{"question": "best podcast hosting platforms for small businesses", "category": "podcast-hosting-platforms", "category_name": "podcast hosting platforms", "audience": "small-businesses", "audience_name": "small businesses", "engine": "Claude (Anthropic) with web search", "model": "claude-opus-5", "asked_at": "2026-10-08T21:43:00Z", "permalink": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/podcast-hosting-platforms-small-businesses-2026-10-08", "question_page": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/podcast-hosting-platforms/small-businesses", "brands_named": [{"position": 1, "brand": "Buzzsprout", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 2, "brand": "Transistor", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 3, "brand": "Captivate", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 4, "brand": "Castos", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 5, "brand": "WordPress", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 6, "brand": "Podbean", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 7, "brand": "Libsyn", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 8, "brand": "Acast", "label": "recommended"}], "sources_cited": [{"url": "https://saspod.com/blog/post/best-podcast-hosting", "domain": "saspod.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://dupple.com/learn/best-podcast-hosting", "domain": "dupple.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.costbench.com/compare/buzzsprout-vs-transistor/", "domain": "costbench.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://costbench.com/compare/captivate-vs-transistor/", "domain": "costbench.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://costbench.com/stats/podcast-hosting-pricing-2026/", "domain": "costbench.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://castos.com/compare.md", "domain": "castos.com", "source_type": "vendor"}, {"url": "https://riverside.com/blog/best-podcast-hosting", "domain": "riverside.com", "source_type": "other"}], "answer_text": "Here's what I'd actually recommend, in order:\n\n**1. Buzzsprout** - my default answer for most small businesses. Cheapest serious entry point (free tier up to ~$30/mo depending on upload hours), genuinely easy, good episode-level analytics, and a free podcast website page you can point customers at. If your podcast is a marketing channel rather than the business itself, this is the lowest-friction choice.\n\n**2. Transistor** - the one I'd pick if you have any chance of running more than one show. Every plan hosts *unlimited* podcasts and unlimited team members, which almost no competitor does without pushing you to a top tier. $19/mo (20k downloads), $49/mo (100k), $99/mo (250k). Great for an agency, a company with a customer-facing show plus an internal one, or private/employee podcasts.\n\n**3. Captivate** - built around growth and marketing: strong calls-to-action in episodes, decent built-in website, podcast-to-newsletter and audience-building features. Roughly $19-$99/mo. Worth the premium over Buzzsprout if lead generation is the actual goal.\n\n**4. Castos** - the pick if your site runs on WordPress. Its Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin publishes straight from your WordPress ins", "answer_truncated": true, "measurement": "One answer from one engine on one date. Not a ranking and not a claim about the world; brands the engine did not name are not recorded.", "limitation": "Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.", "alerts": {"name": "Answer Watch Pro", "price_usd": 79, "period": "month", "gets": "daily change alerts for up to 5 brands in what one AI answer engine says, history, CSV export. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included", "url": "https://bikoosh.com/answers"}}