Podcasting · alternatives
Alternatives to Simplecast
22 podcasting tools sit alongside Simplecast in this directory. Below is what separates each from Simplecast on the figures we hold, price, model, tier count and rating, and a direct comparison for every one.
- Alternatives listed
- 22
- With a free tier
- 15
- Cheaper to start
- 9
- Simplecast starts at
- $15/month
Why people look past Simplecast
Only what the record supports. Each point below is a figure on the Simplecast entry measured against the tools listed beside it.
There is no free tier
The record for Simplecast carries no free tier, so evaluating it means paying first. 15 of the 22 alternatives below can be used without paying.
Cost climbs steeply across the tiers
Simplecast publishes 4 tiers, from $15/month up to On request. Teams that outgrow the entry plan can find the next rung a large step, the Simplecast pricing page breaks each one down.
What each alternative does differently
Ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry. Differences are drawn from price, pricing model, tier count and rating, the fields the category listing carries. For a feature-level difference, follow the head-to-head link on each card: those pages read both full records.
The powerful podcast player for serious listeners
- Can be used without paying; Simplecast cannot.
- Sold on a freemium model rather than subscription.
- 2 tiers to Simplecast's 4.
Simple and powerful podcast hosting made easy
- Can be used without paying; Simplecast cannot.
- 5 tiers to Simplecast's 4.
The podcast host built for professional broadcasters
- Can be used without paying; Simplecast cannot.
- Starts $4 a month dearer, at $19/month.
AI-powered podcast editing and recording
- Starts $7.989999999999998 a month dearer, at $22.99/month.
- 2 tiers to Simplecast's 4.
Simple podcast hosting for WordPress sites
- Can be used without paying; Simplecast cannot.
- Starts $4 a month dearer, at $19/month.
Audio hosting and distribution platform
- Can be used without paying; Simplecast cannot.
- Starts $15 a month cheaper, at Free.
- Sold on a freemium model rather than subscription.
- 2 tiers to Simplecast's 4.
Every Simplecast alternative at a glance
A dash means the catalogue entry carries no figure, not that the answer is nothing.
| Tool | Entry price | Model | Tiers | Head to head |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simplecast (this page) | $15/month | Subscription | 4 | |
| PocketcastsThe powerful podcast player for serious listeners | Free | Freemium | 2 | vs Simplecast |
| BuzzsproutSimple and powerful podcast hosting made easy | Free, then $15/month | Subscription | 5 | vs Simplecast |
| Transistor.fmThe podcast host built for professional broadcasters | Free, then $19/month | Subscription | 4 | vs Simplecast |
| Adobe PodcastAI-powered podcast editing and recording | $22.99/month | Subscription | 2 | vs Simplecast |
| Castos | Free, then $19/month | Subscription | 4 | vs Simplecast |
| Audioboom | Free | Freemium | 2 | vs Simplecast |
| Cleanfeed | Free, then $15/month | Freemium | 2 | vs Simplecast |
| Captivate | Free, then €17/month | Subscription | 3 | vs Simplecast |
| Chartable | Free, then $20/month | Freemium | 4 | vs Simplecast |
| Auphonic | Free, then $10/month | Freemium | 2 | vs Simplecast |
| Headliner | Free, then $9.99/month | Freemium | 3 | vs Simplecast |
| Libsyn | Free, then $8/month | Subscription | 4 | vs Simplecast |
| Apple Podcasts Connect | Free | Free | 2 | vs Simplecast |
| Castmagic | Free, then $39/month | - | 4 | vs Simplecast |
| Acast | Free | Freemium | 4 | vs Simplecast |
| Glow.fm | Free | Transaction | 1 | vs Simplecast |
| Megaphone | $99/month | Subscription | 2 | vs Simplecast |
| Hindenburg Journalist | $12/month | Subscription | 2 | vs Simplecast |
| Omny Studio | On request | Quote | 1 | vs Simplecast |
| Fireside | $20/month | Subscription | 2 | vs Simplecast |
| Alitu | $38/month | Subscription | 2 | vs Simplecast |
| Blubrry | $12/month | Subscription | 2 | vs Simplecast |
Ratings are aggregated from third-party sources and imported with each catalogue entry; Softwr hosts no reviews of these products. How each figure is used is set out on the Simplecast badges page.
Cheaper ways to solve the same problem
Free to start (15)
These publish a tier that costs nothing, so they can be evaluated before any money changes hands.
- Pocketcasts , Free
- Buzzsprout , Free, then $15/month
- Transistor.fm , Free, then $19/month
- Castos , Free, then $19/month
- Audioboom , Free
- Cleanfeed , Free, then $15/month
- Captivate , Free, then €17/month
- Chartable , Free, then $20/month
Cheaper than Simplecast (9)
Entry price under Simplecast's $15/month. The record does not say what unit that price is charged in, so confirm per-seat versus flat rate before comparing budgets.
- Audioboom , Free
- Auphonic , Free, then $10/month
- Headliner , Free, then $9.99/month
- Libsyn , Free, then $8/month
- Apple Podcasts Connect , Free
- Acast , Free
- Glow.fm , Free
- Hindenburg Journalist , $12/month
What you would be giving up
Simplecast is most often brought in for hosting podcasts with per-episode analytics and audience metrics, distributing shows to apple podcasts, spotify and other directories, monetising podcasts through dynamic ad insertion at the professional tier. Anything replacing it has to cover the ones you actually depend on, and a cheaper tool that misses one of them is not cheaper.
Two things this page cannot settle. It compares on price, model, tier count and rating, because those are the fields the category listing carries, feature-level differences need both full records, which is what the head-to-head pages load. And the ratings are third-party aggregates imported with each entry rather than reviews written here, so a 0.2 difference between two tools is noise rather than a finding.
If Simplecast is broadly right and the question is cost, the Simplecast pricing breakdown covers every tier and what each one adds. If you want the whole field rather than a shortlist, the Podcasting category lists everything the directory holds, and best podcasting tools ranks them.
Simplecast runs on web. Platform coverage is not carried on the category listing for the alternatives, so it is one more thing to check on each head-to-head page rather than here.
Questions about Simplecast alternatives
- What are the main alternatives to Simplecast?
- 22 other podcasting tools are listed in this directory, led by Pocketcasts, Buzzsprout, Transistor.fm, Adobe Podcast. They are ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry, not by any Softwr ranking.
- What is the best free alternative to Simplecast?
- 15 of the alternatives listed here can be used without paying: Pocketcasts, Buzzsprout, Transistor.fm, Castos, Audioboom.
- Is there a cheaper alternative to Simplecast?
- Yes. 9 of the alternatives below start under Simplecast's $15/month: Audioboom at Free, Auphonic at Free, then $10/month, Headliner at Free, then $9.99/month, Libsyn at Free, then $8/month.
- Why do people look for an alternative to Simplecast?
- On the figures on record, 2 things stand out: there is no free tier; cost climbs steeply across the tiers. Each is set out with the numbers behind it above.
- What would I give up by switching from Simplecast?
- Simplecast is most often brought in for hosting podcasts with per-episode analytics and audience metrics, distributing shows to apple podcasts, spotify and other directories, monetising podcasts through dynamic ad insertion at the professional tier. Anything you replace it with has to cover the ones you actually rely on, the side-by-side comparisons linked from each alternative below put the two feature records against each other.
- Is there an open-source alternative to Simplecast?
- None of the podcasting tools listed here are recorded as open source. That is what the licence field on each entry says, and the field is not always filled in, so it is worth checking directly for any tool you are serious about.
- How were these Simplecast alternatives chosen?
- They are the tools filed in the same category, Podcasting, ordered by the aggregated rating on each entry. There is no editorial shortlist, and nothing on this page is paid: no sponsored placement runs on alternatives pages and the order cannot be bought. Softwr has not used these products.
- Where can I compare Simplecast against one of these directly?
- Every alternative below has a side-by-side page against Simplecast covering price, platforms, features and what each one is used for. Those pages read the full record for both products rather than the summary shown here.
- Does this list cover every podcasting tool?
- No. It covers what this directory holds in the Podcasting category, 22 tools beside Simplecast. The category page lists the rest of the catalogue as it grows.