Buzzsprout vs Transistor Comparison 2026
Buzzsprout hosts a podcast and meters upload hours, with a free plan to start on and video publishing to YouTube one tier up. Transistor charges by monthly downloads instead and puts unlimited podcasts on every plan, which matters to anyone running more than one show or producing for clients. Transistor also supports private paid subscriber feeds; Buzzsprout has no such paywall and says plainly that anyone wanting one needs a separate tool. One is built for a single show growing slowly. The other is built for a producer running several.
Podcast hosting that publishes the video too
Podcast hosting with unlimited shows
At a glance
- Buzzsprout starts cheaper, at $15.
- Only Buzzsprout has a free tier.
Side by side
Buzzsprout | Transistor | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $15 | From $19 |
| Pricing model (they differ) | Free plan, paid tiers | Free trial, then paid |
| Free tier (they differ) | Yes | No |
| Billing | Not stated | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | 14 days |
| API |
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
Transistor
Podcast hosting with unlimited shows
Transistor hosts as many podcasts as you like on one subscription, which matters if you run several or produce for clients. Private feeds make paid subscriber shows straightforward. Analytics are honest rather than flattering.
Why people weigh these two
- Transistor instead of Buzzsprout
- Transistor hosts unlimited shows on one $19 subscription, the better meter for somebody running several podcasts rather than one uneven one.
- Buzzsprout instead of Transistor
- Buzzsprout also publishes the video version of an episode automatically, from $15 with a free tier to try it first.
Which one should you pick
Take Buzzsprout for one show run by one person who wants hosting settled and left alone. The free plan costs nothing to start, and Audio at $15 a month billed annually covers 72 hours of upload a year, about ninety minutes a week, more headroom than a new show usually needs. There is no way to charge listeners directly here, so a paid subscriber feed needs a different tool entirely.
Take Transistor for more than one show, or for any show selling a private paid feed. Starter is $19 a month for 20,000 downloads and 50 private subscribers, and unlimited podcasts sit on every plan including that one, so a second or third show adds no extra bill. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial, so a single hobby podcast will usually find something cheaper elsewhere.
Common questions
- Which one is built for running more than one show?
- Transistor. Unlimited podcasts sit on every plan, starting at $19 a month, so a second or third show never means a second bill. Buzzsprout mentions a separate multi-podcast tier above its standard plans, so extra shows are not included by default.
- Can I sell a private, paid podcast feed?
- Yes, on Transistor: Starter includes 50 private subscribers, rising to 500 on Professional and 3,000 on Business. Buzzsprout has no subscription paywall feature at all, so a paid feed needs a separate membership tool alongside it.
- Does Transistor have a free plan?
- No, only a 14-day trial. Buzzsprout keeps a free plan on offer, though the details sit behind an accordion rather than on the pricing card itself.
- What decides the plan on each one?
- Buzzsprout meters upload hours, 72 a year on Audio, regardless of audience size. Transistor meters monthly downloads instead, starting at 20,000 on Starter, so a growing audience moves the bill there rather than how much gets recorded.
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.