Buzzsprout vs Spreaker Comparison 2026
Buzzsprout hosts a podcast and stops there: statistics, distribution and, one tier up, a video version of the episode. Spreaker hosts a show and sells advertising against it from day one, with dynamic ad insertion that can refill a slot after an episode already went out. Its Free Speech plan costs nothing but takes a 20 percent cut of anything a supporters club earns; paying $20 a month for On Air Talent drops that cut to nothing. Pick Spreaker for monetization built around the hosting, and Buzzsprout for hosting with no cut of anything taken.
Podcast hosting that publishes the video too
Hosting with programmatic ads on the free plan
At a glance
- Buzzsprout starts cheaper, at $15.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
Buzzsprout | Spreaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $15 | From $20 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Not stated | Not stated |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
Buzzsprout
Podcast hosting that publishes the video too
Buzzsprout hosts a podcast, submits it to the directories and reports back with statistics that are actually readable, which is the reason it keeps being the recommendation for a first show. Upload time is the meter rather than episode count, and the plans are sold as hours a year. One tier up, the same episode is published as video to Apple, Spotify and YouTube from the same upload. Anybody who wants a subscription paywall around episodes will need something else beside it.
Our note
Seventy-two hours a year is about ninety minutes a week, which is more headroom than a new show needs and worth checking against an interview format that runs long. Take the video tier only if you will actually post to YouTube, since the audio plan does everything a podcast strictly requires.
Only on this side
- Works with YouTube
Spreaker
Hosting with programmatic ads on the free plan
Spreaker hosts a show and sells advertising against it, which is the reason to pick it over a host that only stores files. Dynamic ad insertion means a slot can be filled and refilled after an episode is published, so a back catalogue keeps earning. The free plan carries a storage cap and takes a fifth of anything a supporters club brings in. Paid plans drop that fee to nothing and raise the limits.
Why people weigh these two
- Spreaker instead of Buzzsprout
- Spreaker hosts the show and runs programmatic ads even on its free plan, with paid from $20, a fit for monetizing early.
- Buzzsprout instead of Spreaker
- Buzzsprout also publishes the video version alongside the audio, with a free tier before a $15 plan, video reach that Spreaker's plan does not mention.
Which one should you pick
Take Buzzsprout for a show that wants hosting, distribution and readable statistics, and nothing about revenue sharing to think through. Audio is $15 a month billed annually for 72 hours of upload a year, and a free plan exists to try first. There is no supporters club and no ad marketplace here, only the option to publish video one tier up for $25.
Take Spreaker if earning from the show is part of the plan from the first upload. Free Speech costs nothing but keeps 20 percent of supporters club income; On Air Talent at $20 a month removes that cut and adds live episodes and IAB-measured statistics. Programmatic advertising is available even on the free plan, which is unusual among hosts, so check the actual ad revenue share through the programme rather than assuming the page states it.
Common questions
- Can I make money directly through Buzzsprout?
- Not through the platform itself. Buzzsprout hosts, distributes and reports statistics, with no supporters club or ad marketplace attached. Spreaker builds both in: a supporters club at every tier and programmatic advertising available even on its free plan.
- What does Spreaker's free plan cost in revenue share?
- Free Speech keeps 20 percent of whatever a supporters club brings in, on top of a storage cap. Paying $20 a month for On Air Talent drops that cut to nothing and raises the storage limit at the same time.
- Which one is cheaper to start on?
- Buzzsprout's Audio plan is $15 a month billed annually. Spreaker's first paid tier, On Air Talent, is $20 a month. Both also offer a free plan, though Spreaker's free plan takes a cut of supporters club income and Buzzsprout's does not, because Buzzsprout has no supporters club at all.
- Does either one stream a live episode?
- Spreaker does, from the app or its desktop console, and keeps the recording as the published episode. Buzzsprout's listing does not list live broadcasting among its features.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.