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Podcasting · head to head

Glow.fm vs Simplecast

Glow.fm logo

Glow.fm

Podcasting

Premium podcast subscriptions made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Simplecast logo

Simplecast

Podcasting

Hosting for professional podcast networks

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.; Simplecast basic plan at $15 per month includes only 20,000 monthly downloads and 2 team seats
  • They diverge on capability: Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds, Simplecast covers Unlimited hosting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Glow.fm and Simplecast differ
AttributeGlow.fmSimplecast
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20192014

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Podcasting).

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
  • All podcast apps
  • Stripe
  • Email platforms

Only in Simplecast

  • Unlimited hosting
  • Dynamic ad insertion
  • Distribution
  • Team collaboration
  • API access
  • All podcast platforms
  • Advertising networks
  • CMS systems

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Glow.fm

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

Simplecast

  • Hosting podcasts with per-episode analytics and audience metricsnot Glow.fm
  • Distributing shows to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other directoriesnot Glow.fm
  • Monetising podcasts through dynamic ad insertion at the Professional tiernot 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.

Simplecast

  • Basic plan at $15 per month includes only 20,000 monthly downloads and 2 team seats
  • Essential plan at $35 per month includes 50,000 monthly downloads and 4 team seats
  • Dynamic ad insertion and campaign management are only on the Professional plan, which is quoted by sales with no published rate
  • API access for publishing and campaign management is Enterprise only
  • Annual prepayment is required to get the 10 percent discount

Pricing, plan by plan

Glow.fm

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

Simplecast

$15/month
  • Basic$15/month
    • Annual option: $13.50/month when prepaid
    • 2 team seats
    • Unlimited storage
  • Essential$35/month
    • Annual option: $31.50/month when prepaid
    • 4 team seats
    • Everything in Basic plus additional web players
  • Professional$null/custom
    • Contact sales for custom pricing
    • Dynamic ad insertion
    • Campaign management
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Contact sales for custom features
    • Everything in Professional plus API integration
    • White-labeled RSS

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 Simplecast if

  • You need unlimited hosting.
  • You also want dynamic ad insertion.
Simplecast review

Questions people ask

Is Glow.fm or Simplecast better?
Neither clearly leads. Glow.fm starts at Free and Simplecast at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Glow.fm or Simplecast?
Glow.fm has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Glow.fm and $15/month for Simplecast.
Does Glow.fm or Simplecast run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Glow.fm for free?
Yes. Glow.fm has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Simplecast starts at $15/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 Simplecast is typically brought in for.
What can Glow.fm do that Simplecast cannot?
Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds, Any app support, Tiered subscriptions, Subscriber management. Simplecast covers Unlimited hosting, Dynamic ad insertion, Distribution, Team collaboration. Both handle Analytics, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Simplecast: How much does Simplecast cost?

Simplecast offers a 14-day free trial (no credit card required) followed by paid plans starting at $15/month for Basic ($13.50/month annual) and $35/month for Essential ($31.50/month annual). Professional and Enterprise plans require contacting sales for custom pricing.

Source
Simplecast: Can I change my Simplecast plan anytime?

Yes. Plan changes are allowed anytime with prorated adjustments. You can cancel anytime with no long-term contracts or penalties.

Source
Simplecast: What is included in the Basic plan?

The Basic plan ($15/month or $13.50/month annually) includes 2 team seats, unlimited storage, distribution to all platforms, basic analytics, custom domain website, and 20,000 downloads per month.

Source
Simplecast: What makes the Essential plan different from Basic?

The Essential plan ($35/month or $31.50/month annually) adds 2 more team seats (4 total), comparative analytics, location analytics, unique listener reports, and increases the monthly download allowance to 50,000.

Source
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