RedCircle has proclaimed itself as the top platform for indie podcasters, even though it hasn’t been on the market for that many years.
On the other side, Anchor by Spotify has turned itself into a big player in the podcasting industry, with its core objective of democratizing the world of podcasts.
But, in the battle between these two, which one is best?
We have done the rundown in this article with some of the best features each one of the two podcast hosting platforms has to offer, so keep reading below to figure out which one works best for you.
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RedCircle

RedCircle Podcasts, previously identified as SeedCast, was established in 2018 by Mike Kadin and Jeremey Lermitte, both of whom successfully led Uber’s Marketing Technology team.
RedCircle is a hosting tool with a strong emphasis on development and commercialization for independent podcasters, and it is particularly well-known for its novel method of promoting and cross-promoting your podcast (also see, ‘Best Podcast Promotion Services‘).
Embedding a podcast on another site can be a bit tedious, especially with a WordPress website. RedCircle offers a quick embedding solution with its ‘Monetization & Distribution” tool, which enables podcasters to use their podcast on an external website or blog post.
Plans
Because of RedCircle’s three-tier price structure, no content creator is left out of the platform.
Yes, RedCircle has three plans, one of which is free and offers free hosting and distribution services with no limit.
While it is not the cheapest one when it comes to its paid plans, the features it offers make it worthy of the money you are paying, especially if you are a professional podcaster.
RedCircle Advertising Platform
RedCircle’s Ad Platform is designed to assist podcast hosts in monetizing their projects.
It is a technologically advanced online market that helps connect content creators with promotional offers and brand names with content creators.
This Ad Platform simplifies the whole operation of organizing and establishing marketing deals for podcasters, which makes it extremely simple to sell parts of their recording.
Brand companies and advertising agencies can purchase host-read or programmatic advertisements to enter RedCircle’s group of indie content creators.
They can easily schedule, release, and track ad campaigns, and they can improve and use A/B tests for advertisement formats, messages, and other marketing aspects.
- All in one Podcast platform
- Excellent Monetization Features
"Was super easy for me to make the switch over, support was outstanding"
Advanced Ad Integration
The dynamic insertion of advertisements simplifies the job of content creators without entirely depriving them of direct authority.
RedCircle produces audio parts and points for programmatic advertisements to be inserted into your recording automatically.
But even so, you can change the settings and better manage where the advertisements will start playing, for instance by placing the advertisement behind another audio block.
Cross-Promotion Opportunities

The RedCircle cross-promotions marketplace fosters collaborative projects and co-sponsored development among content creators.
You can communicate with other podcasters and collaborate to expand your listener base.
With the paid Growth Plan offered, you can begin a collaboration through the marketplace and release collaborative promotional activities.
Simply submit a request and share your cross-promotion sound files, and RedCircle will flexibly add your collaborator’s recording to your show’s episode and your recordings to theirs (also see, ‘How To Share Podcast‘).
RedCircle Studios
RedCircle Studios provides a complete audio bundle that includes production guidance, podcasting hardware, proactive monitoring and supervision, and advertising help and support.
Of course, this service is clearly targeting companies, brand names, or independent podcasters that can afford to pay and who want to start their podcast venture but need help getting started.
Anchor

Anchor was bought by Spotify in 2019 and it has since functioned as a branch of the streaming colossus.
Its purpose is to continue providing simple and effective podcasting toolkits to all, so the platform is completely free.
Make Segmented Episodes
Anchor breaks down episodes into audio ‘segments,’ which you can reorder like bits to produce your own episode sequence.
This is a noteworthy way of visualizing a podcast episode that makes it possible to click, drag, and reorder with ease.
You can use the application to create original bits or import previously recorded audio that will integrate seamlessly with that.
Anchor also now allows video podcasts, giving podcasters more options to share their stories in a visually stunning way (also see, ‘Why You Need A Video Podcast‘).
The video podcasting feature includes HD streaming and the ability to add backgrounds, music, and sound clips.
Add Music From Spotify
Anchor supports the integration of full Spotify music files. This makes sure you can immediately improve your show with some additional audio without worrying about digital rights (also see, ‘How Can I Add Music To My Podcast‘).
- Create, distribute, and monetize your podcast - all for free.
- User-Friendly Interface
- Advanced Insights and Analytics.
Hosting Services With No Limits
Much like RedCircle, Anchor is a free podcast host, offering unlimited podcast hosting on the number of shows and episodes you can host.
Multiple podcasts can be hosted on the same account, so if a podcaster is running multiple shows, they will have ample space to manage them.
ALSO SEE: Free Podcast Hosting Unlimited Storage
Built-In Audience Interaction

A further distinctive aspect is the built-in listener engagement resources, which let you incorporate a feeling of belonging and discourse into your shows.
There are special tools like Q&A, Polls, and the ability to share timestamps.
Polls And Q&As
Content creators can prompt their audiences to any episode using the Q&A function. Your listeners could then reply quickly using the Spotify app, and you can pin their best responses.
You can also make listeners polls where they can again reply via Spotify. This fosters a dynamic community feeling and live communication that shows that are not playing live do not get to have.
Voice Messaging
The next popular feature is the option to have “voice messages” in your show.
You can tell audiences to submit them by using your special link (which you can find in your Anchor’s profile dashboard), and then feature their texts in your show as you design it on the platform.
Timestamps
If you send your friend a URL to your favorite show, the URL almost always links to the entire show, regardless of whether you are referring to a specific part or the whole show.
Spotify has modified this to ensure that users can now link a specific point in time.
This is not simply for your listeners to benefit from, but it also suggests that whenever you are trying to promote your show, you can showcase a particular passage or part, even a special guest.
The Bottom Line

While both of these mostly free podcast hosting platforms are performing well, RedCircle does not provide many content creators with the creative control they desire.
On the other hand, Anchor’s podcast hosting services and its core aim to democratize podcasting is much more successful.
The best podcast hosting for you needs to depend on your individual goals and desires, but Anchor is often the go-to platform for anyone looking for more creative freedom in their podcast.
So, while you might wish to give RedCircle a try, the Anchor hosting platform has some rather unique functions and opportunities such as uploading unlimited podcasts that you can benefit from without giving a single penny!
The best podcast hosting platforms are the ones that allow you to customize your podcast, promote it across multiple platforms, and make sure everything looks great. Anchor provides all of these features and more – making it a clear choice for many content creators.