Transistor.fm vs. Simplecast

The podcasting landscape has evolved dramatically over the past decade, with creators now having access to a plethora of hosting platforms designed to streamline publishing, distribution, and audience growth. Two prominent players in this space are Transistor.fm and Simplecast, both of which cater to podcasters looking for reliable hosting, insightful analytics, and user-friendly tools.In 2025, these platforms continue to attract attention for their distinct approaches to podcast hosting. This article offers an in-depth review and comparison of Transistor.fm and Simplecast, exploring their features, pricing, usability, analytics, support, and overall value to help podcasters decide which platform best suits their needs.

Transistor.fm vs. Simplecast Review

Transistor.fm

Launched in 2018 by co-founders Jon Buda and Justin Jackson, Transistor.fm entered the podcast hosting market with a fresh perspective. Built by tech-savvy podcasters, the platform emphasizes simplicity, unlimited show hosting, and robust analytics. Transistor has quickly gained traction, powering over 30,000 RSS feeds by early 2025 and surpassing Simplecast to become the 9th largest premium podcast hosting platform globally. Its growth is largely organic, driven by word-of-mouth and a focus on delivering what podcasters need most: a polished, no-frills hosting experience.

Transistor.fm targets creators and businesses managing multiple podcasts, offering a flat-rate pricing model that doesn’t charge per show. It’s particularly appealing to those who value detailed analytics and flexibility, including private podcasting options for organizations or memberships.

Simplecast

Simplecast, founded in 2013, is one of the older players in the podcast hosting game. Initially created by Jon Buda (who later co-founded Transistor), it was sold to a new team in 2016 and acquired by SiriusXM in 2020 for $28 million. Simplecast markets itself as a modern, creator-focused platform with a mission to help “thoughtful, serious podcasters” succeed. It’s known for its ease of use, one-click distribution to major platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and a strong emphasis on per-show pricing and support.

Backed by SiriusXM’s resources, Simplecast appeals to podcasters who prioritize a polished user experience, reliable customer support, and tools to grow their audience, such as customizable websites and social sharing features.

Pricing: A Key Differentiator

Pricing is often the first consideration for podcasters choosing a hosting platform. Transistor.fm and Simplecast take fundamentally different approaches, which can significantly impact your decision depending on your podcasting goals.

Transistor.fm Pricing

Transistor.fm offers three tiers as of March 2025:

Starter ($19/month or $190/year): 15,000 monthly downloads, unlimited podcasts, 2 team members, advanced analytics, and live chat support.
Professional ($49/month or $490/year): 75,000 monthly downloads, unlimited podcasts, 5 team members, private podcasting for up to 100 subscribers, and dynamic ad insertion.
Business ($99/month or $990/year): 150,000 monthly downloads, unlimited podcasts, 10 team members, private podcasting for up to 1,000 subscribers, and priority support.

The standout feature here is unlimited podcasts across all plans. Whether you’re running one show or ten, the price remains the same—only the download limits and additional features scale with higher tiers. This makes Transistor ideal for creators or organizations managing multiple shows, as costs don’t balloon with each new podcast added.

However, the download caps (e.g., 15,000 for the Starter plan) can become restrictive if your shows grow significantly in popularity. For instance, if you host three shows and split the 15,000 downloads evenly, each show gets roughly 5,000 downloads per month before you’d need to upgrade.

Simplecast Pricing

Simplecast’s pricing structure is per-show, with three plans as of March 2025:

Basic ($15/month or $13.50/month annually): 1 show, 20,000 monthly downloads, 2 team members, basic analytics, and email support.
Essential ($35/month or $31.50/month annually): 1 show, 50,000 monthly downloads, 4 team members, advanced analytics, and email support.
Growth ($85/month or $76.50/month annually): 1 show, 120,000 monthly downloads, 10 team members, advanced analytics, and priority email support.

Unlike Transistor, Simplecast charges separately for each additional show. For example, hosting three shows on the Basic plan would cost $45/month ($15 x 3), compared to Transistor’s $19/month for unlimited shows. However, Simplecast offers higher download limits per show, making it more suitable for podcasters focused on growing a single, high-performing podcast.

Pricing Verdict

Transistor.fm wins for multi-show creators. Its flat-rate model is cost-effective if you plan to launch multiple podcasts or experiment with new ideas without incurring extra fees.
Simplecast is better for single-show podcasters aiming for growth. Its higher download thresholds per plan and per-show pricing align with creators who want to scale one podcast without worrying about hitting a low download cap.

Features: What You Get for Your Money

Both platforms offer core podcast hosting features—RSS feed generation, distribution to major platforms, embeddable players, and analytics—but their approaches and extras differ.

Transistor.fm Features

Unlimited Podcasts: A game-changer for prolific creators or businesses managing multiple brands.
Advanced Analytics: Included in all plans, offering episode comparisons, listener locations, app/browser breakdowns, and subscriber trends. Transistor’s analytics are IAB-compliant, ensuring industry-standard accuracy.
Private Podcasting: Available on Professional and Business plans, this feature provides individual RSS feeds for subscribers—perfect for memberships, courses, or internal company podcasts.
Customizable Websites and Players: Each podcast gets a simple, customizable site and embeddable player. You can tweak colors and layouts, though advanced customization requires HTML knowledge.
Distribution: One-click publishing to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more.
Live Support: Real-time chat with a small, dedicated team, often praised for its responsiveness.

Transistor’s focus is on streamlined hosting and analytics, but it lacks built-in recording or marketing tools, positioning it as a pure hosting and distribution platform.

Simplecast Features

Per-Show Focus: Each show gets its own dedicated dashboard, analytics, and website, making it easier to manage individual podcast performance.
Advanced Analytics: Available on Essential and Growth plans, including listener trends, geographic data, and episode performance. Simplecast is also IAB-certified.
Audience Growth Tools: Features like social sharing integrations and beautiful, customizable websites aim to help podcasters expand their reach.
Embeddable Players: Highly customizable players with options for playlists and sharing, though limited to one show per plan.
Distribution: Seamless one-click publishing to major platforms.
Support: Email-based support with a team of professional podcasters, including weekly webinars for education.

Simplecast emphasizes usability and audience-building tools but doesn’t offer private podcasting with individual subscriber feeds, only the ability to lock episodes within a public feed.

Features Verdict

Transistor.fm excels for multi-show flexibility and private podcasting, appealing to creators with diverse needs or business use cases.
Simplecast shines for single-show podcasters who want polished tools to grow their audience and a streamlined experience tailored to one podcast.

Usability: Getting Started and Managing Your Podcast

Transistor.fm Usability

Transistor’s interface is clean and intuitive, designed with a tech-savvy audience in mind. Setting up a podcast is straightforward: upload your audio, fill in episode details, and publish with one click. The dashboard consolidates all your shows in one place, making it easy to switch between them. Analytics are accessible and detailed, though some users note they can feel overly broad for smaller shows.

The platform’s simplicity is a strength, but it assumes you’ve handled recording and editing elsewhere. For beginners, the lack of onboard guidance might feel sparse compared to competitors with more hand-holding.

Simplecast Usability

Simplecast prioritizes ease of use, with a sleek, modern interface that feels polished and approachable. The setup process is equally simple—upload, configure, and distribute—and the per-show dashboard keeps everything organized. Its design caters to both novices and seasoned podcasters, with educational resources like webinars adding value.

The focus on one show per plan streamlines management for single-podcast creators, but multi-show users might find the need to juggle multiple accounts less convenient.

Usability Verdict

Transistor.fm suits tech-savvy users managing multiple shows who prefer a no-nonsense interface.
Simplecast is ideal for beginners or single-show creators who value a polished, user-friendly experience with extra guidance.

Analytics: Understanding Your Audience

Analytics are critical for podcasters aiming to grow or monetize their shows, and both platforms deliver robust options.

Transistor.fm Analytics

Transistor includes advanced analytics on all plans, covering downloads, listener locations, devices, apps, and trends over time. Its IAB compliance ensures accuracy, and private podcasting plans add subscriber-specific data. The data is presented clearly, though some users wish for more granular filtering options.

Simplecast Analytics

Simplecast offers basic analytics on its $15 plan (downloads and trends) and advanced analytics on higher tiers, including listener demographics and episode comparisons. Like Transistor, it’s IAB-certified. The analytics are visually appealing and easy to interpret, with a focus on helping creators understand audience growth.

Analytics Verdict

Both platforms offer comparable, high-quality analytics. Transistor edges out slightly with its inclusion across all plans, while Simplecast requires a higher tier for advanced insights but pairs them with growth-focused tools.

Support: Help When You Need It

Transistor.fm Support

Transistor provides live chat support staffed by a small, dedicated team. Users rave about its responsiveness and personal touch, often citing it as a standout feature. The platform also offers a knowledge base and a podcast (Build Your SaaS) with insights from the founders.

Simplecast Support

Simplecast relies on email support, handled by a team of professional podcasters. Response times are solid, and the addition of weekly webinars provides ongoing education. However, the lack of real-time chat might disappoint users needing immediate help.

Support Verdict

Transistor.fm wins for its live chat and personalized support.
Simplecast offers strong email support and educational resources but lacks the immediacy of Transistor’s approach.

Conclusion: Transistor.fm vs. Simplecast in 2025

In 2025, Transistor.fm and Simplecast remain compelling options in the podcast hosting market, each with distinct strengths. Transistor.fm’s unlimited-show model, private podcasting, and all-inclusive analytics make it a powerhouse for multi-show creators and businesses. Simplecast’s per-show focus, higher download caps, and audience-building tools cater to podcasters aiming to scale a single show with polish and support.

Your choice depends on your podcasting goals. If you’re a prolific creator or need flexibility, Transistor.fm is the better value. If you’re nurturing one show and prioritizing growth, Simplecast’s tailored approach might suit you best. Both platforms offer free trials—Transistor at 14 days and Simplecast at 14 days with a discount code—so test them out to see which aligns with your workflow. In a booming podcast industry valued at $4–5 billion, both Transistor.fm and Simplecast prove they’re here to stay, each carving out a niche for creators worldwide.