Most podcast hosts cost $15 to $19 a month to start, but they limit different things. Some cap downloads, some cap upload hours, and some cap how many shows you can run. Pick the host whose limit you will never hit.
Entry plans side by side
| Host | Starting price | What it limits | Private or members-only |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulse Podcasting | $0 (import) / $19 hosting | Shows: 1 on Starter, 5 on Pro | Pro and up, paid through your own Stripe or PayPal |
| Transistor | $19 a month | Downloads: 20,000 a month on Starter | From $19 (50 subscribers) |
| Captivate | $17 a month, billed yearly | Downloads: 30,000 a month on Personal | All plans |
| Buzzsprout | $15 a month, billed yearly | Upload time: 72 hours a year | Not listed |
| Podbean | $17 a month ($12 yearly) | Upload size: 1 GB a month | Business plan only ($129) |
| RSS.com | $15 a month, billed yearly | Shows: 1 on Plus | Not listed |
Prices as published on each host’s pricing page on 7 October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this guide.
Which limit matters for you
- Growing fast? Download caps are the one that bites. Transistor and Captivate ask you to move up a tier once you pass the cap. Pulse, Podbean and Buzzsprout do not cap downloads on paid plans.
- Long episodes or a daily show? Upload-time and upload-size limits matter more. Buzzsprout’s audio plan allows 72 hours a year; Podbean’s entry plan allows 1 GB of uploads a month.
- Running several shows? Transistor and Captivate allow unlimited shows on every plan. Pulse allows 1 on Starter, 5 on Pro and unlimited on Network.
- Want a paid or private show? Check who handles the money. On Pulse, members pay you directly through your own Stripe or PayPal and Pulse takes 0%.
What you get on every Pulse plan
- A public show page and episode pages built for search, on every plan including Free.
- Listener and download analytics with bot filtering (Free keeps the last 30 days).
- No platform fee on tips, sponsors or memberships.
- On Starter and up: direct uploads, a hosted RSS feed for Apple and Spotify, and one-click feed migration from your old host.
See every Pulse plan
Free to start, $19 for full hosting, no download caps.