PowerPress Podcasting by Blubrry
Free Blubrry plugin that builds Apple/Spotify-ready podcast feeds from WordPress posts, with players, Podcasting 2.0 tags and optional hosting.
84
Seriously Simple Podcasting
Free podcast plugin by Castos that publishes episodes and feeds from WordPress, with players, blocks and optional Castos hosting and analytics.
Free installs20K+WordPress.org, active
Est. Pro installs~1.2KLikely 600–2.4K
Vendor claims30K+Vendor's own figure
Rating4.7/5330 reviews
Price from$190/yrFreemium
Last updated19 Oct 2026Version 3.17.1
Overview
Seriously Simple Podcasting (SSP) is a free podcasting plugin maintained by Castos. It adds a dedicated Podcast post type to WordPress, so episodes live separately from blog posts, and generates an RSS feed for each show with the tags Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other directories expect. Castos states the plugin will stay free; the business model is Castos hosting, which SSP connects to with an API token.
How it works
You create a podcast (formerly called a series), upload or link the audio file, and publish. Each podcast gets its own feed, settings and subscribe links, with an optional catch-all feed. On the front end you can use a compact player or an HTML5 player with cover art and custom colours, plus blocks for the Castos player, playlist player and an episode list with a cards layout. Elementor widgets and shortcodes cover page-builder sites.
- Import tools for Libsyn, Buzzsprout, Podbean, SoundCloud, Simplecast and PowerPress/Blubrry.
- Password-protected feeds from the Security settings.
- Podcasting 2.0 GUID, locked, funding, transcript and Value4Value tags.
- Yoast SEO schema integration for episodes and series.
Free vs paid
The plugin has no premium version. Free add-ons include Seriously Simple Stats (listens per episode and source) and Seriously Simple Speakers (guest/speaker taxonomy). Connecting Castos ($19/month or $190/year upwards, 14-day trial) moves file delivery to Castos with unlimited storage and downloads, and adds in-depth analytics, AI transcriptions, chapters, private podcasting for subscriber lists with MemberPress, Paid Memberships Pro, LifterLMS and WooCommerce Memberships integrations, dynamic ads, listener donations and YouTube republishing on higher tiers.
Limitations
Sync is one-way: episodes created in the Castos dashboard do not appear in WordPress. There is no sticky player, chapters are handled in Castos rather than the plugin, and the speakers add-on has not been tested with recent WordPress releases. Castos generally does not issue refunds.
Who should pick it: podcasters who want a clean, separate episode post type and a straightforward route to managed hosting, or anyone already on Castos.
Best for: Podcasters who want a tidy WordPress-native episode workflow with an easy upgrade to Castos hosting and private podcasting.
SSP is the friendliest free option for publishing a podcast from WordPress, with good blocks and multi-show feeds. Its most compelling extras (analytics depth, chapters, private subscribers, ads) live on Castos, so it shines most for people happy to pay for that hosting.
Pros
- Free plugin with a dedicated podcast post type and separate feed per show
- Modern blocks: Castos player, playlist player and episode list with cards layout
- Free stats and speakers add-ons from the same developer
- Built-in password-protected feeds and Podcasting 2.0 tags
- Import from Libsyn, Buzzsprout, Podbean, SoundCloud, Simplecast and PowerPress
- Castos hosting includes unlimited shows on every plan
Cons
- Castos sync is one-way, so dashboard-created episodes never reach WordPress
- No sticky player
- Chapters, advanced analytics and private subscriber lists require Castos
- Speakers add-on is not tested with recent WordPress versions
- Castos generally does not refund payments
Key features
What Seriously Simple Podcasting highlights on its WordPress.org page and its own website, split by version.
Free version WordPress.org
- Dedicated podcast post type
- Separate feed per podcast
- Compact and HTML5 players
- Custom player colours
- Playlist and episode list blocks
- Elementor widgets and shortcodes
- Subscribe links per podcast
- Password-protected feeds
- Import from major podcast hosts
- Podcasting 2.0 feed tags
- Yoast SEO schema integration
- Free stats and speakers add-ons
Pro / paid adds From $190/yr
- Castos hosting with unlimited storage
- Unlimited podcasts and downloads
- In-depth listener analytics
- AI transcriptions every month
- Chapters in the Castos feed
- Private podcasts for subscriber lists
- Membership and LMS integrations
- Dynamic ads and listener donations
- YouTube republishing (Growth+)
- Video file hosting (Pro)
- Team members (Growth+)
Feature checklist
18 of 21 features we track in Podcast Plugins, feature score 84/100
Publishing 7/7
Podcast RSS feed Key
Generates a podcast RSS feed from your episodes.
Generates an RSS feed for each podcast plus an optional combined feed.
Included
Apple Podcasts & Spotify ready Key
Feed tags and settings needed for Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other directories.
Feed settings for Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other directories.
Included
Multiple podcasts
Run more than one show or feed from one site.
Unlimited podcasts on one site, each with its own feed and settings.
Included
Episode scheduling
Schedule episodes to publish later.
Episodes take a publish date and scheduled episodes sync to Castos when they go live.
Included
Transcripts Key
Add transcripts to episodes, in the feed and on the page.
Transcript file field and podcast:transcript tag; AI transcriptions with Castos.
Included
Chapters
Chapter markers for episodes.
Chapters are added in the Castos dashboard and output in the Castos feed; no plugin field.
Paid version Castos Essentials
Video podcasts
Publish video episodes as well as audio.
Embed Vimeo, VideoPress or video blocks; Castos Pro hosts video files.
Included
Player 3/4
Built-in podcast player Key
Embeds a podcast player on episode pages.
Compact or HTML5 player shown above or below episode content.
Included
Sticky player
Player that keeps playing while visitors browse other pages.
No persistent player is listed in the plugin or its blocks.
Not included
Player customisation
Colours, layouts and download or speed controls.
Custom background and progress colours, dark mode, download and new-window links.
Included
Episode lists & archives
Grids or lists of episodes from a feed or show.
Playlist player and Episode List blocks/shortcodes with a cards layout.
Included
Hosting & importing 2/3
Podcast media hosting Key
Vendor-hosted audio files with fast delivery, so files are not served from your web host.
Castos hosts audio on a podcast CDN with unlimited storage and downloads.
Paid version Castos Essentials
Import an existing podcast Key
Import episodes from another host or RSS feed.
Imports from Libsyn, Buzzsprout, Podbean, SoundCloud, Simplecast and PowerPress.
Included
Auto-sync new episodes
New episodes from your host appear on your site automatically.
Castos to WordPress sync is not offered; the connection is one-way from WordPress.
Not included
Growth & analytics 5/5
Download analytics Key
Downloads and listener stats per episode.
Free Seriously Simple Stats add-on; deeper analytics with Castos plans.
Via add-on
Subscribe buttons
Links to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other apps.
Customisable subscribe links per podcast for Apple, Spotify and others.
Included
Podcast SEO & schema
Episode schema and SEO settings for episode pages.
Episode and series schema is added through the Yoast SEO integration.
Partial
Private & premium feeds
Members-only or paid podcast feeds.
Password-protected feeds free; Castos adds private subscriber feeds and membership links.
Included
Monetisation
Ads, sponsorships or listener support built in or integrated.
Funding and Value4Value tags; Castos Ads and listener donations with Castos.
Included
Guests & booking 1/2
Guest booking & applications Key
Guest application or booking forms, or integration with a scheduling tool.
No guest application or booking tool integration.
Not included
Guest & host profiles
Profiles for guests and hosts linked to episodes.
Free Seriously Simple Speakers add-on adds speakers with archive pages.
Via add-on
Pricing
Free
$0On WordPress.org
Free plugin
Freeper yearUnlimited
Plugin is free with no premium edition; self-host media or connect Castos.
Castos Essentials
$190per year1 site
$19/month billed monthly. Unlimited podcasts/episodes/downloads, 100 private subscribers, 10 AI transcriptions/month. 14-day free trial.
Castos Growth
$490per year1 site
$49/month. Advanced reports, 250 private subscribers, YouTube republishing, 25 transcriptions/month, up to 5 team members.
Castos Pro
$990per year1 site
$99/month. Video file hosting, 500 private subscribers, 100 transcriptions/month, up to 10 team members.
Castos Premium
$4,990per year1 site
From $499/month; custom limits, SSO and account manager.
Prices are list prices from the vendor's site, checked 14 Oct 2026. Many vendors discount the first year.
How many sites use Seriously Simple Podcasting?
Free installs from WordPress.org, the vendor's own claim, and our estimate of paid installs.
Free version (WordPress.org)
20K+
Active installations reported by WordPress.org.
Vendor claim
30K+
Sites/users claimed on the vendor's website. source
Estimated Pro / paid installs
~1.2K
Our estimate, see method below.
How we estimated this: The vendor figure (30K+) is within WordPress.org's rounding of the free installs, so it says nothing about paid sites. About 25K free installs x 5% (the usual share of free sites that also run the paid version when a hosted service whose free tier is generous) gives 1.3K. Likely range: 600 to 2.4K. This counts sites running the paid version, including sites whose licence has lapsed. Estimates are rough and based on public figures as of 14 Oct 2026.
Stats & health
Weekly downloads
4,402 downloads last week, 2.5M all time
Rating breakdown
| Version | 3.17.1 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 19 Oct 2026 (14 days ago) |
| Tested up to | WordPress 7.1.4 |
| Requires | WordPress 5.3+, PHP 7.4+ |
| Support threads (2 months) | 2 of 6 resolved |
| On WordPress.org since | 13 Dec 2012 |
Company & policy
| Paying customers claimed | 42K+ podcasts (source, 13 Oct 2026) Pricing page says trusted by 42,000+ podcasts; About page claims tens of thousands of active customers. |
|---|---|
| Refund policy | Generally no refunds (source, 13 Oct 2026) Refunds only for system malfunctions or termination without cause. |
| G2 rating | 4.7 (source, 13 Oct 2026) 4.7/5 G2 rating shown on the Castos pricing page. |
Seriously Simple Podcasting compared
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FAQ
Is Seriously Simple Podcasting free?
Yes. Seriously Simple Podcasting has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $190/yr.
How many sites use Seriously Simple Podcasting?
WordPress.org reports 20K+ active installations of the free version. The vendor claims 30K+ sites in total. We estimate around 1.2K sites run the paid version.
Does Seriously Simple Podcasting have podcast rss feed?
Yes: included. Generates an RSS feed for each podcast plus an optional combined feed.
Does Seriously Simple Podcasting have apple podcasts & spotify ready?
Yes: included. Feed settings for Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other directories.
Does Seriously Simple Podcasting have transcripts?
Yes: included. Transcript file field and podcast:transcript tag; AI transcriptions with Castos.
Does Seriously Simple Podcasting have built-in podcast player?
Yes: included. Compact or HTML5 player shown above or below episode content.
Does Seriously Simple Podcasting have podcast media hosting?
Yes: paid version (Castos Essentials). Castos hosts audio on a podcast CDN with unlimited storage and downloads.
Does Seriously Simple Podcasting have import an existing podcast?
Yes: included. Imports from Libsyn, Buzzsprout, Podbean, SoundCloud, Simplecast and PowerPress.
Does Seriously Simple Podcasting have download analytics?
Yes: via add-on. Free Seriously Simple Stats add-on; deeper analytics with Castos plans.
Does Seriously Simple Podcasting have guest booking & applications?
No: not included. No guest application or booking tool integration.
Is there a Pro version of Seriously Simple Podcasting?
No. The plugin is free and Castos says it will remain free. Paid features come from connecting a Castos hosting plan, starting at $19/month or $190/year.
Can I run multiple podcasts on one site?
Yes. Each podcast gets its own RSS feed, settings and subscribe buttons, and you can enable a catch-all feed that combines them.
If I publish in the Castos dashboard, will episodes appear on WordPress?
No. Castos documents the connection as one-way: episodes published from WordPress sync to Castos, but changes made in Castos do not come back to WordPress.
Can I make a private podcast?
The free plugin can password-protect a feed. Castos plans add private podcasting with per-listener feeds (100 to 500 subscribers depending on plan) and integrations with MemberPress, Paid Memberships Pro, LifterLMS and WooCommerce Memberships.
Can I migrate from PowerPress or another host?
Yes. SSP includes importers for PowerPress/Blubrry as well as Libsyn, Buzzsprout, Podbean, SoundCloud and Simplecast feeds.
Last updated 13 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit.