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Software · head to head

Glow.fm vs Buzzsprout

Glow.fm logo

Glow.fm

Software

Premium podcast subscriptions made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Buzzsprout logo

Buzzsprout

Software

Simple and powerful podcast hosting made easy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Buzzsprout upload hours do not carry over monthly; unused allocation lost
  • They diverge on capability: Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds, Buzzsprout covers Audio optimization.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Glow.fm and Buzzsprout differ
AttributeGlow.fmBuzzsprout
Pricing modeltransactionfreemium
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile
Founded20192009

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 Glow.fm

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

Only in Buzzsprout

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Glow.fm

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

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

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Buzzsprout

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Glow.fm

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

Buzzsprout

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Buzzsprout review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Glow.fm if

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

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

Questions people ask

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

More on Glow.fm

More on Buzzsprout

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