Best / Podcast hosting
Best open-source Podcast hosting
The best self-hosted podcast split in the c17.io catalog is Castopod for an AGPL-3.0 show you publish (the published Apple Podcasts stack; GitHub is a mirror of code.castopod.org), AzuraCast when the job is AGPL-3.0 web radio rather than episode RSS, Audiobookshelf when the job is a library you listen to rather than a show you publish, and Owncast when the job is live video rather than a podcast feed. This is not Apple's subscription SKU or Spotify exclusive distribution.
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Ranked picks
1
CastopodAGPL-3.0 ActivityPub podcast host — the c17 Apple Podcasts path.
When to pick it: A show, RSS, and episodes you publish.
877 stars in the catalog
2
AzuraCastAGPL-3.0 web radio suite. A station, not episode RSS.
When to pick it: A live radio stream, not a podcast feed.
4,073 stars in the catalog
3
AudiobookshelfGPL-3.0 listener library already on /replace/audible. Not a host you publish to.
When to pick it: Episodes and books you subscribe to.
14,700 stars in the catalog
4
OwncastMIT live streaming already on /replace/twitch. Not a podcast RSS feed.
When to pick it: A live show, not an episode archive.
11,621 stars in the catalog
How they compare
| Tool | License | Self-host | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castopod | GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 | Medium | A show, RSS, and episodes you publish. |
| AzuraCast | GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 | Medium | A live radio stream, not a podcast feed. |
| Audiobookshelf | GNU General Public License v3.0 | Easy | Episodes and books you subscribe to. |
| Owncast | MIT License | Easy | A live show, not an episode archive. |
Related pages
- Castopod stack
- Audiobookshelf / Calibre-Web / Kavita stack
- Owncast stack
- Replace Apple Podcasts
- Replace Buzzsprout
- Replace Transistor
- Replace Audible
- Replace Kindle
- Replace Twitch
- Replace StreamYard
- Replace Restream
- Castopod vs Funkwhale
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FAQ
- Castopod or Audiobookshelf?
- Castopod if you publish a show (the published path). Audiobookshelf if you listen — /replace/audible.
- Why is AzuraCast second?
- AzuraCast is radio. Put it here so a stream is not sold as episode RSS.
- Is this Twitch?
- Live video stays on /replace/twitch (Owncast). This page is a podcast you publish.
- Are these free?
- Castopod and AzuraCast are AGPL-3.0. Audiobookshelf is GPL-3.0. Owncast is MIT. You pay hosting and storage. Template users never pay c17.
- How do I deploy it?
- Open /stacks/castopod-podcasts. Persist audio. Publish one episode.
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