Compare Spreaker and Podlove on pricing, features, platforms, and ratings — both Podcast Hosting tools, freemium subscription vs Open Source pricing to decide…
At a Glance
Spreaker
Podlove
Primary category
Podcast Hosting
Podcast Hosting
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
freemium subscription
Open Source
Starting price
Free (paid plans from EUR20/month)
Free
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Not documented
Not documented
Platforms
Web
Not documented
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Not documented
Public API
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Spreaker
Free Speech — EUR0/month Free forever
Broadcaster — EUR20/month Monthly
Anchorman — EUR50/month Monthly
Publisher — EUR250/month Monthly
Podlove
Open Source (Self-Hosted) — Free N/A
Pros & Cons
Spreaker
Pros
Generous free-forever plan with unlimited episodes
Backed by iHeartMedia, providing scale and monetization infrastructure
Built-in monetization tools including ads and listener subscriptions
Simple, dashboard-based workflow for publishing and distribution
Scales from individual creators up to professional broadcasters
Cons
Free plan limits hosting to a single podcast
Free plan takes a 20 percent cut of Supporters Club revenue
Higher-tier plans needed for extended statistics history and collaboration
Pricing is listed in euros, which may complicate budgeting for some regions
Top-tier Publisher plan is priced well above typical independent creator budgets
Podlove
Pros
Completely free and open source under the MIT license
Full ownership and control of podcast data, feed, and media files
Deep WordPress integration for creators already using WordPress
Fine-grained feed and chapter control not available on many hosted platforms
Strong reputation among German-language and public-broadcast podcasts
Cons
Requires a self-hosted WordPress site and separate media hosting/bandwidth arrangement
Steeper learning curve than managed podcast hosting platforms
No built-in monetization tools like ads or listener subscriptions
Smaller, volunteer-run community means slower support response times
No official mobile app or centralized analytics dashboard
Use Cases
Spreaker
Independent podcast creators — Individual creators use the free plan to publish, distribute, and monetize a podcast with no upfront cost.
Professional broadcasters and media companies — Broadcasters use higher-tier plans for direct ad sales, extended analytics, and team collaboration on shows.
Live radio and streaming shows — Hosts use Spreaker's live broadcasting tools to stream radio-style shows alongside standard podcast episodes.
Podlove
Self-hosted independent podcasting — A technically comfortable podcaster uses Podlove on their own WordPress site to fully own their feed, media, and data rather than relying on a third-party host.
Public broadcaster and newsroom podcasting — Public broadcasters and newsrooms use Podlove to publish shows directly from their existing WordPress infrastructure with fine-grained feed control.
Open standards advocacy — Podcasters who prioritize open web standards and data portability choose Podlove over proprietary hosted platforms.