So you are looking for some genuinely good (free & best) Anchor.fm alternatives? I’ve tried all of them, and here is my review & feedback.
Table of Content
- Best Anchor.fm Alternatives #1: Transistor
- Best Anchor.fm Alternatives #2: Castos
- Best Anchor.fm Alternatives #3: Podbean
- Best Anchor.fm Alternatives #3: Podcast.co
- Best Anchor.fm Alternatives #4: Casted
- Best Anchor.fm Alternatives #5: Captivate
In this article, I will be talking about 5 great Anchor.fm alternatives that can up your podcast game.
I’m a podcaster myself. So, you can trust me for the fact that I have done my research — You can check my podcast here.
Anyone trying to get into podcasting knows how crucial it is to find a good hosting platform. The best podcasting hosting platforms are premium software. As a result, it is difficult for newcomers who are still unsure about podcasting to test the waters.
Full transparency time: I may get some commission if you click on these links but it won’t cost you anything. Also, these tools have not paid me to write this review. I use it every day and I support some of these projects regardless.
Anchor solves this issue by providing free unlimited podcast hosting. It is a free-to-use one-stop solution for your podcasting needs. It is pretty popular among beginners because it offers all the essentials for podcasting. I recommend checking Anchor.fm to easily get started if you are unsure about taking podcasting seriously
However, if you are a seasoned podcaster trying to find the best hosting platform, I recommend looking at some alternatives. I have personally used Anchor and all the alternatives mentioned in this article. So, I can give you an idea about the pros and cons of each of them.
While Anchor is a fine platform with some attractive perks, you can get better results using premium services. Anchor’s unlimited hosting is great for beginners. But if you are serious about podcasting, you are better off paying a little premium for better hosting services.
So, if you’re looking for good Anchor.fm alternatives, look no further. I have tried every software I’ve mentioned in this article, so I’m aware of all the nitty-gritty parts of each of these tools. Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Best Anchor.fm Alternatives #1: Transistor – One For Many & For Brands
Transistor is a modern podcast solution that offers everything you will need to get going. It also has a stand-out feature that lets you have multiple feeds for the price of a single plan.
I have been personally following Transistor’s journey in Build Your SaaS podcast. He has been helping companies and brands to stand out with his podcast hosting features.
Pros
Transistor has all the features you can expect from a modern podcast hosting platform. It lets you record audio and video content easily and saves a lot of time.
The best part is that you do not need another website for your podcast. Transistor makes your podcasting website look professional. This is how it looks without any coding.
.
Transistor’s best feature is its multiple podcast. You can manage multiple RSS feeds using a single account. This feature is pretty handy for users who want to have multiple content channels. Many podcasters have a personal and a professional channel. Ith Transistor, you can access all of your feeds with a single plan.
Transistor is also good for podcast teams, thanks to its multi-user feature. You can have admins and moderators assigned with different permissions. As a result, it makes collaboration among teammates very easy.
There are some more useful features as well. The embedder player is very convenient for previewing your content. You can link your Spotify and Twitter to keep in touch with your listeners. Moreover, Transistor also offers analytics to improve your content.
I love the dynamic insertion of “any audio” in Transistor. You can check out the founder demo video here:
Cons
Transistor has very few shortcomings. The pricing model is based on the number of downloads, which can be a bit awkward. But besides that, Transistor is a very well-rounded platform for podcasters.
Best suited for
Transistor is perfect for podcasters who can make use of multiple channels. Podcast teams can also get a lot out of this platform due to the multi-user and role assignment features.
Pricing
On the surface, it may seem like Transistor offers great value for its product. After all, the Starter pack starts at just $19 per month.
But the pricing is based on the number of downloads and subscribers. So, once you have capped, you need to upgrade your plan to reach more people.
The Professional and Business plans offer a higher number of downloads and subscribers. These plans start at $49 per month and $99 per month, respectively.
They have 14 days free trial.
Best Anchor.fm Alternatives #2 : Castos for Better Distribution
Castos is a full-service podcasting platform that really checks all the boxes, whether you’re starting a new podcast or wanting to move from a lower-priced option (like Anchor).
Castos really sides with the creators in how they price and package their services. On the platform, you can have an unlimited number of podcasts and unlimited episode storage, something that many other podcasting platforms charge separately for.
They also have generous download limits on all plans, sitting at 500,000 downloads on the Starter, Growth, and Pro plans.
Pros
However, where Castos really shines is in the automations for repurposing and redistributing your content. If you’re like most podcasters, your #1 challenge will be to grow your audience. And hands down, the best way to do this is to put your content in front of your audience on several different platforms.
Castos does this through technologies like YouTube Republishing, where they convert your audio-only podcast to video and publish it to your YouTube channel automatically. They also have on-demand audio transcription, so you can get a word-for-word account of your podcast each time you push publish on an episode. And an integration with the industry leading audiogram company, Headliner, to create eye-catching video snippets for social media.
Also, if your podcast website is running on WordPress, you’ll love their award-winning WordPress plugin, called Seriously Simple Podcasting. If the reviews are accurate it lives up to its name and is a really easy way to integrate your podcast to your WordPress site, complete with a great looking, fully featured player and even creating your podcast RSS feed right from your WordPress site. This is great for SEO.
Cons
Not a lot really. Like most all other paid platforms, you get the added benefit of a richer feature set compared to a free tool like Anchor.
Castos has some of the highest download limits amongst their competitors like Transistor or Captivate, so you’ll likely never have to pay more for their services if your show takes off.
Best Suited For
While Castos is a great fit for anyone looking to get serious about their podcasting journey, it really stands out versus all the other competitors in three ways:
- If you’re looking to extend your podcast content into other formats and into other mediums like social media and written formats
- If you have a WordPress website for your podcast and want it to integrate seamlessly with your podcast
- If you want to run a Private Podcast they have their own mobile app for iOS and Android, giving a really premium listener experience for your private subscribers. This can even be white-labeled to match your brand.
Pricing
Castos is competitively priced, with tiers at $19, $49, and $99/mo depending on the feature set that you’re looking for. Their middle tier, the Growth Plan, is a great choice if you’re looking to repurpose and extend your podcast content to get maximum reach out of your content efforts.
Get 30% off for 3 months by using this discount code: FromAzaar
Best Anchor.fm Alternatives #3: Podbean – Podcast Hosting Made Easy For Starters
Podbean is a popular podcast hosting platform. It is easy to use and has many useful features to maximize the quality of your podcasts.
Pros
Podbean is a very beginner-friendly podcast hosting platform. Thanks to the smooth learning curve, you can start your operations quickly.
Once you upload a podcast to Podbean, you can add them to iTunes and Google Play from there. As a result, you can enjoy a seamless experience with popular podcast services.
Another advantage of Podbean is its pricing. All the plans are reasonably priced. Moreover, the free plan offers a lot of value, even allowing you to create a webpage.
Podbean also has some notable features. Its SEO features can help you maximize your reach. Some of the premium plans support videos for your podcasts. This feature can be very helpful for uploading videos for your podcasts on YouTube. Podbean also comes with built-in monetization features and analytics.
Cons
Podbean is a quick and easy podcast solution, but it is not perfect. Privacy-conscious users will be disappointed by its lack of security features.
When it comes to podcast hosting, Podbean does not guarantee your podcast’s uptime. It also lacks a backup feature. If you want to try out Podbean, you won’t have too much time due to the short refund period.
Best suited for
Podbean is best suited for podcasters who need a quick and reliable hosting platform. It is easy to learn and can save you a lot of time.
Pricing
Podbean has a free plan that offers limited usability. But due to the reasonable pricing, I highly recommend one of the premium packages.
The Unlimited plan starts at only $9 per month. If you want videos for your podcast, you should get Unlimited Plus. This plan will cost you $29 per month. For bigger teams, you can get the Business plan that starts at $99 per month.
Best Anchor.fm Alternatives #4: Podcast.co – The Jack of All Trades
Podcast.co is another great hosting platform for your podcasts. It offers all the standard features you need in a comprehensive package.
Pros
Podcast.co lets you host your audio files hassle-free. It is a very intuitive platform that requires almost no time to learn. Like all platforms on the list, it distributed your podcast to all major networks like Apple Podcast and Spotify.
Podcast.co has transcription and audiogram features. These features let you automate some parts of your content-making process. As a result, you can save some time. It also comes with a built-in player, which comes in handy for previewing your content.
Podcast.co also offers team roles and analytics that can help you improve your content. The packages are also reasonably priced. Moreover, they have good customer support that is ready to help you out at all times.
Cons
Podcast.co offers all the essentials but is, by no means, perfect. Many of the new features are unpolished. The transcription feature is not always reliable, and the analytics is very basic.
Best suited for
Podcast.co is good for beginners who are still unsure about their needs. It is also great for users who need a well-rounded hosting platform.
Pricing
Podcast.co has feature-oriented packages with download limits. The Starter pack starts at $29 per month. On the flip side, the more popular Pro package will cost you $49 per month. If you want to go all out and get the Business pack, you will have to pay $99 per month.
My podcast is on Podcast.co but after being with them, I’d go with Podbean or Transistor any day.
Best Anchor.fm Alternatives #5: Casted – The Podcast Platform for B2B Marketers
Podcast platforms are generally aimed at customers. But Casted is one of the few podcasting platforms aimed at B2B marketers.
Pros
B2B podcasts bring something fresh to the table. Developers built Casted intending to optimize audio and video content marketing for podcasters. At the right hands, incorporating Casted into your business’s marketing strategy can be a game-changer.
At its core, Casted offers audio and video production capabilities. It acts as an all-in-one solution for B2B podcasters. Its hosting platform is also capable and lets you seamlessly share your content across networks.
Casted’s key feature is its impressive analytics and data tracking. It gives you data related to your listeners’ habits and preferences. It also shows you what content had led to a specific customer’s purchase. On the macro scale, it tracks how each podcast is affecting your business.
Cons
Since Casted is a relatively new platform, it is prone to the occasional glitch. It can crash occasionally, but the team is constantly ironing out any bugs you might face.
The audiogram templates Casted offers are generic and nothing to write home about. Their pricing system is also unclear and unnecessarily complicated.
Best suited for
Caster’s target audience is B2B podcasters. So B2B podcasters can make the most out of its feature set. Podcasters targeting a more general audience are better off using other platforms.
Pricing
The pricing system of Casted is unclear. They do not show their pricing plans upfront. You have to get in touch with a staff member who will offer you a plan depending on your needs.
Best Anchor.fm Alternatives #6: Captivate – The Growth Specialist
Captivate is one of the best podcast hosting platforms available. It prioritizes marketing and growth to maximize your reach while also offering premium features for making the best content.
Pros
Captivate provides one of the best analytics among podcast platforms. Due to its growth-oriented nature, it prioritizes analytics over other features.
You can get a good idea about your users’ downloads, trends, and preferences from the data. You will also get a report of how each episode is performing and what you can do to perform better.
Captive also has a publishing feature that lets you set a default publishing time. So you can schedule your uploads to maintain a uniform upload routine.
Captivate also keeps your original file qualities intact after uploading. That means it won’t compress your files’ bit rate or quality. Most platforms compress your files to save space. If you are someone who wants to ensure the highest quality for your users, then this feature is sure to win you over.
Captivate lets you make a website and sync an existing WordPress website using a plugin. You can also collaborate with teammates and assign roles to everyone.
There is also a Full Transparency mode for privacy-conscious users. This feature lets listeners see what tools were used to make the podcast along with the privacy policies.
Cons
There is very little to fault about Captivate as a podcast platform. It shares the awkward pricing model with Transistor, which can be irritating.
Besides that, it is a relatively new platform. So, there can be a few hiccups here and there. But overall, Captivate is a solid hosting platform.
Best suited for
Captivate is suited for users who want the best quality and are serious about making podcasts. The analytics can help you maximize reach, and the audio purist features ensure the best quality.
Pricing
Captivate has a download-based pricing model. So you get all the features in all premium plans. But the number of downloads restricts your reach.
The Podcaster plan starts at just $19 per month. Meanwhile, the Professional and Brand plans will cost you $49 per month and $99 per month, respectively.
P.S. If you are a podcast enthusiast looking for more podcast recording tools, check out my review on Zoom and its alternatives.
My Perspective
All of the Anchor.fm alternatives I’ve mentioned in the article are pretty great alternatives. Each one has a target audience, so you are likely to find the perfect platform irrespective of your needs.
As a beginner, you can definitely give Podbean a try. If you’re serious about podcasting, you can opt for Transistor. On the other hand, if you’re a B2B marketer, Casted should be your top choice.
Disclaimer: Please note, I may receive affiliate compensation for some of the links below at no cost to you if you decide to purchase a paid plan. However, these are the best tools I have tested for launching and running a website & a podcast. You can read my affiliate disclosure in my privacy policy & affiliate disclosure.