Starting a podcast is one of those things that looks much easier from the outside. You record yourself talking, edit the audio, upload it, and people listen. Simple, right?
Well, sort of.
Once you actually start putting a podcast together, you quickly discover that there are quite a few things to think about. You need somewhere to host your episodes, an RSS feed, podcast distribution, analytics, a website, and eventually, if your show grows, a way to make money from it.
That’s where podcast hosting platforms come in. Two names you’ll probably come across are Buzzsprout and Spreaker.
Both platforms can host and distribute podcasts, provide analytics, and help creators make money. But they have very different personalities.
Buzzsprout is all about keeping podcasting simple. Spreaker takes a more feature-heavy approach, with a particularly strong focus on advertising and monetization.
So which one should you use?
If you’re completely new to podcasting, I’d lean toward Buzzsprout. If your main goal is to monetize your podcast and you want more advertising tools built into the platform, Spreaker is definitely worth considering.
What Is Buzzsprout?
Buzzsprout is a podcast hosting platform that has become especially popular with independent podcasters.
Its biggest selling point is simple:
It’s easy to use.
That might not sound like a huge deal, but it really is.
When you’re starting a podcast, there are already enough things to learn. You have to figure out microphones, recording software, editing, cover art, episode descriptions, promotion, and social media.
The last thing you want is a complicated hosting dashboard. Buzzsprout keeps the publishing process straightforward.
You upload your episode, add the title and description, choose when you want it published, and you’re pretty much done.
Behind the scenes, Buzzsprout takes care of things like your RSS feed, distribution, file optimization, and analytics.
The platform also offers advanced statistics, podcast websites, transcripts, subscriptions, listener support, dynamic content, advertising, and custom podcast players.
There’s also a free plan.
The free plan lets you upload two hours of content each cycle, but episodes are only hosted for 90 days. So it’s useful for trying Buzzsprout out, but I wouldn’t consider it a permanent solution for a serious podcast.
One thing to keep in mind is Buzzsprout’s upload-based pricing.
The standard annual plan gives you 72 hours of upload allowance for the year. Unused upload time doesn’t roll over, so you’ll want to choose a plan that matches how frequently and how long you publish.
For a normal weekly podcast, though, this isn’t usually a problem.
What Is Spreaker?
Spreaker is a podcast hosting and monetization platform that’s been around for years.
While Buzzsprout puts a lot of emphasis on simplicity, Spreaker seems more interested in giving creators a complete set of tools for publishing and making money.
You can host your podcast, distribute it, track your listeners, insert advertisements, offer subscriptions, and manage multiple podcasts.
And advertising is one of Spreaker’s biggest selling points. Spreaker has its own monetization system that lets eligible podcasters place ads in their episodes.
You can choose whether advertisements appear before, during, or after your content. Spreaker says its ads can be targeted based on listener demographics such as location, and creators earn based on ad impressions.
That’s a pretty useful feature if you’re serious about turning your podcast into a business.
Spreaker also has different plans for different types of creators. There’s a free plan, followed by paid plans such as Broadcaster, Anchorman, and Publisher.
The higher you go, the more features you get, including better analytics, collaboration tools, customizable players, and advertising campaign management.
So Spreaker isn’t really trying to be just a place where you store podcast files.
It’s trying to become the place where you publish, manage, and monetize your podcast.
Buzzsprout vs Spreaker Pricing
Pricing is one of the biggest differences between these two platforms.
Buzzsprout’s standard annual audio plan is currently $15 per month, which gives you up to 72 hours of upload allowance per year. It includes advanced statistics, a podcast website, directory distribution, unlimited episodes, and other premium features.
Spreaker has a free plan, but it’s limited to one podcast.
Its current Broadcaster plan costs $20 per month and adds unlimited podcasts, advanced statistics, subscriptions, and other features. Its Anchorman plan costs $50 per month, while the Publisher plan is aimed at larger podcast operations and costs $250 per month.
So if you’re comparing the cheapest paid plans, Buzzsprout is cheaper.
But the pricing structure isn’t really an apples-to-apples comparison. Buzzsprout charges based largely on how much new content you upload.
Spreaker puts more emphasis on the number of podcasts, monetization, analytics, and professional publishing features.
This means your choice should depend on what you’re actually planning to do. If you’re running one small weekly podcast, Buzzsprout makes a lot of sense.
If you’re building several podcasts and want advertising tools, Spreaker becomes much more interesting.
Which One Is Easier to Use?
This is probably the easiest category to decide.
Buzzsprout wins. Spreaker isn’t difficult to use. But there are more things going on. You have advertising options, subscriptions, multiple podcast management, statistics, collaboration features, and different levels of customization.
That’s great if you need them. But when you’re sitting down to publish your first episode, you probably don’t care about most of that.
You just want to upload the episode and move on. Buzzsprout is very good at that.
The interface feels approachable, and the publishing process doesn’t require much technical knowledge.
That’s why I’d recommend Buzzsprout to someone who says:
“I’ve never made a podcast before. I just want to get my first episode online.”
Spreaker would be my choice for someone who says:
“I already have a podcast, and now I want to grow and monetize it.”
Podcast Distribution
Both platforms can distribute your podcast to major listening platforms.
Buzzsprout helps creators get their podcasts onto services such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castbox, and other directories.
Spreaker also supports distribution to major platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. You can also use your RSS feed to submit your show to other platforms yourself.
So you don’t really need to choose between them based on basic podcast distribution.
Both are capable of getting your show in front of listeners. I’d call this one a tie.
Buzzsprout vs Spreaker Analytics
Analytics become much more important once your podcast starts getting some traction. When you publish your first episode, you might just be excited to see that somebody downloaded it.After a few months, you’ll want answers to questions like:
Which episodes are getting the most downloads?
Where are my listeners located?
What devices are they using?
Which apps are they listening through?
Are my numbers growing?
Buzzsprout offers advanced statistics, including information about downloads, listening apps, devices, locations, dates, and individual episodes. Buzzsprout says its statistics are IAB certified.
Spreaker also offers IAB-certified statistics.
Its free plan provides basic statistics, while paid plans provide more detailed information. Higher plans can show things such as listening sources, listener geography, episode likes, follower trends, devices, and episode performance.
For a beginner, I prefer Buzzsprout’s approach because it’s easier to understand.
For a creator who wants to dig deeper into their audience, Spreaker’s higher-tier analytics can be very useful.
So I’d call this a slight tie, with Buzzsprout winning for simplicity and Spreaker winning for more advanced podcast operations.
Monetization: This Is Where Spreaker Gets Interesting
If making money from your podcast is one of your biggest goals, pay attention to this section.
Buzzsprout has several monetization options.
You can use Buzzsprout Ads, listener support, subscriptions, and dynamic content. You can also offer premium episodes to paying subscribers. That’s plenty for most independent podcasters.
But Spreaker puts monetization much closer to the center of the platform.
Spreaker’s advertising system lets creators choose where ads appear in their episodes, including pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll placements.
The company says ads are targeted using listener demographics and that creators earn based on ad impressions.
Spreaker also lets podcasters use subscriptions and other monetization options on its paid plans.
This is probably the biggest reason I’d choose Spreaker over Buzzsprout for a podcast that is already getting a decent amount of traffic.
You don’t have to build your entire advertising setup from scratch. The tools are already there.
Of course, there’s an important reality check.
Having advertising tools doesn’t mean you’re going to make a lot of money. If your podcast has 100 listeners, you probably aren’t going to make a fortune from ads.
But as your audience grows, automated advertising can become increasingly useful.
What About Podcast Websites?
Buzzsprout has a clear advantage here.
Paid Buzzsprout plans include a podcast website, and you can use your own domain. The platform also provides customizable podcast players and other tools for presenting your show online.
Spreaker does provide an embedded player that can be used on your own website, and it has podcast pages on its platform.
But if you’re looking for a podcast host that gives you a dedicated website as part of the overall experience, I’d prefer Buzzsprout.
That said, if you’re serious about building a podcast brand, I’d eventually recommend creating your own website anyway.
Your own site gives you more control.
You can publish transcripts, articles, newsletters, affiliate links, resources, and other content without depending entirely on your podcast host.
What About Video Podcasts?
This is where the comparison gets a little more complicated.
Buzzsprout has clearly moved into video podcasting.
Its Audio + Video plan currently costs $25 per month when billed annually and lets creators publish video to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. It supports 1080p video.
Spreaker has traditionally focused much more heavily on audio podcasting and monetization.
If your main goal is a video podcast, I’d therefore lean toward Buzzsprout based on its current dedicated audio-and-video workflow.
But if you’re primarily creating an audio podcast and want to monetize it with advertising, Spreaker becomes much more attractive.
This is one of those areas where you shouldn’t choose based on a generic “best platform” list.
Think about what you’re actually publishing.
Buzzsprout vs Spreaker for Making Money
If your podcast already has an audience, I’d look more closely at Spreaker.
The advertising system is a major advantage.
Spreaker says monetization can apply to listens from the web, embedded players, mobile, and podcast apps such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify when the content is served through its RSS feed.
That gives you the opportunity to monetize your existing catalog rather than only thinking about new episodes.
Buzzsprout can also be a strong choice if you prefer more control over which advertising opportunities you accept, or if your monetization strategy is based on subscriptions, listener support, and your own products.
So I’d put it this way:
Spreaker is better if advertising is the main goal.
Buzzsprout is better if you want a broader, simpler monetization setup.
Buzzsprout vs Spreaker: Pros and Cons
Buzzsprout Pros
Buzzsprout is extremely beginner-friendly.
It has a clean publishing workflow, strong analytics, podcast websites, transcripts, directory distribution, subscriptions, advertising, and support for both audio and video.
The platform also makes it relatively easy to move your podcast if you ever decide to change hosts.
Buzzsprout Cons
The biggest downside is the upload-based pricing.
Your plan includes a specific amount of new upload time, and unused upload hours don’t roll over.
That can become expensive if you’re producing lots of long episodes.
Spreaker Pros
Spreaker is strong when it comes to monetization.
It has advertising tools built directly into the platform, along with subscriptions, analytics, multiple-podcast management, and collaboration features on its paid plans.
Its free plan also gives beginners a way to test podcasting without paying for hosting.
Spreaker Cons
The paid plans can get expensive quickly if you want advanced features.
The $50/month Anchorman plan and $250/month Publisher plan are aimed at more serious creators and podcast networks, rather than someone running a small hobby podcast.
Final Thoughts: Buzzsprout or Spreaker?
So, Buzzsprout vs Spreaker — which one wins?
My answer is that Buzzsprout is the better all-around choice for most beginners, while Spreaker is the better choice for creators who are particularly interested in advertising and monetization.
If I were starting my first podcast tomorrow, I’d probably choose Buzzsprout.
I’d rather spend my time recording episodes than figuring out an overly complicated hosting platform.
If I already had thousands of listeners and wanted to generate more advertising revenue from my catalog, I’d take a serious look at Spreaker.
And that’s probably the most important thing to remember.
Your podcast host isn’t what makes your podcast successful. Your content does.
You can have the best analytics dashboard in the world, but it won’t matter if nobody wants to listen to your episodes.
So don’t spend three weeks trying to find the “perfect” podcast host. Pick the platform that fits your current situation, publish your first episode, and start learning from your audience.