So you’ve got the idea, but now you’re thinking ‘Where do I go next?’ Well, here’s a breakdown of a few main sites to help start your podcast journey…

Today we’re talking all things Captivate, Buzzsprout, Anchor, Lybsin, and Podbean. 

We’re going to comparing the cost, features, privacy, and disadvantages of all 5 podcast websites. If you’re still not convinced afterwards, there is a whole ocean of platforms, so if what we’re discussing isn’t right for you then there’s plenty of fish in the sea!

Cost

Let’s start with what appeals to podcast beginners- what’s free.

Anchor is the only site that is completely free with no limit to uploads per month. Both Buzzsprout and Podbean have a free option but both have caps on the total minutes/storage uploaded per month (Buzzsprout 2 hours p/m and Podbean 500MB p/m). 

After that, both sites have monthly subscription options which you can find here for Buzzsprout and here for Podbean. 

Lybsin starts from $5 per month to $40 depending on what type of resources you need, and the most expensive and arguably most advanced is Captivate with its starting subscription being $17 per month. 

Features

It’s important to not get excited at the words ‘free’- because though a monthly cost at first might not initially seem worthwhile, in the long run, these features will come in handy when your podcast starts to expand.

One common denominator for all podcast websites is the ability for the podcast to be uploaded to all main streaming platforms. Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty!

Captivate features:

Offers a 7-day free trial

Captivate growth labs offer free tools and videos to help grow podcasts

A visually appealing, easy-to-use podcast player can be added to all devices.

In-depth and advanced analytics for your podcast

Can be connected to a WordPress website and edited through captivate.

Buzzsprout features:

Offers 90 day free trial

Magic Mastering of podcast episodes

Transcription service available which costs 0.25p per minute

The podcast can be monetized through Affiliate Marketing

The creator can have more than one podcast on one account

Anchor features:

Optional donation button which Anchor listeners can donate to

Access to Anchor Sponsorships

Cover art creator for podcast episodes

Free analytics on podcast episodes

Multiple people can be recorded at one time for an episode

Lybsin features:

In-depth and advanced analytics for your podcast

Monetization tools *note: these are only available when your podcast is receiving 5000 listeners

Ability to manage release dates of podcast on certain platforms

Seamless plugin and integration for WordPress users

Podbean features:

Analytics for your podcast with paid plans

No storage limit on uploads per month

The podcast can be monetized through subscription and advertisement options

Easy connection to all social media platforms

Free website available with several layouts to choose from

We made it! Hopefully from that list, you can start to see what features are important for you and your podcast right now. 

Privacy 

All of the podcast websites are unanimous in that the creator maintains complete autonomy and ownership of their work. Both Captivate and Buzzsprout go the extra mile and collect information and notify you if the podcast has been listened to through a third-party device.

Disadvantages

Let’s start with Captivate, of course for many podcast creators the cost will be the main disadvantage. Otherwise, having looked at reviews it seems Captivate offers users exactly what they need, what’s crucial to note is all users start to use captivate WHEN they are ready for those additional features.

Buzzsprout’s features are exciting in comparison to the others in regard to the magic mastering and built-in (through charged) transcription service. The limitation for minutes uploaded per month would be the main frustration if you became a Buzzsprout user. However, if you have a rough idea of how long each episode is going to be and how many you intend to record per month then this issue can be easily mitigated. 

With Anchor, the zero-cost appeal comes at a cost. The editing features on the site are far less advanced than other sites, in this circumstance, it’s best to edit the podcast on an audio editor before uploading it to the site itself. The account is only allowed one user and the multiple recordings can only be done via mobile phone so the quality will be very poor. 

Lybsin has some slick features which are great for efficiency and time management, however, monetization being prohibited to anyone with less than 5000 listeners makes it less of an appealing platform if you’re just starting out and want to monetize within the first 6 months. 

And finally, Podbean has the shortest refund period of 14 days if you’re unhappy with the service, and the free trial is limited to 500MB of storage. Meaning your podcast is capped at just under an hour. Most importantly to note is that the service has no backup feature for your podcast episodes. 

Final words…

As I stated above, ultimately there is no right or wrong podcast service, only the right podcast service for you and your needs. So here are my final pieces of advice:

Take. your. Time. There’s no rush and when spending money, it’s important you’re making rational and thought through decisions for your business and future

Write down a list of elements you want from your podcast service. With that list in hand, re-read the features above and circle which ones meet all of those needs!

Finally, as always I’m more than happy to offer further advice and if you want to get in touch, you can contact me via email or Linkedin below.

Oliver