Podbean vs Spreaker Comparison 2026
Podbean bundles a patron programme, an ad marketplace and premium episode sales into hosting, free account with limited storage and then $12 to $99 a month, though its own listing admits what each monetization tool actually takes from earnings is not stated on the pricing page. Spreaker is more specific about at least one number: its free Free Speech plan takes 20 percent of supporters club income, dropping to nothing once you pay $20 a month for On Air Talent. Spreaker also broadcasts live and keeps the recording as the episode, which Podbean does not describe. Between the two, Spreaker states more of its monetization math up front.
Podcast hosting with the money side built in
Hosting with programmatic ads on the free plan
At a glance
- Podbean starts cheaper, at $12.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
Podbean | Spreaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $12 | From $20 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Not stated |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
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
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 Podbean
- Spreaker puts programmatic ads on its free plan itself, paid from $20 against Podbean's $12, for a show that wants ad revenue running before it pays for hosting at all.
- Podbean instead of Spreaker
- Podbean bundles listener payments in with the ad side, with a free tier before a $12 plan, a broader set of monetization options on one hosting account.
Which one should you pick
Pick Podbean for three monetization routes tried from one account, a patron programme, an ad marketplace and premium episodes, at paid bands starting $12 a month. Read the terms on each before assuming the quoted fee is the whole cost, since none of the cuts are published.
Pick Spreaker if broadcasting live and turning the recording straight into an episode matters, or if a stated fee on at least one revenue stream, 20 percent on free supporters club income, nothing once paid, is worth more to you than Podbean's unpublished terms. Free Speech starts at $0 with a storage cap, and On Air Talent at $20 a month removes both the cap and the supporters club fee.
Common questions
- Does either state exactly what percentage it takes from monetization?
- Spreaker states one number clearly: 20 percent of supporters club income on the free plan, dropping to nothing on paid plans from $20 a month. Podbean's pricing page does not state what its patron programme or ad marketplace take from earnings.
- Can I broadcast live and publish the recording as an episode on either?
- Yes on Spreaker, stated as a feature: broadcast live from the app or desktop console and keep the recording as the episode. Podbean's listing does not describe an equivalent live-broadcast-to-episode workflow.
- Which is cheaper, Podbean or Spreaker?
- Both start free, but Spreaker's free plan takes a 20 percent cut of supporters club income while it is free. Podbean's paid bands start at $12 a month against Spreaker's $20 for the tier that drops the supporters fee to zero, so Podbean's entry paid price is lower.
- Does Spreaker sell ads for you the way Podbean's marketplace does?
- Yes, dynamic ad insertion fills and refills slots after publishing, similar in spirit to Podbean's ad marketplace, though Spreaker's ad revenue share is negotiated through its programme rather than published on the pricing page either.
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.