Software · head to head
Buzzsprout vs Transistor
Transistor
Software
Professional podcast hosting for businesses and creators
- From
- $19/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Buzzsprout has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Buzzsprout upload hours do not carry over monthly; unused allocation lost; Transistor starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
- They diverge on capability: Buzzsprout covers Audio optimization, Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Buzzsprout and Transistor actually diverge.
| Attribute | Buzzsprout | Transistor |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $19/month |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile | Web |
| Founded | 2009 | 2018 |
Identical on both: 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
- WordPress
- Social media
Only in Transistor
- Unlimited podcasts
- Private podcasting
- Advanced analytics
- Team collaboration
- Custom branding
- API access
- Slack
- Zapier
Both cover
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Google Podcasts
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Buzzsprout
- Podcast hostingnot Transistor
- Audio and video podcast distributionnot Transistor
- Transcription and show notes generationnot Transistor
- Podcast analytics and monetisationnot Transistor
Transistor
- Hosting and distributing multiple podcasts from one accountnot Buzzsprout
- Running private, subscriber-only podcast feedsnot Buzzsprout
- Publishing podcast websites and inserting dynamic audio adsnot 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
Transistor
- Starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
- Private podcast subscribers are capped at 50 on Starter and 500 on Professional
- Dynamic ad insertion and auto-posting to YouTube require the $49 per month Professional plan or higher
- Removing Transistor branding requires the $99 per month Business plan
- Enterprise plans above 250,000 monthly downloads start at $199 per month and require contacting the vendor
Pricing, plan by plan
Buzzsprout
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Buzzsprout review.
Transistor
$19/month- Starter$19/month
- Unlimited podcasts
- 10,000 downloads/month
- Basic analytics
- Professional$49/month
- Unlimited podcasts
- 50,000 downloads/month
- Advanced analytics
- Business$99/month
- Unlimited podcasts
- 150,000 downloads/month
- Full analytics
- Enterprise$199/month
- Unlimited everything
- 300,000+ downloads
- Priority support
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Buzzsprout or Transistor better?
- Neither clearly leads. Buzzsprout starts at Free and Transistor at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Buzzsprout or Transistor?
- Buzzsprout has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Buzzsprout and $19/month for Transistor.
- Does Buzzsprout or Transistor run on more platforms?
- Buzzsprout runs on Web, Mobile. Transistor runs on Web.
- Can I use Buzzsprout for free?
- Yes. Buzzsprout has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Transistor starts at $19/month.
- 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 Transistor is typically brought in for.
- What can Buzzsprout do that Transistor cannot?
- Buzzsprout covers Audio optimization, Automatic distribution, Episode transcription, Custom podcast website. Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts, Private podcasting, Advanced analytics, Team collaboration. Both handle Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Web support.
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