Free podcast hosting: what you really get
Free hosting is real, but every free tier limits something: time, hours, features or downloads. The biggest risk is a tier that deletes old episodes, because your back catalog is what new listeners binge.
| Free option | Main limit | Expiry | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSS.com Free no affiliate | 1 show; unlimited episodes and downloads | None stated ("always free") | |
| Buzzsprout Free | 2 upload hours / month | Episodes hosted 90 days | |
| Podbean free account | Limits not shown on pricing page | unverified | |
| Zencastr free plan | Hosting for up to 5 shows bundled with recording | unverified | |
| Alitu hosting | Free up to 1,000 downloads / month, but requires the $38/mo Alitu subscription | n/a |
When free is enough
- You're testing a format and may not continue.
- Your show is short-run (a 6-episode series) and you can live with a no-expiry tier's feature set.
- You don't need monetization, team seats or a custom domain yet.
When to pay
- You want ads or listener subscriptions: on RSS.com those start on Plus.
- You publish more than 2 hours a month (Buzzsprout free cap).
- You need to keep episodes online long term on a host whose free tier expires.
Moving later is normal: most paid hosts advertise free migration, and a 301 redirect of your RSS feed keeps subscribers.
Buzzsprout free plan Ad · Affiliate link: if you buy through it we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It does not change our data. How we earn money
Podbean free account Ad · Affiliate link: if you buy through it we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It does not change our data. How we earn money
RSS.com free plan No affiliate relationship: we earn nothing from this link.