Seriously Simple Podcasting is a free WordPress plugin for publishing podcasts. See 2026 features, RSS feed setup, pros and cons, and optional hosting pricing.
Seriously Simple Podcasting is a free WordPress plugin developed by Castos, a podcast hosting company founded in 2015 by Craig Hewitt, that lets any WordPress site publish and manage a podcast without requiring a separate hosting subscription.
The plugin adds a dedicated Podcast post type to the WordPress admin, allowing users to create episodes with audio or video files, show notes, and metadata alongside their regular posts and pages, then automatically generates a directory-compliant RSS feed.
Seriously Simple Podcasting powers more than 30,000 active podcast installations according to its WordPress.org listing, and is designed to be hosting-agnostic, meaning the media files themselves can be stored anywhere, not only with Castos.
The plugin generates an RSS feed that is fully compliant with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major podcast directories, removing the need to manually format feed XML to directory specifications.
A built-in audio and video player can be embedded directly on episode pages, and the setup flow is designed to take a user from plugin installation to a submitted, working RSS feed in just a few steps.
Seriously Simple Stats, a free companion add-on, adds listener analytics such as total listens per episode, filtering by date range, and a breakdown of which platforms or sources listeners are coming from.
Seriously Simple Podcasting itself is completely free to install and use, with no required upsell to unlock core publishing and RSS feed functionality.
Because the plugin is hosting-agnostic, users are not required to purchase anything else, but Castos offers optional paid hosting plans starting at $19 per month for the Essentials tier, which includes unlimited podcasts and episodes, automatic distribution, and basic analytics.
Castos hosting scales up to $49 per month for the Growth tier with advanced analytics and video republishing, $99 per month for the Pro tier with video hosting and priority support, and custom Premium pricing starting at $499 per month for large organizations needing single sign-on and dedicated account management.
Yes, the plugin is free to install and use indefinitely, with no required paid upgrade to publish episodes.
Seriously Simple Podcasting is developed and maintained by Castos, a podcast hosting company founded in 2015 by Craig Hewitt.
No, the plugin is hosting-agnostic and works with any media hosting provider; Castos hosting is an optional paid add-on.
According to its WordPress.org listing, the plugin powers more than 30,000 active podcast installations.
Yes, the plugin automatically generates an RSS feed compliant with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music requirements.
Yes, using the free Seriously Simple Stats add-on, which shows total listens per episode, date-range filtering, and listening source breakdowns.
Install the plugin on a WordPress site, configure basic podcast settings, add an episode, and submit the generated RSS feed to podcast directories.
Yes, the plugin supports attaching video files to episodes and embedding a video player, with expanded video features available through paid Castos hosting tiers.