Auphonic vs Simplecast

Auphonic is an automatic audio post-production service from Graz, Austria. You upload a recording, pick a preset, and its algorithms level loudness between speakers, normalize to broadcast and podcast targets such as -16 LUFS, remove noise and hum, filter out low rumble and balance multitrack recordings so every voice sits at the same level. It then encodes the result in the formats you need and can publish straight to podcast hosts, YouTube, Dropbox or an FTP server.

Beyond cleanup, Auphonic adds speech recognition for transcripts and subtitles, automatic chapter marks, cut detection for fillers and silences, and ID3 metadata with cover art. Pricing is based on processing hours: a free tier gives two hours a month, recurring plans add more hours each month, and one-time credits never expire, which suits shows that publish irregularly. A REST API and desktop apps let teams automate the whole pipeline.

It is ideal for podcasters, radio stations, universities and video producers who want consistent, professional sound without learning mixing. It is not an editor: you cannot cut a story or rearrange segments, so it is usually paired with Audacity, Descript or a DAW. Compared with Adobe Podcast Enhance, Auphonic gives more control over loudness targets and output formats; compared with manual processing in iZotope RX, it is faster and far cheaper but less precise on difficult recordings.

Simplecast is a podcast hosting and analytics platform founded in 2013 and acquired by SiriusXM in June 2020, which paired it with its ad-tech unit AdsWizz. Now branded Simplecast by AdsWizz, it serves both independent shows and large networks: publishing episodes, distributing them to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora and other apps, and measuring listening with IAB Tech Lab certified analytics.

Every plan includes unlimited storage, multiple shows per account, a show website with custom domain, embeddable players and HTTPS feeds. Pricing follows monthly downloads: Basic costs $15 per month for 20,000 downloads and two seats, Essential $35 for 50,000 downloads and four seats with location, unique listener and app analytics. Professional and Enterprise are quoted and add dynamic ad insertion, ad-free feeds, programmatic demand through the AdsWizz marketplace, API access and white-label feeds. All plans start with a 14-day trial without a card.

Simplecast suits growing shows and networks that need trustworthy numbers and plan to sell ads. Hobby podcasters get more for less elsewhere. Transistor offers unlimited shows on flat download tiers, Buzzsprout is friendlier for beginners, Captivate leans into marketing tools, and Acast is the main rival for ad-sold networks.

Buying tip: estimate monthly downloads before choosing, because download caps rather than features drive the price, and confirm overage terms. If programmatic revenue is the goal, ask sales about Professional early, since dynamic ad insertion is not in the self-serve plans.