that you can choose from. This will help you reach out to a global audience and increase engagement for your website. 

Ease of Use

We personally think that Buzzsprout is incredibly easy to use. You won’t have to worry about not understanding the features even if you are new to the business. 

Features

One of our favorite features of Buzzsprout is that it allows you to transcribe your audio file. This can save you a lot of time so you can focus on other important tasks of your business. 

What Do the Customers Think?

Our team conducted in-depth research to understand what users actually have to say about this podcast hosting service. 

We noticed that online course creators were completely satisfied with their experience. They claimed that Buzzsprout helps them manage tasks by dividing the workload. Since the software automatically transcribes their podcast, it helps them save a lot of time. 

Moreover, Buzzsprout is affordable. This means podcasters who are new to the industry can afford it without worrying about their budgets. 

Another great thing we noticed was that Buzzsprout allowed its users to monetize their episodes, which means they can continue to earn profit through each episode. 

Best User-Friendly Interface 

Buzzsprout undoubtedly has the best user-friendly interface. Not just this, Buzzsprout offers flexible pricing bundles to its users. 

Podbean Vs Buzzsprout – Buyers’ Guide

Advanced Features 

We advise online course creators to thoroughly go through the features of podcast hosting platforms before they invest. This could save you from a lot of hassle in the long run. 

The more features you get through a podcast hosting platform, the easier it is for you to successfully manage your business and engage with your audience. 

Buzzsprout offers a wide range of features. Our top 5 favorite things include:

• Audio transcription 
• Automatic optimization for episodes 
• You can manage your RSS feed yourself
• Allows you to monetize podcast episodes 
• Podcast statistics 
• Unlimited Team Members
• Unlimited podcast hosting for $19

Podbean offers advanced features through their paid version. Some of the most prominent features include: 

• Live streaming options  
• Monetization options
• Audio and video podcasting 
• Podcast statistics 
• Customizable podcast themes for your own website

Ease of Use

If you are new to the podcasting business, we recommend that you invest in podcast hosting software that is easy to use. This will help you save time, effort, and divide your workload by managing tasks. 

Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout is beginner-friendly and extremely easy to use. Online course creators can start up a free account and instantly get started with managing their video and audio files. 

Podbean

Podbean is comparatively difficult to use, especially if you are new to audio podcasting. Moreover, we noticed that their interface is quite difficult as well. 

Directories

If you want to be able to create multiple podcasts or expand your business in the long run, it is crucial that you invest in a hosting platform that allows you to integrate your business with podcast directories. 

Buzzsprout offers a wide range of podcast directories that you could choose from. These include: 

• Apple podcasts
• Spotify
• Podcast Addict
• Pandora 
• Deezer
• iHeartRadio
• Stitcher
• Amazon Music and Amazon Audible 
• Google Podcasts
• TuneIn
• PodChaser

Similarly, Podbean offers a wide range of podcast directories for professional and personal podcasters. 

These ones include:

• iTunes and Apple Podcast
• Google Podcasts 
• Spotify
• TuneIn
• Stitcher
• Google Play Music 
• Spreaker
• iPodder 
• Digital Podcast
• Podcasts.Alltop

Monetization 

Monetizing your podcasts can help you make your online course creation business profitable. If you want to continue to grow your business, it is crucial that you invest in a podcast host that offers monetization options. 

You would be glad to know that both Buzzsprout and Podbean offer monetization options. 

Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout helps you find sponsors through Podcorn. Moreover, you can sign up for any of their paid plans with your affiliate link. You will get $25 per referral. In addition to this, Buzzsprout allows you to add support links so your listeners can support you. 

Similar to Buzzsprout, Podbean also allows you to monetize your podcasts in three different ways. 

Podbean

Podbean offers you an Ad Marketplace through which you can find sponsors. You can also sell premium content to subscribers. Moreover, you can become a Patron and earn through crowdfunding pages. 

Pricing 

If you are new to the podcasting world, we understand that you could be on a strict budget.

Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout offers three distinct pricing plans ranging from $6 to $12. You can also avail of their 90-day free plan to test if this podcasting platform fulfills your needs.  

Podbean

Podbean also offers three pricing plans. However, Podbean is more expensive in comparison to Buzzsprout. They range from $9 to $99 per month. 

The good thing about Podbean is that its basic plan is completely free. However, you might not be able to avail all their features through this plan.

Podbean vs Buzzsprout – Final Verdict

Now that we have reached the end of our Buzzsprout vs Podbean article, we hope this guide helped you understand which host is better for your online course creation business. 

Where Buzzsprout offers Magic Mastering features to ensure that your podcasts are clear and high quality. On the other hand, Podbean gives you access to the best directories in the market.

If you are an online course creator, we suggest that you thoroughly read this guide before you choose the best host for your business.