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Buzzsprout vs Glow.fm

Buzzsprout logo

Buzzsprout

Software

Simple and powerful podcast hosting made easy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Glow.fm logo

Glow.fm

Software

Premium podcast subscriptions made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Buzzsprout upload hours do not carry over monthly; unused allocation lost; Glow.fm the Internet Archive's capture of Glow's pricing page on 6 December 2021 listed Basic starting at $0/month plus $0.55 per listener per month or $2 per one-time purchase, and Professional starting at $300/month for unlimited listeners with podcast hosting capped at 150,000 downloads per month; card processing adds $0.30 plus 2.9% per transaction on both tiers.
  • They diverge on capability: Buzzsprout covers Audio optimization, Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Buzzsprout and Glow.fm actually diverge.

Attributes where Buzzsprout and Glow.fm differ
AttributeBuzzsproutGlow.fm
Pricing modelfreemiumtransaction
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb
Founded20092019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Buzzsprout

  • Audio optimization
  • Automatic distribution
  • Episode transcription
  • Custom podcast website
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Magic Mastering
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify

Only in Glow.fm

  • Private RSS feeds
  • Any app support
  • Tiered subscriptions
  • Subscriber management
  • Payment processing
  • Analytics
  • All podcast apps
  • Stripe

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Buzzsprout

  • Podcast hostingnot Glow.fm
  • Audio and video podcast distributionnot Glow.fm
  • Transcription and show notes generationnot Glow.fm
  • Podcast analytics and monetisationnot Glow.fm

Glow.fm

  • Premium podcastsnot Buzzsprout
  • Subscriber contentnot Buzzsprout
  • Membership tiersnot Buzzsprout
  • Direct monetizationnot Buzzsprout

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Buzzsprout

  • Upload hours do not carry over monthly; unused allocation lost
  • Overage charges apply at plan rate for additional uploads

Glow.fm

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Glow's pricing page on 6 December 2021 listed Basic starting at $0/month plus $0.55 per listener per month or $2 per one-time purchase, and Professional starting at $300/month for unlimited listeners with podcast hosting capped at 150,000 downloads per month; card processing adds $0.30 plus 2.9% per transaction on both tiers.

Pricing, plan by plan

Buzzsprout

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Buzzsprout review.

Glow.fm

Free
  • StandardFree
    • Private RSS feeds
    • Any podcast app support
    • Subscription management

Which should you pick?

Choose Buzzsprout if

  • You need audio optimization.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want automatic distribution.
Buzzsprout review

Choose Glow.fm if

  • You need private rss feeds.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want any app support.
Glow.fm review

Questions people ask

Is Buzzsprout or Glow.fm better?
Neither clearly leads. Buzzsprout starts at Free and Glow.fm at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Buzzsprout or Glow.fm?
Buzzsprout starts at Free and Glow.fm at Free.
Does Buzzsprout or Glow.fm run on more platforms?
Buzzsprout runs on Web, Mobile. Glow.fm runs on Web.
Can I use Buzzsprout for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Buzzsprout best used for?
Buzzsprout is most often used for podcast hosting, audio and video podcast distribution, transcription and show notes generation, podcast analytics and monetisation. Of those, podcast hosting and audio and video podcast distribution are not what Glow.fm is typically brought in for.
What can Buzzsprout do that Glow.fm cannot?
Buzzsprout covers Audio optimization, Automatic distribution, Episode transcription, Custom podcast website. Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds, Any app support, Tiered subscriptions, Subscriber management. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

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