Free vs paid podcast hosting – with so many free options available, you may wonder why anyone would pay.
While we’ve covered this topic before and laid out reasons why free hosting isn’t the best option for everyone, we understand why many people still ask why they should pay.
In this post, you’ll learn about the limitations of free podcast hosting services, why some podcast hosts charge, and why so many podcasters are happy to pay for podcast hosting without limits.
Is Free Podcast Hosting Really Free?
We admit it, free podcast hosting sounds like a great deal!
Getting a podcast RSS feed, digital storage, reliable bandwidth, access to analytics, and streamlined publishing for $0 seems like an awesome offer right?
But, if someone came up to you and said they were giving you a new electric bike for free, wouldn’t your first question be, “What’s the catch?” 
It’s important to remember that the platforms offering “free” services are businesses that make money from their users to cover their expenses.
If you are starting a podcast for any of the following reasons, we highly suggest understanding the pitfalls and limitations of using a free service like Anchor:
- You are creating your podcast for your brand or business.
- You plan on turning your podcast into a business at some point.
- You plan on actively podcasting, gaining a fan base, and then monetizing your show to make money.
With options to create, distribute and monetize a podcast, it’s easy to see why so many new podcasters choose Anchor to start their show.
But is Anchor really free, and what limitations will you run into?
Are You Starting a Podcast to Make Money?
In digging into the fine print, you’ll find that Anchor’s monetization philosophy is that “we should all make money together, rather than profiting off each other’s needs.”
Another way to say this is that if you use their monetization tools, they’ll take a significant cut of your profits. 
For example, if you use Anchor Sponsorships, they’ll take a 30% cut of the money you make. Ouch!
That might sound like a sweet deal until your show starts getting popular and you see how much you are actually “paying” to use Anchor. 
If your show takes off, you could be paying hundreds or thousands in fees.
In comparison, with RSS.com for only $11.99/month (annual plan), you are in full control of your show.
Top Reasons to Avoid Free Podcast Hosting Services Like Anchor
- Limited Episode Length - Do you ever want to cut a episode short because the file size will be larger than what your free host allows?
- You Don't Actually Own Your Content - Be sure to read the fine print if you sign up a free service. Some services will insert ads into your episodes that you won't be compensated for.
- It's Difficult to Move Your Show - If you outgrow a free service, oftentimes they make it very difficult to redirect your content to another host.
- Monetization Limitations - Some free services will put restrictions on your monetization efforts. Other will take up to 30% by using their sponsorship programs.
- Anchor disables your RSS feed by default. Anchor.fm is owned by Spotify and has a vested interest in keeping you on Spotify which is why they disable your RSS feed by default.
- Anchor customer support is close to non-existent. Replies to customer question and complaints often take days. There are many Anchor users who are unhappy and frustrated because of their lack of real customer support.
The Hidden Costs of Podcast Hosting with Anchor
- If you choose to allow Anchor to distribute your show to the major podcast directories, it will “block your access to additional Apple stats in podcastsconnect.apple.com.” Not cool, right? Also, you’ll find that the email listed in your feed for iTunes Owner is not the email that you used to set up your Anchor account.”
- Anchor also limits your podcast categories to just one, whereas other hosts allow you to add up to three giving you more opportunities to be found on Apple Podcasts.
- Also, because many podcasters choose to have Anchor distribute their podcasts on their behalf, they lose access to most analytics – sure, Anchor does give you an analytics dashboard, but details you’re looking for and need might not be accessible.
- WiredClip reported that in the Anchor account settings, the box “Anchor Post-Roll” is checked by default allowing Anchor to add an advertisement to the end of your episodes that you won’t get paid for. They admit you can uncheck this box, but we agree with WiredClip that this is kind of a sneaky way to make money off your users.
- Anchor can shut down without warning. Because they are a free service, they could simply decide to shut everything down and take your content offline.
- Anchor has recently changed the format of an RSS feed making it harder to redirect your show to another host, or to submit your show to podcast directories yourself. If you outgrow Anchor, it can be difficult to leave and transfer your content to another host.
- Anchor is “designed to be automated,” but that translates into having “little control over a number of features that may turn away professional podcasters,” says Resonate Recordings.
- There is a chance your podcast could be copied and reloaded. According to PodNews, “Anchor is hosting a large number of pirated podcasts from other publishers, we can reveal today. 30% of all the Podtrac top 20 podcasts are currently being copied on Anchor, according to our searches.” One podcast had as many as five pirated copies hosted on Anchor! 😤
Why Paying for Hosting Makes Sense
Now that you understand the limitations of “free” services, here’s why so many professional podcasters and businesses hosting with RSS.com choose to pay for service:
- Automatic distribution to major podcast directories
- Unlimited episode length + episode scheduling
- Unlimited downloads
- Free public website for your podcast
- Dedicated pages for single episodes
- User-friendly interface
- Sponsorship opportunities
- Custom cover art for your show and individual episodes
- World-class customer support
- Security and maintenance of your podcast files
- Free podcast RSS feed
- In-depth analytics dashboard
- Inclusion in our podcast Community section for additional discoverability
If you decide to leave our platform for any reason, we won’t hold your episodes hostage! We make it easy to redirect your podcast from RSS.com to another host if you decide to do so.
Free vs Paid Podcast Hosting - Which is Best
There are good reasons for both paid and free services, and which one you choose depends on your specific podcasting needs and goals. Pros opt for paid, whereas hobbyists typically opt for free.
Though platforms like Anchor seem appealing because they are free, as we’ve shown, there are serious limitations.
For a modest price, podcasters can use paid hosts like RSS.com Podcasting to get access to all the features you need to start, grow, and monetize your podcast.
What are you waiting for? Experience for yourself why our worldwide community of podcasters love our service!
