Software · head to head
Fireside vs Podbean
Podbean
Software
All-in-one podcast hosting with built-in monetization
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Podbean 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; Podbean upload allowance is monthly rather than cumulative, at 1 GB on the entry plan, so a heavy recording month is capped even with unlimited total storage
- They diverge on capability: Fireside covers Community features, Podbean covers Built-in monetization.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Fireside and Podbean actually diverge.
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 Fireside
- Community features
- Distribution
- Analytics
- Listener engagement
- Monetization
- All podcast platforms
- Email services
Only in Podbean
- Built-in monetization
- Live streaming
- Video podcasting
- Podcast app
- Premium content
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Amazon Music
Both cover
- Unlimited hosting
- Social media
- Content protection
- Privacy controls
- 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 Podbean
- Running several shows as a podcast network from one accountnot Podbean
- Tracking episode download metrics and link clicksnot Podbean
Podbean
- Hosting and distributing a podcast with an RSS feed and playernot Fireside
- Running multiple shows or a private internal podcastnot 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
Podbean
- Upload allowance is monthly rather than cumulative, at 1 GB on the entry plan, so a heavy recording month is capped even with unlimited total storage
- The Network plan at $99 a month meters bandwidth at 3 TB while cheaper plans are unmetered, so the middle tier is the only one with a bandwidth ceiling
- Advanced analytics are excluded from every plan below Business
- Private podcasting and live chat support are Business only
- Team members are capped at 50 on Network despite being described as unlimited
Pricing, plan by plan
Fireside
$20/month- Creator$20/month
- Unlimited hosting
- Community features
- Distribution
- Network$50/month
- Multiple shows
- Team management
- Advanced analytics
Podbean
Free- BasicFree
- 5 hours total storage
- 100 GB bandwidth
- Basic analytics
- Unlimited Audio$9/month
- Unlimited storage
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Advanced analytics
- Unlimited Plus$29/month
- All audio features
- Video podcasting
- Live streaming
- Business$99/month
- All features
- Team management
- Enterprise security
Which should you pick?
Choose Podbean if
- You need built-in monetization.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want live streaming.
Questions people ask
- Is Fireside or Podbean better?
- Neither clearly leads. Fireside starts at $20/month and Podbean at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Fireside or Podbean?
- Podbean has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20/month for Fireside and Free for Podbean.
- Does Fireside or Podbean run on more platforms?
- Fireside runs on Web. Podbean runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Podbean for free?
- Yes. Podbean 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 Podbean is typically brought in for.
- What can Fireside do that Podbean cannot?
- Fireside covers Community features, Distribution, Analytics, Listener engagement. Podbean covers Built-in monetization, Live streaming, Video podcasting, Podcast app. Both handle Unlimited hosting, Social media, Content protection, Privacy controls.
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