Podcast Hosts: Zencastr and Podbean
There are many options for podcast hosts and choosing the best one can be a challenge. Since I have found few unbiased assessments out there, I want to share my direct experiences with Zencastr and Podbean. This is not an exhaustive evaluation, but shares the pros and cons I have encountered as I manage podcasts on both platforms.
Podbean and Zencastr are both well integrated with the major podcast services. So, any podcast hosted on either platform will be found in the places where people find podcasts.
As a user, I have found some differences:
- Uploading an episode file is much slower on Zencastr than Podbean.
- Zencastr seems to be arranged to want you to record on their platform.
- Podbean’s interface is easier to use. The dark mode look of Zencastr (which cannot be changed) is harder on the eyes and much harder to see where input fields are.
- Uploading an image to Podbean is tricky due to pretty restrictive file size limits.
- Both platforms have episode metrics, but Podbean’s analytics are much more robust. I get a much better idea of performance and more on Podbean.
- Both platforms support monetization. Podbean’s patron program that encourages listeners to become financial supporters is an added bonus.
I haven’t needed to use Zencastr’s customer service, but have had consistently good experiences with Podbean. Zencastr was harder for me to learn, largely because of the hard to read user interface. If you are new to podcasting, refer to Should You Start a Podcast? before getting into the details of choosing a host platform.
Zencastr user interface – hard on the eyes!
