Side by side

Firstory vs Podbean

Both stand on podcast hosting platforms. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Firstory

Free plan AndroidiPhoneWeb

Firstory combines podcast hosting and distribution with AI content tools, analytics and monetization options. Review the free-plan limits and Pro-only Spotify metrics when choosing a plan.

Visit Firstory

Podbean combines hosting, distribution, mobile publishing, analytics, and monetization options. The free plan has defined storage, bandwidth, episode, and file limits to weigh against your publishing needs.

Visit Podbean

The facts

	Firstory	Podbean
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Android, iPhone, Web	Android, iPhone
Lowest paid plan	Firstory Lite: $7 a month	Unlimited Audio: $17 a month
Plans published	4	7
Maker	Not published	Podbean
Website	firstory.me	podbean.com
On podcast hosting platforms	#3 of 71	#7 of 71

Firstory: what it does well

Publishes audio and video together in one upload
Distributes to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, KKBOX and more
AI Studio generates transcripts and promotional content
FLink provides one link for listening platforms and social profiles
Supports donations, subscriptions and cross-platform memberships

What to know first

Free plan allows one show
Free plan allows one AI extraction episode monthly
Daily Spotify charts and listener and follower metrics require Pro or higher

Podbean: what it does well

Free signup does not require a credit card.
Supports RSS and major podcast directories.
Mobile apps cover recording, publishing, statistics, and listening.
Offers monetization tools and IAB-certified analytics.

What to know first

Free storage is limited to 5 hours or 500MB.
Free plan allows up to three episodes per day.
Free RSS feed displays up to 20 episodes.
Free single-file limit is 100MB.

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