Software · head to head
Libsyn vs Glow.fm
The short version
- Only Glow.fm has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Libsyn basic plan at $12 per month allows only 3 hours of audio upload per month; 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.
- They diverge on capability: Libsyn covers Reliable hosting, Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Libsyn and Glow.fm 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 Libsyn
- Reliable hosting
- Advanced analytics
- Monetization platform
- Distribution network
- Custom website
- Ad insertion
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
Only in Glow.fm
- Private RSS feeds
- Any app support
- Tiered subscriptions
- Subscriber management
- Payment processing
- Analytics
- All podcast apps
- Stripe
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
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
Glow.fm
- Premium podcastsnot Libsyn
- Subscriber contentnot Libsyn
- Membership tiersnot Libsyn
- Direct monetizationnot Libsyn
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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.
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Glow.fm
Free- StandardFree
- Private RSS feeds
- Any podcast app support
- Subscription management
Which should you pick?
Choose Libsyn if
- You need reliable hosting.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want advanced analytics.
Choose Glow.fm if
- You need private rss feeds.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want any app support.
Questions people ask
- Is Libsyn or Glow.fm better?
- Neither clearly leads. Libsyn starts at $5/month and Glow.fm at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Libsyn or Glow.fm?
- Glow.fm has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Libsyn and Free for Glow.fm.
- Does Libsyn or Glow.fm run on more platforms?
- Libsyn runs on Web, Ios, Android. Glow.fm runs on Web.
- 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 Libsyn best used for?
- Libsyn is most often used for hosting podcast audio and distributing it to apple podcasts, spotify and youtube, measuring audience with iab certified download statistics, monetising shows through advertising on enterprise plans. Of those, hosting podcast audio and distributing it to apple podcasts, spotify and youtube and measuring audience with iab certified download statistics are not what Glow.fm is typically brought in for.
- What can Libsyn do that Glow.fm cannot?
- Libsyn covers Reliable hosting, Advanced analytics, Monetization platform, Distribution network. Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds, Any app support, Tiered subscriptions, Subscriber management. Both handle Web support.
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