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Podcast & Audio Publishing · head to head

Podbean vs Transistor

Podbean logo

Podbean

Podcast & Audio Publishing

All-in-one podcast hosting with built-in monetization

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Transistor logo

Transistor

Podcast & Audio Publishing

Professional podcast hosting for businesses and creators

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Podbean has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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; Transistor starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
  • They diverge on capability: Podbean covers Unlimited hosting, Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Podbean and Transistor actually diverge.

Attributes where Podbean and Transistor differ
AttributePodbeanTransistor
Starting priceFree$19/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded20062018

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Podcast & Audio Publishing).

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 Podbean

  • Unlimited hosting
  • Built-in monetization
  • Live streaming
  • Video podcasting
  • Podcast app
  • Premium content
  • Amazon Music
  • Social media

Only in Transistor

  • Unlimited podcasts
  • Private podcasting
  • Advanced analytics
  • Team collaboration
  • Custom branding
  • API access
  • Google Podcasts
  • Slack

Both cover

  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Podbean

  • Hosting and distributing a podcast with an RSS feed and playernot Transistor
  • Running multiple shows or a private internal podcastnot Transistor

Transistor

  • Hosting and distributing multiple podcasts from one accountnot Podbean
  • Running private, subscriber-only podcast feedsnot Podbean
  • Publishing podcast websites and inserting dynamic audio adsnot Podbean

Where each one falls short

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

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

Transistor

  • Starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
  • Private podcast subscribers are capped at 50 on Starter and 500 on Professional
  • Dynamic ad insertion and auto-posting to YouTube require the $49 per month Professional plan or higher
  • Removing Transistor branding requires the $99 per month Business plan
  • Enterprise plans above 250,000 monthly downloads start at $199 per month and require contacting the vendor

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Transistor

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 10,000 downloads/month
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$49/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 50,000 downloads/month
    • Advanced analytics
  • Business$99/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 150,000 downloads/month
    • Full analytics
  • Enterprise$199/month
    • Unlimited everything
    • 300,000+ downloads
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Podbean if

  • You need unlimited hosting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want built-in monetization.
Podbean review

Choose Transistor if

  • You need unlimited podcasts.
  • You also want private podcasting.
Transistor review

Questions people ask

Is Podbean or Transistor better?
Neither clearly leads. Podbean starts at Free and Transistor at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Podbean or Transistor?
Podbean has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Podbean and $19/month for Transistor.
Does Podbean or Transistor run on more platforms?
Podbean runs on Web, Ios, Android. Transistor runs on Web.
Can I use Podbean for free?
Yes. Podbean has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Transistor starts at $19/month.
What is Podbean best used for?
Podbean is most often used for hosting and distributing a podcast with an rss feed and player, running multiple shows or a private internal podcast. Of those, hosting and distributing a podcast with an rss feed and player and running multiple shows or a private internal podcast are not what Transistor is typically brought in for.
What can Podbean do that Transistor cannot?
Podbean covers Unlimited hosting, Built-in monetization, Live streaming, Video podcasting. Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts, Private podcasting, Advanced analytics, Team collaboration. Both handle Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Web support.
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