Transistor.fm Pricing: Plans, Costs, and Whether It’s Worth It

Last Updated: June 2026 | By Matt

Transistor.fm pricing starts at $19/month (Starter), with Professional at $49/month, Business at $99/month, and an Enterprise tier from $199/month. Every paid plan includes unlimited podcasts, unlimited team members, and private podcasting, plus a 14-day free trial. Pay yearly and you get 12 months for the price of 10.

There’s no permanently free plan, so if cost is your only concern you may want to compare it against free podcast hosting options first. But for creators who want to run more than one show without paying per podcast, Transistor is one of the few podcast hosting platforms that makes unlimited shows the default at every tier.

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Transistor.fm podcast hosting pricing plans

How Much Does Transistor.fm Cost in 2026?

Here are Transistor’s current plans. Pricing is based on monthly downloads, not the number of shows, and the yearly column reflects Transistor’s “12 months for the price of 10” annual discount.

Plan Monthly Yearly Monthly Downloads Private Subscribers Standout Features
Starter $19 $190 20,000 50 Unlimited shows, podcast website, advanced analytics, API access
Professional $49 $490 100,000 500 Everything in Starter + dynamic ad insertion, dynamic show notes, auto-post to YouTube
Business $99 $990 250,000 3,000 Everything in Professional + remove Transistor branding
Enterprise $199+ $1,990+ 250,000+ 3,000+ Custom limits for high-volume shows; contact sales

All paid plans include unlimited podcasts, unlimited team members, and private podcasting. Transcription is available as a paid add-on (sold in monthly hour blocks) rather than being bundled into the base price.

Does Transistor.fm Have a Free Plan?

No. Transistor does not offer a permanently free tier. The lowest paid plan is Starter at $19/month. What you do get is a 14-day free trial on every plan, with full access to publishing, your podcast website, and analytics. If you don’t upgrade, your account simply pauses rather than charging you automatically.

If a $0 starting point is non-negotiable, it’s worth weighing Transistor against budget-focused hosts. I’ve covered the trade-offs in detail in my Buzzsprout pricing breakdown and Podbean pricing guide, both of which offer lower or free entry points with tighter limits.

What Do You Actually Get With Transistor?

Transistor leans toward power-without-clutter rather than a sprawling feature list. The features that matter most for day-to-day podcasting:

  • Unlimited podcasts — one account hosts as many shows as you want, with no per-show fee.
  • Private podcasting on every plan — secure RSS feeds for internal, paid, or course content, starting at the Starter tier.
  • Video podcast hosting — Transistor now hosts and distributes video episodes, a meaningful upgrade from its older audio-to-YouTube-only approach.
  • Dynamic ad insertion — add or swap pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll ads after publishing (Professional and above).
  • Auto-post to YouTube — push new episodes to YouTube automatically (Professional and above).
  • Built-in podcast website — a one-click site plus a separate network site if you run multiple shows.
  • AI transcription — available as a paid add-on for accessibility and show notes.
  • Advanced analytics and API access — included on every plan, even Starter.

Who Is Transistor.fm Best For?

Transistor fits a specific kind of podcaster especially well:

  • Creators running multiple shows — the unlimited-podcasts model is the cheapest path if you publish more than one feed.
  • Teams and agencies — unlimited collaborators and role management come standard.
  • Coaches and course creators — private podcasting at every tier supports membership and client-only feeds.
  • Businesses wanting clean branding — the Business plan removes Transistor branding entirely.

If your priority is a built-in ad marketplace or the deepest possible analytics, a different host may serve you better. For private-feed-heavy workflows specifically, compare it against the field in my guide to the best private podcast platforms.

Is Transistor’s Yearly Plan Worth It?

Annual billing gives you 12 months for the price of 10, which works out to roughly 17% off versus paying monthly. In real numbers: Starter drops from $228 to $190 a year, Professional from $588 to $490, and Business from $1,188 to $990. If you’re committed to podcasting for the next year, the annual plan is an easy win.

How Does Transistor Compare to Other Hosts?

The clearest way to read Transistor against the competition is by its pricing model. Most budget hosts charge per show or restrict private feeds; Transistor prices by downloads and includes unlimited shows and private podcasting on every plan.

Feature Transistor Typical Budget Host
Pricing basis Monthly downloads Often per show or per hour uploaded
Number of shows Unlimited on every plan Frequently one show per plan
Private podcasting Included on every plan Often higher tiers only
Video podcast hosting Yes Varies
Built-in ad marketplace No (run your own / dynamic ads) Sometimes included
Free trial 14 days Varies

For head-to-head detail on the budget options, see my Buzzsprout pricing, Podbean pricing, and Acast pricing guides.

Switching to Transistor: What to Expect

Migrating from another host is straightforward and won’t disrupt your audience:

  • Import your existing show via its RSS feed.
  • Set up a 301 redirect from your old feed (Transistor provides the instructions).
  • No audio re-compression or quality loss on imported episodes.
  • Your existing subscribers stay subscribed automatically.

Most creators complete the move in well under an hour. If you’re also rethinking your web presence during the switch, my walkthrough on how to create a podcast website pairs well with Transistor’s built-in site builder.

The Verdict: Is Transistor.fm Worth the Price?

For podcasters who run multiple shows, need private feeds, or want a clean, reliable platform that scales, Transistor is well worth $19–$99/month. You’re paying a modest premium over the cheapest hosts in exchange for unlimited shows and private podcasting baked into every tier. The main reasons to look elsewhere are if you need a built-in ad marketplace or a permanently free plan.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Transistor.fm cost?

Transistor.fm costs $19/month for Starter, $49/month for Professional, and $99/month for Business, billed monthly. An Enterprise tier starts at $199/month for high-volume shows. Paying annually gives you 12 months for the price of 10, dropping the effective cost to roughly $190, $490, and $990 per year respectively.

Does Transistor.fm have a free plan?

No, Transistor.fm does not offer a permanently free plan. The lowest paid tier is Starter at $19/month. However, every plan includes a 14-day free trial so you can publish episodes and test the full platform before committing. If you don’t upgrade, your account pauses rather than charging you automatically.

Is there a Transistor.fm free trial?

Yes. Transistor.fm offers a 14-day free trial on every plan, including Starter. During the trial you can publish episodes, build your podcast website, and explore analytics. You won’t be charged automatically at the end—you have to actively choose and confirm a paid plan to continue past the trial period.

How much do you save with Transistor’s yearly plan?

Transistor’s annual billing gives you 12 months for the price of 10, effectively two free months a year. That makes Starter about $190/year instead of $228, Professional $490 instead of $588, and Business $990 instead of $1,188—saving roughly 17% compared with paying month to month.

Can you host multiple podcasts on one Transistor plan?

Yes. Every Transistor.fm plan, including the $19 Starter tier, lets you host unlimited podcasts under a single account at no extra cost. Each show gets its own RSS feed, website, and analytics. This is Transistor’s biggest differentiator, since most competitors charge per show or cap the number of feeds you can run.

Does Transistor.fm support video podcasts?

Yes. Transistor now offers video podcast hosting and distribution, a change from earlier years when it only auto-posted audio to YouTube as a static image. You can host video episodes and distribute them to platforms like YouTube and Spotify, making it a viable choice for creators producing video-first shows.

Does Transistor include private podcasting?

Yes. Private podcasting is included on every Transistor plan. Starter supports 50 private subscribers, Professional supports 500, and Business supports 3,000. This makes Transistor a strong pick for internal company podcasts, paid membership feeds, or course content—features many hosts restrict to higher tiers or charge extra to unlock.

What happens if you exceed your Transistor download limit?

Transistor doesn’t shut off your audio if you exceed your monthly download cap. According to Transistor, they keep serving episodes to your listeners and reach out to move you to a higher tier if you consistently go over. There’s no automatic overage fee or sudden interruption for your audience.

Can you monetize a podcast on Transistor?

Yes, though Transistor has no built-in ad marketplace. You keep full ownership of your content and can run your own sponsorships, use dynamic ad insertion (Professional and up), or sell access to a paid private feed. If you want an automated ad network, a host with built-in monetization may suit you better.

How does Transistor pricing compare to Buzzsprout and Podbean?

Transistor starts higher ($19/month) than the entry tiers at Buzzsprout or Podbean, but it prices by monthly downloads and includes unlimited shows and private podcasting on every plan. Budget hosts often charge per show or limit private feeds, so Transistor can actually be cheaper for creators running multiple podcasts.