Buzzsprout vs Podbean: which costs less?
For a new show (1,000 downloads), Podbean is cheaper (Buzzsprout Audio $18 vs Podbean Unlimited Audio $17 a month). Across the 7 needs below, Buzzsprout is cheaper in 2 and Podbean in 5.
Last checked 2026-10-18 on the official pages.
Monthly cost for each need
Cheapest fitting plan of each, monthly billing, add-ons included.
| Need | Buzzsprout | Podbean | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| a new show (1,000 downloads) | Audio $18 | Unlimited Audio $17 | Podbean by $1 |
| 10,000 downloads a month | Audio $18 | Unlimited Audio $17 | Podbean by $1 |
| 50,000 downloads a month | Audio $18 | Unlimited Audio $17 | Podbean by $1 |
| 150,000 downloads a month | Audio $18 | Unlimited Audio $17 | Podbean by $1 |
| 3 podcasts, 10,000 downloads | Multi-Podcast (5 shows) $36 | Network $99 | Buzzsprout by $63 |
| a video podcast, 5,000 downloads | Audio + Video $30 | Unlimited Plus $39 | Buzzsprout by $9 |
| a daily show (12 upload hours a month) | Multi-Podcast (5 shows) $36 | Unlimited Audio $17 | Podbean by $19 |
Your own numbers · Buzzsprout pricing · Podbean pricing
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Visit Podbean (official site) ↗
Buzzsprout plans
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually (per month) | Podcasts | Downloads / month | Upload hours / month | Video podcast | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audio | $18/mo | $15/mo | 1 | no cap stated | 6 | not stated | 6 upload hours a month (72 a year on annual billing) |
| Audio + Video | $30/mo | $25/mo | 1 | no cap stated | 6 | yes | Video on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube; 6 upload hours a month |
| Multi-Podcast (5 shows) | $36/mo | $30/mo | 5 | no cap stated | 15 | not stated | Audio, up to 5 podcasts, 15 upload hours a month shared (the 10-podcast and video variants are priced in a selector and not tracked) |
Podbean plans
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually (per month) | Podcasts | Downloads / month | Upload hours / month | Video podcast | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Audio | $17/mo | $12/mo | 1 | no cap stated | 16 | not stated | 1GB uploads a month (16 hrs audio); unmetered bandwidth |
| Unlimited Plus | $39/mo | $29/mo | 2 | no cap stated | 160 | yes | 2 audio or video podcasts; 10GB a month (160 hrs audio or 10 hrs video) |
| Network | $99/mo | $79/mo | unlimited / no cap stated | 3TB bandwidth a month (not converted to downloads) | 660 | yes | Unlimited podcasts; 40GB a month (660 hrs audio or 40 hrs video); 3TB bandwidth |
| Business | $129/mo | $99/mo | 2 | no cap stated | 660 | yes | Unlimited private + 2 public podcasts; 40GB a month |
Total = plan price + any paid extra podcasts. Download and upload caps are the plan limits each host states; 'no cap stated' means the pricing page sets none (most call it unlimited or unmetered); Fireside and Podbean Network cap bandwidth in GB/TB, which is shown but not converted to downloads. Upload hours are audio hours (video uses more storage). 'Video podcast' = the host lists video podcast hosting on that plan. monthly price = no annual price is published as a number, so the monthly price is used. Ties are broken by name. Affiliate status is never used.
Frequently asked questions
Is Buzzsprout cheaper than Podbean?
For a new show (1,000 downloads), Podbean is cheaper (Buzzsprout Audio $18 vs Podbean Unlimited Audio $17 a month). Across the 7 needs below, Buzzsprout is cheaper in 2 and Podbean in 5.
What do Buzzsprout and Podbean cost per month?
Buzzsprout: Audio $18; Audio + Video $30; Multi-Podcast (5 shows) $36. Podbean: Unlimited Audio $17; Unlimited Plus $39; Network $99; Business $129 (monthly billing where published).
Do Buzzsprout or Podbean have a free trial?
Buzzsprout: free plan to try it, no credit card (limits not listed on the pricing page, so not ranked). Podbean: free account to start.