7 Best Free Podcast Hosting Solutions Compared for 2025

You want to start a podcast. You don’t want to pay to host it. Does it sound like you? Good news: it’s pretty doable.

I pulled together the best free places to host a podcast as of now in 2025. No fluff. Just names, links, and the key stuff you need to know, like storage, limits, and ease of use.

These aren’t “maybe free” or “free for seven days” tools. They’re actually free.

If you’re trying to get your show out without spending cash, this list will save you time and headaches.

Let’s start with a quick summary for those of you in a hurry:

• 👉 “Wait, do I even need podcast hosting?” – I guess this is something you might be wondering. Here’s your answer.
• 👉 “How come free podcast hosting can afford to be free?” – Another excellent question. Here’s your answer.

Let’s move onto the list! Here’s the first player to enter the game:

1. Spotify for Creators

Spotify for Creators (formerly Spotify for Podcasters, and formerly Anchor) is one of the few truly free podcast hosts. You get unlimited uploads, no storage caps, and no limit on episode length. It’s tied directly into Spotify, which means your show appears there automatically.

It also has a clean, simple dashboard. Great if you’re just getting started. You can only host one podcast per account, though. Want a second show? You’ll need a new login.

It does offer monetization, but don’t expect cash right away. Ads are invite-only. Listener donations need at least 100 unique listeners in 60 days, and they’re US-only.

There’s a mobile app, but its editing tools are basic. Support is mostly just help docs. Still, if your budget is zero and you want to start fast, this is one of the easiest options.

2. Acast

Acast, among other things, offers a free podcast hosting plan. But it comes with a few strings. You can only host one show, and it’s capped at five episodes. Once you hit that limit, your oldest episodes drop off unless you upgrade or qualify for ads.

The platform gives you clean tools, analytics, and a basic webpage. Your show also gets wide distribution to all the popular platforms. Additionally, you can use Podcastle with Acast for recording and editing. That’s handy if you don’t already have a setup.

The twist? If Acast thinks your show can run ads, they might let you stay free with no episode limit. You get a cut of ad revenue, but the bar to qualify isn’t public.

There’s no hard cap on downloads…just that five-episode wall. Want more features, multiple shows, or your own site style? You’ll need to pay.

Acast works well for short-run series or people ready to monetize fast.

3. RedCircle

RedCircle gives you free hosting with no limits on storage, episodes, or downloads. That’s rare. You can post as many episodes as you want, and your feed stays open and accessible.

The free plan includes detailed analytics and built-in ways to earn. You can accept donations or offer bonus content to paying subscribers. And that’s all included, no upgrade needed.

Once you hit 500 downloads per week, you can join their ad platform. RedCircle adds ads to your show, and you earn a share. They take a cut, but there’s no monthly fee.

You only get one podcast per free account. Some other perks, like ad-swapping with other shows or advanced tools, are also locked behind the paid plan.

It’s a clean platform with solid tools made for indie creators. Just know that most of the cool growth features kick in later.

4. Pinecast

Pinecast gives you a “free forever” plan, but it’s built for rather small shows or short runs. You can post as many episodes as you want, but only your 10 most recent will show up on podcast apps. The rest are hidden unless you pay.

You get an RSS feed, basic stats, and a plain podcast page. Nothing fancy. No built-in recording tools either.

One nice touch is their tip jar. You can collect listener donations right away, and Pinecast doesn’t take a cut (payment processors still do). There’s no ad platform or subscriber paywall here, so it’s all DIY if you want to earn.

Each free account can host two separate shows, which is rare. Great if you’re testing different ideas.

There’s a file size cap at 48 MB per episode. That’s fine for most, but if you’re doing hour-long shows with higher quality, watch your bitrate.

Distribution is manual. You’ll need to copy your RSS feed and submit to Spotify, Apple, etc. yourself.

If you just want a simple, no-pressure way to get your podcast out, Pinecast works.

5. Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout is built for beginners. The dashboard is clean, uploading is simple, and it handles all the technical stuff like tagging and file compression for you. It also submits your podcast to big platforms like Apple and Spotify automatically.

But the free plan comes with tight limits. You get 2 hours of uploads per month, and each episode disappears after 90 days. That makes it fine for testing the waters or running a short series, but not for anything long-term unless you upgrade.

You get a website, a slick player to embed, and clear analytics. But no built-in ways to earn money on the free tier. If you want to take donations or run ads, you’ll need to pay and meet certain download requirements.

Bottom line is that Buzzsprout makes podcasting easy and fast. But the free plan is more of a trial than a real home for an ongoing show.

6. Spreaker

Spreaker is one of the only free hosts that lets you earn money right away. Even on the free plan, you can turn on ads and get paid. No minimum audience needed.

It also comes with something most others skip, built-in recording and live streaming. You can go live straight from your browser or the mobile app. That’s rare and kind of fun if you want to test out live podcasting.

But there’s a catch. The free tier only gives you five total hours of storage. You can upload as many episodes as you want, but all of them combined can’t go over five hours.

You get one show per free account. Distribution is smooth with one-click push to places like Spotify, Apple, and more – even iHeartRadio.

Stats are basic – plays and downloads. Customization is limited too. But for a hobbyist looking to experiment or make a small show that pays a little, Spreaker’s free plan is unique.

7. Podbean

Podbean gives you solid tools on the free plan, but they come with tight limits. You get five hours of total storage, not monthly – lifetime. Once you hit that, you’ll need to delete old episodes or upgrade. There’s also a 100 GB/month download cap.

You can host one podcast per account. The RSS feed will only list your 20 most recent episodes, even if you’ve uploaded more.

That said, Podbean stands out by offering live podcast streaming, even on the free tier. That’s rare. You can go live, take listener questions, and save the episode for later.

You also get basic stats, a customizable website, and a built-in player for embedding. Distribution is nice and Podbean helps push your show to various platforms.

Monetization tools exist, like ads and paid subscriptions, but they’re mostly locked behind the paid plans. You can still promote your own donation links if needed.

If you’re starting small or experimenting, Podbean’s free plan is enough.

“Wait, do I even need podcast hosting?”

This is a valid question to ask – I’ll give you that. After all, why not just upload your podcast episodes directly to your website or post them on YouTube for free?

Sure, this is one of the solutions. But if you do it that way, then you don’t get to have your podcast distributed to the popular podcasting apps or platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Plus, your existing website host doesn’t usually have the setup needed to host a podcast either. Specifically, they don’t have the tools to compress your audio, and, again, won’t distribute your podcast to podcast networks or “podcatchers.”

To achieve all this, you’ll actually need to work with a dedicated podcast host.

Some podcast hosts also offer tools for recording, editing, and even monetizing your podcast. This lets you do all of the important tasks related to running a podcast in one place.

How free podcast hosting works

If podcast hosting is such a specialized service, how can companies afford to provide it for free? Well, free podcast hosting services typically use several business models to monetize their platforms while providing free service:

Chief of them is the freemium model. So basic hosting might be free, but advanced features like detailed analytics, more storage, or better distribution require paid upgrades. Then, of course, we have advertising. Though in this case, it’s the hosts who place ads in the podcast player (not you). Sometimes they even insert ads into podcasts themselves. We also can’t forget about data collection. And in this case, you’re the one who’s getting collected. Gathering audience data that can be valuable for targeting or market research for those platforms.

Last but not least, some hosting services are owned by larger companies using free hosting to funnel users to their other services. For instance, Spotify for Creators offers completely free hosting partly to grow Spotify’s podcast ecosystem, while others like Pinecast or Buzzsprout limit storage or listening hours on free plans.

Final advice on the best free podcast hosting 🏁

If you want to build a WordPress site for your podcast, check out this in-depth guide on how to go from zero to a fully functioning podcast website.

Do you have any questions about starting a podcast with these services? Ask away in the comments below!