Software · head to head
Glow.fm vs Libsyn
The short version
- Only Glow.fm has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- 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.; Libsyn basic plan at $12 per month allows only 3 hours of audio upload per month
- They diverge on capability: Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds, Libsyn covers Reliable hosting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Glow.fm and Libsyn 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 Glow.fm
- Private RSS feeds
- Any app support
- Tiered subscriptions
- Subscriber management
- Payment processing
- Analytics
- All podcast apps
- Stripe
Only in Libsyn
- Reliable hosting
- Advanced analytics
- Monetization platform
- Distribution network
- Custom website
- Ad insertion
- 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 Libsyn
- Subscriber contentnot Libsyn
- Membership tiersnot Libsyn
- Direct monetizationnot Libsyn
Libsyn
- Hosting podcast audio and distributing it to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTubenot Glow.fm
- Measuring audience with IAB certified download statisticsnot Glow.fm
- Monetising shows through advertising on enterprise plansnot 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.
Libsyn
- Basic plan at $12 per month allows only 3 hours of audio upload per month
- Advanced IAB verified stats require the $25 per month Advanced plan; Basic gets basic stats only
- Spotify video distribution requires the Advanced or Max plan
- Dynamic ad insertion sits on Professional and Enterprise plans that are quoted by sales with no published rate
- The top published tier, Max at $150 per month, still caps audio uploads at 55 hours per month
Pricing, plan by plan
Glow.fm
Free- StandardFree
- Private RSS feeds
- Any podcast app support
- Subscription management
Libsyn
$5/month- Classic 50$5/month
- 50 MB monthly storage
- Basic statistics
- Podcast page
- Classic 150$15/month
- 150 MB monthly storage
- Advanced statistics
- Custom website
- Advanced 400$20/month
- 400 MB monthly storage
- Premium analytics
- Multiple shows
- Advanced 800$40/month
- 800 MB monthly storage
- Full analytics suite
- Priority support
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.
Choose Libsyn if
- You need reliable hosting.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want advanced analytics.
Questions people ask
- Is Glow.fm or Libsyn better?
- Neither clearly leads. Glow.fm starts at Free and Libsyn at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Glow.fm or Libsyn?
- Glow.fm has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Glow.fm and $5/month for Libsyn.
- Does Glow.fm or Libsyn run on more platforms?
- Glow.fm runs on Web. Libsyn runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Glow.fm for free?
- Yes. Glow.fm has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Libsyn starts at $5/month.
- 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 Libsyn is typically brought in for.
- What can Glow.fm do that Libsyn cannot?
- Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds, Any app support, Tiered subscriptions, Subscriber management. Libsyn covers Reliable hosting, Advanced analytics, Monetization platform, Distribution network. Both handle Web support.
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