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Podcasting · head to head

Fireside vs HARO

Fireside logo

Fireside

Podcasting

Podcast hosting with community features

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HARO logo

HARO

News

Help A Reporter Out - connecting journalists with expert sources

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only HARO has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Fireside starter plan at $9 per month allows one podcast and 5 episodes per month; HARO hARO was rebranded and phased out by Cision in favor of Connectively (www.connectively.us) starting early 2024, per the vendor's own helpareporter.com notice (Internet Archive capture, 2023)
  • They diverge on capability: Fireside covers Unlimited hosting, HARO covers Daily journalist queries.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fireside and HARO actually diverge.

Attributes where Fireside and HARO differ
AttributeFiresideHARO
Starting price$20/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Email
CategoryPodcastingNews
Founded20182008

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Fireside

  • Unlimited hosting
  • Community features
  • Distribution
  • Analytics
  • Listener engagement
  • Monetization
  • All podcast platforms
  • Email services

Only in HARO

  • Daily journalist queries
  • Source submissions
  • Query archives
  • Response tracking
  • Source directory
  • Email matching
  • Profile management
  • Email

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Fireside

  • Hosting a podcast together with a customisable podcast websitenot HARO
  • Running several shows as a podcast network from one accountnot HARO
  • Tracking episode download metrics and link clicksnot HARO

HARO

  • Finding expert sourcesnot Fireside
  • Press coveragenot Fireside
  • Expert positioningnot Fireside
  • Media relationsnot Fireside

Where each one falls short

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

Fireside

  • Starter plan at $9 per month allows one podcast and 5 episodes per month
  • Custom domain with SSL requires the $19 per month Standard plan; Starter sites sit on a Fireside subdomain
  • Additional podcasts beyond the one included on Standard cost $8 per month each
  • Bandwidth is capped at 1TB per month on Standard and 5TB per month on Professional
  • Advanced download metrics and click tracking require the $49 per month Professional plan

HARO

  • HARO was rebranded and phased out by Cision in favor of Connectively (www.connectively.us) starting early 2024, per the vendor's own helpareporter.com notice (Internet Archive capture, 2023)

Pricing, plan by plan

Fireside

$20/month
  • Creator$20/month
    • Unlimited hosting
    • Community features
    • Distribution
  • Network$50/month
    • Multiple shows
    • Team management
    • Advanced analytics

HARO

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Daily email alerts
    • Query submissions
    • Source directory
  • Pro$19.99/month
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support
    • Analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Fireside if

  • You need unlimited hosting.
  • You also want community features.
Fireside review

Choose HARO if

  • You need daily journalist queries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Email.
  • You also want source submissions.
HARO review

Questions people ask

Is Fireside or HARO better?
Neither clearly leads. Fireside starts at $20/month and HARO at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fireside or HARO?
HARO has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20/month for Fireside and Free for HARO.
Does Fireside or HARO run on more platforms?
Fireside runs on Web. HARO runs on Web, Email.
Can I use HARO for free?
Yes. HARO has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fireside starts at $20/month.
What is Fireside best used for?
Fireside is most often used for hosting a podcast together with a customisable podcast website, running several shows as a podcast network from one account, tracking episode download metrics and link clicks. Of those, hosting a podcast together with a customisable podcast website and running several shows as a podcast network from one account are not what HARO is typically brought in for.
What can Fireside do that HARO cannot?
Fireside covers Unlimited hosting, Community features, Distribution, Analytics. HARO covers Daily journalist queries, Source submissions, Query archives, Response tracking. Both handle Web support.
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