Simplecast vs Transistor Comparison 2026
Simplecast hosts one show with download-based pricing, $15 a month, or $13.50 prepaid annually, for 20,000 downloads a month, and its analytics break listeners out by episode and market for a sponsor to read. Transistor covers as many shows as needed on the same plan, Starter is $19 a month for the same 20,000 downloads plus 50 private paid subscribers, so a single show pays a few dollars more but a producer running several shows pays nothing extra for the rest. Simplecast is the cheaper single-show host. Transistor is the one built for more than one show or a paid subscriber feed.
Podcast hosting with analytics worth reading
Podcast hosting with unlimited shows
At a glance
- Simplecast starts cheaper, at $15.
- Neither has a free tier.
Side by side
Simplecast | Transistor | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $15 | From $19 |
| Pricing model | Free trial, then paid | Free trial, then paid |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| API | Yes |
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.
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.
Our note
The obvious choice for a network or an agency, and overkill for one show with a small audience. The private feed support is better than most platforms treat it, which matters if members are what pays for the podcast.
Why people weigh these two
- Transistor instead of Simplecast
- Transistor keeps the number of shows unlimited on one account, starting at $19, for a network running more than one podcast under Simplecast's per-show reporting.
- Simplecast instead of Transistor
- Simplecast built its name on analytics worth reading, the same honest-numbers pitch as Transistor, from $15 without the unlimited-shows plan.
Which one should you pick
Choose Simplecast if there is exactly one show to host and the analytics are part of what gets shown to a sponsor: Basic is $15 a month, or $13.50 prepaid annually, for 20,000 downloads, cheaper than Transistor's equivalent tier. IAB-certified measurement and market-level breakdowns are there from the entry plan.
Choose Transistor if more than one show needs hosting, or a private paid feed is part of the plan: unlimited podcasts and API access come on every tier, and Starter at $19 a month includes 50 private subscribers alongside 20,000 downloads. It is the obvious choice for a network or an agency, and a single hobby show with no plans to add a second one will pay more here than it needs to.
Common questions
- Which is cheaper, Simplecast or Transistor?
- Simplecast, for exactly one show: $15 a month, or $13.50 prepaid annually, against Transistor's $19 for the same 20,000 downloads. Transistor becomes the better value the moment a second show enters the picture, since its unlimited-podcasts feature is on every plan.
- Can I host more than one podcast on the same Simplecast plan?
- That is not stated as a feature the way it is for Transistor, which explicitly includes unlimited podcasts on every tier. Simplecast's pricing is built around one show's download allowance rather than a multi-show structure.
- Which one supports a paid, private subscriber feed?
- Transistor does, with a stated subscriber count per plan, 50 on Starter up to 3,000 on Business. Simplecast's own materials do not describe a comparable private-feed feature for paid subscribers.
- Are the download numbers measured the same way on both?
- Yes, both use IAB-certified measurement, so the numbers are built to survive a sponsor's own reporting rather than being a vanity count. That part is not a differentiator between them; the show count and private-feed support are.
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.