Podbean vs Simplecast Comparison 2026
Podbean bundles three monetization tools into hosting, a patron programme, an ad marketplace and premium episodes, free account with limited storage and then $12 to $99 a month as bands lift storage and open those tools. Simplecast has no free plan at all and no built-in monetization marketplace; instead it measures downloads to the IAB standard with analytics broken out by episode, device and market, from $15 a month, or $13.50 prepaid annually, for 20,000 downloads. Podbean suits a show hunting for its own revenue; Simplecast suits a show that already has a sponsor or a network and needs reporting that holds up as a deliverable.
Podcast hosting with the money side built in
Podcast hosting with analytics worth reading
At a glance
- Podbean starts cheaper, at $12.
- Only Podbean has a free tier.
Side by side
Podbean | Simplecast | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $12 | From $15 |
| Pricing model (they differ) | Free plan, paid tiers | Free trial, then paid |
| Free tier (they differ) | Yes | No |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | 14 days |
| API |
Podbean
Podcast hosting with the money side built in
Podbean hosts a show and then tries to pay for it: a patron programme, dynamic ad insertion against its own advertiser marketplace, and premium episodes sold per episode or by subscription. That is a different shape from hosts that stop at the RSS feed, and it suits a show whose audience is small enough that a network will not call back. The free account exists to get a first episode published; the paid bands lift storage and open the monetization tools.
Our note
Read the terms on the ad marketplace and the patron programme before treating the quoted monthly fee as the whole cost, since neither cut is published beside the plans. As hosting alone this is mid-priced; the reason to pick it is wanting the monetization side switched on.
Only on this side
- Covers monetization & payments
Simplecast
Podcast hosting with analytics worth reading
Simplecast is hosting for shows that answer to somebody, whether that is a network, a sponsor or a client. Downloads are measured to the IAB standard, listener numbers are broken out by episode and market, and the embeddable player is one of the few that does not look borrowed. Distribution to the directories is handled once at setup. Plans are sold by monthly download allowance rather than by episode count, so a show that publishes often is not penalised for it.
Why people weigh these two
- Simplecast instead of Podbean
- Simplecast leads with analytics worth reading rather than Podbean's built-in monetization tools, from $15 on a trial with no free plan against Podbean's $12 and a free tier.
- Podbean instead of Simplecast
- Podbean bundles listener payments and monetization into the hosting itself, with a free tier before a $12 plan, where Simplecast leaves monetization to a sponsor deal.
Which one should you pick
Pick Podbean if the show needs to find its own monetization: a patron programme, an ad marketplace and premium episodes are all switched on from the same account rather than wired together from three tools. Paid bands start at $12 a month, though what each tool actually takes from earnings is not published on the pricing page.
Pick Simplecast if a sponsor or network is already involved and the analytics are part of what you owe them: IAB-certified measurement and market-level breakdowns are the reason to pay $15 a month, or $13.50 prepaid annually, for 20,000 downloads. Plans are sized by monthly downloads rather than episode count, so publishing often costs nothing extra.
Common questions
- Which is better for reporting to an existing sponsor, Podbean or Simplecast?
- Simplecast, by design: its downloads are measured to the IAB standard with breakdowns by episode, device and market, which is what a rate card or a sponsor report actually needs. Podbean's analytics are not described to that same standard.
- Does Simplecast have monetization tools like Podbean's ad marketplace?
- No, that is not part of what Simplecast offers; it focuses on hosting and analytics rather than finding advertisers or supporters for you. Podbean bundles a patron programme, an ad marketplace and premium episode sales into its paid plans.
- Which has a free plan, Podbean or Simplecast?
- Podbean does, with limited storage. Simplecast has no free tier at all, only a 14-day trial the vendor describes as commitment free, starting at $15 a month once it ends.
- Are Simplecast's plans priced by episode count like some hosts?
- No, they are priced by monthly download allowance instead, 20,000 on the $15 Basic plan, so a show that publishes often is not penalised for posting more episodes.
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.