Quick Answer
Last verified:
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Simplecast costs Free to $35 per month as of March 2026, with 3 plans available including a free tier. Plans: Free (free), Basic at $15/month, and Essential at $35/month. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

  • Free tier: Yes

Simplecast offers 3 pricing tiers: Free, Basic, Essential. A free plan is available. Paid plans include Basic at $15/month, Essential at $35/month. The Basic plan is independent podcasters just starting.

Compared to other podcast hosting software, Simplecast is positioned at the budget-friendly price point.

  • Median contract: $420/yr from 0 purchases
  • Average negotiated discount: 92%
  • 1 documented hidden costs beyond list price

How much does Simplecast cost?

Simplecast offers a free plan with 2 paid tiers from $15 to $35/month. Plans include Free (free), Basic at $15/month, Essential at $35/month.

Simplecast Pricing Overview

Simplecast has 3 pricing plans, including a free tier. Paid plans range from $0 to $35/month. The Free plan is free and is best for trial before commitment. The Basic plan costs $15/month, best for independent podcasters just starting. The Essential plan costs $35/month, best for growing podcast with essential tools.

The median Simplecast customer pays $420/year, with an average 92% discount available through negotiation.

There are at least 1 documented hidden costs beyond Simplecast's list price, including implementation, training, and add-on fees.

This pricing was last verified in February 16, 2026 from 1 independent sources.

Simplecast pricing starts at $0/month for the Free plan. The Basic plan costs $15/month ($13.50/month annually), and the Essential plan runs $35/month ($31.50/month annually). Simplecast charges per podcast show, so hosting multiple podcasts multiplies the cost accordingly.

How Simplecast Pricing Compares

Compare Simplecast pricing against top alternatives in Podcast Hosting.

All Simplecast Plans & Pricing

Plan Monthly Annual Best For
Free Free Free Trial before commitment
Basic downloadsPerMonth: 20000teamSeats: 2 $15 /month $13.5 /yearSave 10% Independent podcasters just starting
Essential downloadsPerMonth: 50000teamSeats: 4 $35 /month $31.5 /yearSave 10% Growing podcast with essential tools
View all features by plan

Free

  • 14-day commitment-free trial
  • No credit card required

Basic

  • 2 team member seats
  • Unlimited storage & uploads
  • Distribution to everywhere your audience listens
  • Basic analytics
  • Customizable show website with custom domain
  • Manage multiple shows with one account
  • Embeddable episode web player
  • Secure (HTTPS) site and RSS feed
  • Email support

Essential

  • 4 team member seats
  • Additional web players (Mini & Show)
  • Compare analytics across 2 episodes
  • Location analytics (country & state/region)
  • Unique Listener reports
  • Web Player analytics
  • Technology analytics (apps, browsers)

Compare Simplecast vs Alternatives

Before committing to Simplecast, compare pricing with these 3 alternatives in the same category.

All Simplecast alternatives & migration guides

What Companies Actually Pay for Simplecast

The median Simplecast buyer pays $420/year based on 0 verified purchase transactions, with an average 92% savings through negotiation.

What companies actually pay $420/yr Median across 0 purchases
92% avg. savings
with negotiation
Review scores
Top pricing complaints
Per-show pricing becomes expensive for multiple podcastsPricing structure changes with platform updates
Source: Vendr buyer database — median calculated from 0 real purchase transactions. Savings figure reflects negotiated discounts reported by buyers.

How Simplecast Pricing Compares

Software Starting Price Top Price
Simplecast Free $35/month
Buzzsprout Free $79/month
Captivate Free $90/month
Spotify for Podcasters Custom Custom
Transistor Free $199/month

1 Simplecast Hidden Costs Beyond the List Price

Beyond the listed price, Simplecast has at least 1 documented hidden costs that can significantly increase total cost of ownership.

Watch for 1 hidden costs
  • Per-Show Pricing Model $15-$35/show/month
    high 2 sources
    Reddit "I've ruled out any of the sites that charge per show, because it gets too expensive. That rules out Libsyn, Podbean, Simplecast, Blubrry, Fireside, Pippa, ZenCast"
    Reddit "Right now hosting for each show is $12/month or $120/year, but if you expect to have a lot of shows or extremely high traffic, I could introduce you to our director of partnerships to talk custom pricing."
Tip

Ask your Simplecast sales rep about these costs upfront. Getting them in writing before signing can save you from surprise charges later.

Full hidden costs breakdown →

Intelligence sourced from 2 independent sources
Reddit User discussions Vendr Verified buyer transactions
Key claims include inline source attribution. Data verified against multiple independent sources. 6 source citations total.

Simplecast Contract Terms

Simplecast contracts do not auto-renew. Changes require advance notice. These terms are sourced from verified buyer experiences.

Contract Terms
Auto-Renewal No
Mid-Term Downgrade Not allowed
Price Escalation Pricing increased from $12/month to $15/month for Basic plan between 2019-2024. Existing customers received legacy pricing during 2019 platform upgrade.
Based on 1 verified source

How to Negotiate Simplecast Pricing

Simplecast contracts are negotiable — buyers save an average of 92% off list price. These 2 tactics are sourced from real buyer experiences and procurement specialists.

Negotiation Playbook 2 tactics
Pay Annually for 10% Savings high success

Annual billing reduces the Basic plan from $15/month to $13.50/month, and Essential from $35/month to $31.50/month, saving 10% compared to monthly payments.

Current tier data
Request Custom Pricing for Multiple Shows medium success

If you plan to host many shows or expect extremely high traffic, reach out to Simplecast's director of partnerships to discuss custom pricing that may be more cost-effective than the standard per-show rates.

Reddit user report from Simplecast employee, 2019

Full negotiation guide →

Simplecast Pricing FAQ

01 Does Simplecast offer a free plan?

No, Simplecast does not offer a free tier. Plans start at $15/month for the Basic plan with 20K downloads and 2 team members.

02 What's included with unlimited storage?

Every Simplecast plan includes unlimited storage and uploads, meaning you can upload as many episodes as you want without worrying about storage limits.

03 How does dynamic ad insertion work?

Dynamic ad insertion is available on Professional and Enterprise plans, allowing you to insert, update, or remove ads from episodes after publication with advanced targeting and revenue reporting.

04 What are the download limits?

Basic plan includes 20K monthly downloads, Essential includes 50K. For higher volumes, Professional and Enterprise plans offer custom limits.

05 Can I switch plans at any time?

Yes, Simplecast offers month-to-month billing with no long-term agreements, so you can upgrade or downgrade as needed.

06 What's the difference between Professional and Enterprise?

Enterprise adds white-labeled RSS feeds, high-bitrate audio, programmatic ad connections, custom audience onboarding, and dedicated success management. Both require custom pricing.

07 Does Simplecast charge per podcast show or per account?

Simplecast charges per show, not per account. Each podcast you host costs $15/month for Basic or $35/month for Essential. If you manage multiple podcasts (e.g., 10 shows), you'll pay $150-$350/month total. Users managing many shows often find this structure expensive compared to hosts offering unlimited shows at a flat rate.

08 What happened with Simplecast 2.0 pricing changes?

When Simplecast launched their 2.0 platform in 2019, they introduced new pricing tiers. Existing customers were grandfathered into a 'Legacy' plan that maintained their original pricing and added new features, ensuring they wouldn't pay more during the migration.

09 Does Simplecast have download or storage limits?

Multiple users report that Simplecast offers unlimited bandwidth and storage. You're charged based on the number of shows you host, not by download volume or storage consumed.

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