Best Free Podcast Hosting in 2026
Short answer: Spotify for Creators is the free host to try first. Its own page offers free hosting with "unlimited hosting" and an ad revenue share for video creators in select markets, and it states no upload or episode cap. RSS.com has the strongest stated free plan: $0 for unlimited episodes and audio, plus automatic distribution to every major directory. Buzzsprout gives 2 upload hours a month and keeps free episodes for 90 days, enough for a short test but not a weekly show. Captivate, Transistor, Simplecast and Castos have no free plan at all, only a trial.
Ten hosts checked for what their free plan really allows: upload hours, total storage, episode caps, directory distribution and ads, with prices verified on vendor sites in October 2026.
Four limits decide whether a free plan can carry a real show: upload hours each month, total storage, how many episodes the feed can carry, and whether the show reaches Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Many hosts on this list offer a $0 tier, but the fine print decides how far it goes.
Toolradar data: of the 24 podcast hosting tools we track, 46% ship a free or freemium plan and 13 (54%) are paid only. Six of the ten hosts below have a free plan. The other four, Captivate, Transistor, Simplecast and Castos, sell paid plans with a trial in front and nothing free after it.
How we chose: ten hosts from our podcast hosting catalog, ranked by how much the free tier lets a solo show publish. The category view is on the podcast hosting page, and the paid-inclusive ranking is in best podcast hosting. Every limit below was read on the vendor's own pricing page on October 10, 2026, in US dollars, with one exception: Podbean's free-plan limits come from its help center, last updated in January 2025, because its pricing page does not list them.
Top Picks
Picked by editorial review, informed by G2 and Capterra review volume and rating and by media mentions, the signals behind our category rankings. How we rate
| Tool | Starting price | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify for Creators | Free, no paid plan | 2.3 5,755 reviews | Shows that want free hosting tied to Spotify distribution and can test the real upload limit first. |
| RSS.com | Free plan, Plus for ads | 4.9 66 reviews | Solo podcasters who want no episode cap and no monthly bill at $0. |
| RedCircle | Free Core plan, one podcast | 4.4 7 reviews | One-show creators who want unlimited episodes and downloads and can accept the related-shows block on the webpage. |
| Podbean | Free account, 5 hours total storage | 4.1 55 reviews | Testing a show for a few episodes before paying for monthly upload hours. |
| Acast | Free Starter, 1 show, 5 episodes | 4.4 193 reviews | Shows that will join Acast's advertising marketplace and launch with a short episode count. |
| Buzzsprout | Free, 2 upload hours a month | 4.6 797 reviews | Learning the workflow with a few short episodes before a paid plan. |
| Captivate | No free plan, 30-day trial | 4.5 13 reviews | Podcasters who already plan to pay for hosting and want every feature on every tier. |
| Transistor | No free plan, 14-day trial | 4.8 91 reviews | Operators running several shows who want unlimited podcasts on one account. |
| Simplecast | No free plan, from $15/mo | 3.9 13 reviews | Independent podcasters who want analytics and can pay once the 14-day trial ends. |
| Castos | No free plan, from $19/mo | 4.7 46 reviews | WordPress publishers who want a Seriously Simple Podcasting sync and free migration from another host. |
Spotify for Creators
Top Pick- 1.6 on Trustpilot (5,732 reviews)
- 4.1 on G2 (21 reviews)
- 3.0 on SourceForge (2 reviews)
Shows that want free hosting tied to Spotify distribution and can test the real upload limit first.
- Pro: Spotify's own features page offers free hosting and says 'unlimited hosting', under the heading 'Host for free, distribute everywhere'.
- Pro: Video creators can earn an ad revenue share through the Spotify Partner Program, in select markets.
- Pro: Hosting and distribution sit in one product.
- Con: No numeric upload, storage or episode cap is stated, so the real limit is only known from your own dashboard.
- Con: The ad revenue share covers video creators, so an audio-only show may not qualify.
Spotify for Podcasters offers an incredibly generous pricing model, as it is entirely free.
Watch out
50% ad revenue share is a significant cut
Solo podcasters who want no episode cap and no monthly bill at $0.
- Pro: The Free plan lists unlimited episodes and unlimited audio at $0, with a public RSS feed.
- Pro: Automatic distribution to every major directory is on the Free plan, not reserved for paid tiers.
- Pro: Listener donations and analytics are listed on the Free plan.
- Con: Programmatic ad insertion starts on Plus, so the free plan cannot run programmatic ads.
- Con: AI-generated transcripts, advanced analytics and team seats start on Plus, not on Free.
RSS.com offers a very generous Free tier, making it accessible for beginners.
Watch out
Overage fees if exceeding monthly hosting hours
One-show creators who want unlimited episodes and downloads and can accept the related-shows block on the webpage.
- Pro: Core lists unlimited storage, bandwidth, episodes and downloads at $0.
- Pro: Distribution to all major platforms is included on Core.
- Pro: Growth adds unlimited podcasts, dynamic insertion and ad-free webpages.
- Con: Core is limited to one podcast, and its webpage carries a related-shows block that Growth removes.
- Con: Dynamic insertion and advanced analytics sit on Growth, not Core.
RedCircle offers a very generous free tier with unlimited hosting and basic monetization, making it highly accessible.
Testing a show for a few episodes before paying for monthly upload hours.
- Pro: Podbean's FAQ says you can sign up for a free account and upgrade at any time.
- Pro: The paid Unlimited Audio plan has unlimited total storage.
- Pro: Free import from a previous host is available through the RSS feed.
- Con: Five hours of total storage fills after roughly six or seven 45-minute episodes, and it does not reset.
- Con: Once you pay, the account cannot be downgraded back to the free plan.
Podbean's pricing is generally fair, offering a good range of options.
Watch out
AI credits are limited per tier, potential overage costs.
Shows that will join Acast's advertising marketplace and launch with a short episode count.
- Pro: The free Starter plan includes monetization with ads.
- Pro: Episodes become unlimited once the show is available in Acast's advertising marketplace.
- Pro: Paid Essential adds multiple shows, unlimited episodes and sponsorships.
- Con: Five episodes is a hard cap for any show that stays outside the marketplace.
- Con: The free plan covers one show, so a network starts on a paid plan.
Acast's pricing starts generously with a Free tier offering unlimited hosting, which is excellent for beginners.
Learning the workflow with a few short episodes before a paid plan.
- Pro: The free plan needs no credit card, and its page says so next to the sign-up call to action.
- Pro: Paid Audio plans include unlimited episodes and 72 upload hours a year.
- Pro: Transcripts are included on every current paid plan at no extra cost.
- Con: Two upload hours a month holds about two 45-minute episodes, so a weekly show outgrows it in the first month.
- Con: Free episodes are hosted for 90 days, and the free plan includes no video distribution or paid add-ons.
Buzzsprout's pricing is fair, offering a generous Free tier for beginners.
Watch out
Add-ons like 'Cohost AI' are extra.
Podcasters who already plan to pay for hosting and want every feature on every tier.
- Pro: All plans include the full platform, with features not gated by tier.
- Pro: Unlimited podcasts, uploads and storage on every plan, with the tier set by monthly downloads.
- Pro: Distribution to all platforms is included.
- Con: No free plan: the FAQ answers 'Do you offer free plans?' with 'Nope!'.
- Con: The entry plan covers up to 30,000 downloads a month, and larger tiers step up by download count.
Captivate's pricing is fair, especially considering the unlimited podcasts and storage offered across all tiers.
Operators running several shows who want unlimited podcasts on one account.
- Pro: Unlimited podcasts on one account on every plan.
- Pro: Transistor's FAQ says it does not limit episodes or total storage on any plan.
- Pro: Yearly billing gives 12 months for the price of 10.
- Con: No free plan, only a 14-day trial.
- Con: Plans step up by monthly downloads, not by storage or episodes.
Transistor's pricing is fair, offering good value, especially at the lower tiers.
Watch out
Overage fees for downloads not explicitly stated
Independent podcasters who want analytics and can pay once the 14-day trial ends.
- Pro: Basic includes unlimited storage and uploads.
- Pro: Basic includes 20K downloads a month and distribution to everywhere the audience listens.
- Pro: Basic drops to $13.50 a month when prepaid annually.
- Con: No free plan, and the Basic plan carries a monthly download allowance.
- Con: Essential at $35 a month adds team seats and deeper analytics, such as location and technology reports.
It's best for growing podcasts needing solid analytics and hosting without breaking the bank initially.
WordPress publishers who want a Seriously Simple Podcasting sync and free migration from another host.
- Pro: Unlimited podcasts, downloads and episodes on every plan.
- Pro: Free migration from another host.
- Pro: Annual billing gives two months free.
- Con: No free plan. If you cancel, the RSS feed and episodes go offline for listeners when the 14-day trial ends.
- Con: AI transcripts are capped by plan tier.
Castos' pricing is fair, offering a clear progression of features.
Watch out
No explicit overage fees mentioned.
What a free podcast host actually gives you
A podcast host stores your audio files, generates the RSS feed that Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other apps read, and counts downloads. A free host does the same three jobs on a plan with a ceiling. The ceilings that matter are the ones that change how you publish: upload hours per month or total storage, the number of episodes the feed will carry, how long a free episode stays hosted, and whether the plan distributes to the big directories at all.
Some caps reset monthly, some never reset, and a few hosts state none. Buzzsprout caps uploads at 2 hours a month. Podbean's free account caps total storage at 5 hours, which does not reset. Spotify for Creators and RSS.com state no numeric cap on their free plans. Read the unit before you compare the number: "2 hours a month" and "5 hours total" look similar in a table and behave very differently after about six episodes.
Why the free plan decides whether a show can start
Take a weekly 45-minute show. That is 39 hours of audio a year. Buzzsprout's free plan allows 2 upload hours a month, which is 24 hours a year and two episodes of that length per month, so a weekly schedule outgrows the free tier within the first month. Podbean's free account holds 5 hours of total storage, about six or seven 45-minute episodes before the account is full, and that storage never resets, so a weekly schedule reaches the cap within about two months.
RSS.com's free plan has no episode cap, and Spotify for Creators states unlimited hosting. A free plan with a monthly ceiling is a trial. A free plan without one can carry a back catalog.
Key Features to Look For
Upload hours per month (Essential)
Buzzsprout's free plan allows 2 upload hours a month, and Podbean's paid Unlimited Audio plan allows 1GB of uploads a month, about 16 hours of audio. Spotify for Creators and RSS.com state no monthly upload figure on their free plans, so a weekly show does not hit a stated monthly ceiling there.
Total storage (Essential)
Podbean's free account caps total storage at 5 hours and says that storage does not reset monthly. RSS.com's Free plan lists unlimited audio, and Simplecast's Basic plan lists unlimited storage and uploads on a paid plan. Transistor's FAQ says it does not limit total storage.
Episode cap (Important)
Acast's free Starter plan allows 5 episodes unless the show joins its advertising marketplace, which then removes the cap. Podbean's free account publishes up to 3 episodes a day, and its RSS feed shows up to 20 episodes.
Directory distribution (Essential)
RSS.com's Free plan lists automatic distribution to every major directory. RedCircle's Core plan lists distribution to all major platforms. Spotify's features page is headed 'Host for free, distribute everywhere' and does not name the directories.
Decide what the free plan has to carry
Start with the schedule, not the price. Multiply episode length by releases per year, then compare the result with the monthly or yearly upload limit. A weekly 45-minute show needs 39 hours of upload time a year, which Buzzsprout's free plan cannot cover.
Choose RedCircle's Core plan if you run one show and want unlimited storage, bandwidth and episodes at $0. Core is limited to one podcast, and its webpage carries related shows that Growth removes.
Treat Buzzsprout's free plan as a test. Two hours a month and a 90-day hosting window are enough to learn the workflow, and the Audio plan (billed annually) is where a regular schedule starts.
Avoid Podbean's free account for a show that already has a back catalog. Five hours of total storage fills quickly, and the free plan cannot be downgraded back once you pay, so the step-up is one-way.
Evaluation Checklist
Multiply your episode length by the number of releases in a year, then check that figure against the host's stated upload limit. For Buzzsprout's free plan, that limit is 2 hours a month.
On Spotify for Creators, confirm the real upload and storage limits in your own dashboard before you migrate, because the vendor page states unlimited hosting but gives no numeric cap.
On Podbean's free account, upload episodes until the 5-hour total storage is full, then decide whether the paid Unlimited Audio plan is worth the step.
On Acast's Starter plan, check whether your show qualifies for the advertising marketplace, because only that removes the five-episode cap.
On Buzzsprout's free plan, note the date each episode goes up, since episodes are hosted for 90 days, and decide which ones you want to keep past that window.
Pricing Overview
Free, no stated cap
Spotify for Creators (unlimited hosting stated, no numeric cap), RSS.com Free (unlimited episodes and audio), and RedCircle Core (unlimited storage, bandwidth and episodes for one podcast).
$0
Free, hard cap
$0, then a paid step (see the table)
Trial only, no free plan
Captivate (30-day trial), and Transistor, Simplecast and Castos (14-day trial each).
Paid only, after a trial
Pricing Comparison
| Host | Free plan covers | Cheapest paid plan | Trial or limit |
|---|---|---|---|
Free hosting, unlimited hosting stated, no numeric cap on the page | None, free only | Ad share for video creators in select markets | |
Unlimited episodes and audio, public RSS feed, directory distribution | Plus $15/mo billed annually | No programmatic ads on Free | |
Core: unlimited storage, bandwidth and episodes, one podcast | Growth $14.99/mo | 7-day trial on paid plans | |
Podbean | Free account: 5 hours total storage, up to 3 episodes a day | Unlimited Audio $12/mo billed yearly ($17 monthly) | Cannot return to free after paying |
Acast | Starter: 1 show, 5 episodes, unlimited with the ad marketplace | Essential listed at $14.99 to $25/mo | Monetization with ads on Starter |
Buzzsprout | 2 upload hours a month, episodes hosted 90 days | Audio $15/mo billed annually ($18 monthly) | No video distribution on Free |
Captivate | No free plan | From $19/mo, up to 30,000 downloads | 30-day free trial |
Transistor | No free plan | Starter $19/mo | 14-day free trial |
Simplecast | No free plan | Basic $15/mo ($13.50 prepaid annually) | 14-day trial |
Castos | No free plan | From $19/mo, paid monthly | 14-day free trial |
Prices checked on October 10, 2026, on Spotify for Creators, RSS.com pricing, RedCircle pricing, Podbean pricing, Acast pricing, Buzzsprout pricing, Captivate pricing, Transistor pricing, Simplecast pricing and Castos pricing. Podbean's free-plan limits come from its free plan help article, last updated in January 2025.
Mistakes to Avoid
- ×
Reading 2 hours as 2 hours of storage. Buzzsprout's free plan resets its 2 upload hours each month, so a show gets about two 45-minute episodes a month and no backlog.
- ×
Counting Podbean's 5 hours as a monthly allowance. The five hours of total storage never reset, so the free account fills after six or seven 45-minute episodes and stays full.
- ×
Assuming Acast's free plan is unlimited. The Starter plan stops at five episodes unless the show joins Acast's advertising marketplace.
- ×
Taking a trial for a free plan. Captivate, Transistor, Simplecast and Castos all require a paid plan after a 14-day or 30-day trial, and Castos takes the feed offline for listeners if you cancel before the trial ends.
Expert Tips
- →
Do the storage math before you publish. Total storage is a one-time pool on Podbean's free account, so a weekly 45-minute show uses it up within six or seven episodes.
- →
Read 'trial' as a payment date. Simplecast, Transistor and Castos run 14-day trials and Captivate runs a 30-day trial, so note the end date on day one.
- →
Compare the monthly and annual price on the same page. Buzzsprout's Audio plan is $18 a month billed monthly and $15 a month billed annually, so yearly billing is the cheaper step. If you cannot commit for a year, budget at the $18 monthly price.
Red Flags to Watch For
-
A free plan with a monthly upload ceiling that a weekly show outgrows. Buzzsprout's 2 hours a month holds two 45-minute episodes, so a weekly schedule goes over in the first month.
-
Total storage mistaken for a monthly allowance. Podbean's 5 hours of storage never resets, so the same five hours serve the first episodes and the last ones.
-
A five-episode plan presented as free hosting. Acast's Starter plan stops at five episodes unless the show joins the advertising marketplace.
-
A trial treated as a free plan. Captivate's FAQ answers 'Do you offer free plans?' with 'Nope!', and Transistor, Simplecast and Castos offer trials only.
The Bottom Line
Choose Spotify for Creators or RSS.com to start at $0 with no stated episode cap. Confirm Spotify's real upload limit in your own dashboard before moving a back catalog. Choose Buzzsprout only for a short test, since 2 upload hours a month covers about two 45-minute episodes. Avoid Podbean's free account for a weekly show, because its 5 hours of total storage never resets. If you already expect to pay, Captivate, Transistor, Simplecast and Castos start after a trial, with no free plan to fall back on, so budget for the paid price once the trial ends. If Transistor's download tiers do not fit, compare its alternatives before you commit.
Cite this: Toolradar, "Best Free Podcast Hosting in 2026," October 2026. Prices and free-plan limits checked on vendor pages on October 10, 2026. Compared with the 24 podcast hosting tools we track.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free podcast hosting in 2026?
Spotify for Creators is the best free start on this list, because its own page offers free hosting with unlimited hosting stated and no upload or episode cap. RSS.com's Free plan is the strongest stated free plan, with unlimited episodes and audio at $0 and automatic distribution to every major directory. Buzzsprout's free plan is a test: 2 upload hours a month, with episodes hosted for 90 days.
Is there a free podcast host with no upload limit?
Yes. Spotify for Creators states unlimited hosting and gives no numeric upload cap on its page, and RSS.com's Free plan lists unlimited episodes and unlimited audio at $0. RedCircle's Core plan also lists unlimited storage, bandwidth and episodes at $0, but only for one podcast.
How many hours can I upload on a free podcast plan?
Buzzsprout's free plan allows 2 upload hours a month. Podbean's free account caps total storage at 5 hours, which does not reset monthly, according to its help article last updated in January 2025. Spotify for Creators and RSS.com state no hour cap on their free plans.
How much does podcast hosting cost after the free plan?
The lowest paid entry plan on this list is Podbean's Unlimited Audio at $12 a month billed yearly ($17 monthly). Most other paid entry plans cost between $14.99 and $19 a month, and billing terms differ, so check each host's billing term before you commit.
Can I run ads on a free podcast host?
Acast's free Starter plan includes monetization with ads, and Spotify for Creators offers an ad revenue share for video creators in select markets through the Spotify Partner Program. RSS.com's Free plan has no programmatic ad insertion, which starts on its Plus plan. RedCircle's dynamic insertion starts on its paid Growth plan.
Cite this page: Toolradar, "Best Free Podcast Hosting in 2026", updated October 2026, https://toolradar.com/guides/best-free-podcast-hosting
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