RSS.com Launches Free Podcast Hosting Plan

RSS.com just launched a free podcast hosting plan, and I wanted to share what it includes because I think it solves one of the biggest objections I hear from aspiring podcasters: "It's too expensive to get started."

Full disclosure: RSS.com are friends of mine and they sponsor one of my shows, Our Beloved Medium. But this free plan is legitimately useful, especially if you're thinking about starting a podcast in 2026 and don't want to drop money on hosting before you've even recorded episode one.

What's Included in the Free Plan

Here's what you get without paying a dime:

• Unlimited episodes — No artificial caps on how much you can publish
• Free podcast website — A basic site for your show
• Episode scheduling — Plan your releases in advance
• Automatic distribution — One-click submission to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other directories
• Promotional tools — Help people discover your show
• Podcasting 2.0 features — Pod roll recommendations, funding tags, and value-for-value streaming
• Enhanced email privacy — Protects your email address in your RSS feed
• Location tagging — Tag where your podcast is recorded or what it's about for local/niche discovery

The main limitation? Podcast analytics are capped at 90 days instead of the extended history you'd get with their paid plans.

Who Should Use the Free Plan (And Who Shouldn't)

If you're a hobbyist or someone just trying to get something off the ground, 90 days of analytics is plenty. Honestly, if you're obsessing over analytics beyond 90 days, you're probably running a business or trying to sell ads. At that point, you should be paying for hosting anyway.

RSS.com's middle-tier plan bumps you to 180 days of analytics, adds AI transcripts, and includes programmatic ad insertion. That's where you want to be if podcasting is part of your business strategy or you're using it for brand building at your organization.

But if you're just testing the waters? Or you've been putting off starting because of costs? The free plan removes that excuse.

Setting Up Your Free Podcast (Quick Walkthrough)

I signed up for a free account just to see what the experience is like. Here's the process:

1. Create your podcast — Add your show name, description, and category
2. Upload cover art — Use something like Canva to create your 3000x3000 pixel cover image (Canva is free for basic designs)
3. Start uploading episodes — The dashboard is clean and straightforward
4. Distribute to platforms — One click to submit to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other apps

The interface is one of the things I appreciate most about RSS.com. Everything is where you'd expect it to be.

Analytics and Monetization Features

Even on the free plan, you get basic analytics showing where people are listening and what apps they're using. It's not the deep data you'd get with a paid plan, but it's enough to know if your show is resonating.

For monetization, programmatic ads aren't available on the free tier. But you can still use:

• Donation and funding tags — Add your PayPal or Stripe link, and any podcast app that supports the funding button will display it to listeners
• Value-for-value streaming — If you want to accept Bitcoin micropayments (sats) from listeners using compatible apps

Just paste your payment link into the dashboard, and you're set. Any app that supports Podcasting 2.0 features will display your funding button automatically.

Why Podcasting 2.0 Features Matter (Even If You Don't Know What They Are Yet)

RSS.com includes several Podcasting 2.0 features in their free plan:

• Funding tags — Let listeners support you directly through their podcast app
• Pod rolls — Cross-promote other podcasts you recommend
• Location tags — Help people discover local or niche shows
• Value-for-value — Alternative monetization through streaming micropayments

If none of that makes sense right now, that's fine. The point is these are forward-looking features that give you more control and flexibility as a creator. RSS.com supporting them on the free tier shows they're thinking about independent creators, not just extracting maximum revenue.

The Bottom Line

Starting a podcast in 2026 doesn't have to mean spending money on hosting before you've proven the concept to yourself. RSS.com's free plan gives you everything you need to launch, distribute, and even monetize a show.

The stuff that's not free? Your time. You still have to create the content, whether that's scripted monologues or interviews. But the infrastructure is there, ready to go, for zero dollars.

If you know someone who's been putting off podcasting because of costs, point them to RSS.com's free plan. It's a solid way to get started without financial commitment.