Brandwave

Buzzsprout vs Riverside:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Buzzsprout had more branded searches than Riverside among podcast hosting platforms worldwide. Buzzsprout had about 34,700 branded searches, while Riverside had 590. Buzzsprout made up 10.1% of all podcast hosting platform searches we track, and Riverside accounted for 0.17%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about podcast hosting platforms, Buzzsprout appeared in all five answers and Riverside in two. Buzzsprout was mentioned before Riverside in every answer.

Among podcast hosting platforms worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Buzzsprout, about 59 searches for every 1 for Riverside

Buzzsprout 34.7K searchesRiverside 590 searches

Who does AI mention more?

Buzzsprout, mentioned in every answer we collected

Buzzsprout in 5 of 5Riverside in 2 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Buzzsprout, named ahead of Riverside in every answer

Buzzsprout first in 5Riverside never first

Follow Buzzsprout vs Riverside and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Track your brand against a rival →

Top podcast hosting platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Buzzsprout appeared in all five answers. Riverside was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. Buzzsprout was listed before Riverside in every answer.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Buzzsprout1st
  2. Spotify for Creators2nd
  3. Transistor3rd
  4. RSS.com4th
  5. Captivate5th
  6. Riverside6th
  7. Podbean7th
  8. RedCircle–
  9. Acast–
  10. Libsyn–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Spotify for Creators5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Buzzsprout5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Captivate5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • RSS.com4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Transistor3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Podbean2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Riverside2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • RedCircle0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Acast0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Libsyn0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about podcast hosting platforms

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.

Is Buzzsprout or Riverside more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Buzzsprout and Riverside by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten podcast hosting platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Buzzsprout and Riverside among podcast hosting platforms worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Buzzsprout, Riverside. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthSpotify for CreatorsRedCircleBuzzsproutPodbeanAcastLibsynTransistorRSS.comCaptivateRiverside
Oct 202524.9%30.7%15.1%13.9%9.1%5%0.46%0.44%0.35%0.13%
Nov 202527.3%27.7%13.9%15.2%10%4.5%0.51%0.48%0.38%0.14%
Dec 202528.6%28.9%14.5%13.1%8.6%4.7%0.51%0.51%0.38%0.12%
Jan 202629.7%30.1%15.2%11.2%7.3%4.9%0.54%0.51%0.46%0.16%
Feb 202630.6%30.9%12.8%11.5%7.5%5%0.5%0.53%0.44%0.13%
Mar 202633.4%27.5%13.9%12.5%8.2%3%0.51%0.47%0.43%0.15%
Apr 202635.7%29.5%11.9%11%7.2%3.2%0.55%0.5%0.37%0.16%
May 202636.1%29.7%11.6%11.1%7.2%2.6%0.62%0.51%0.37%0.16%
Jun 202638.8%26.3%12.9%9.6%7.8%2.8%0.71%0.55%0.33%0.17%
Jul 202640.1%27.2%11.4%10%6.6%2.9%0.69%0.56%0.32%0.18%
Aug 202639.7%26.9%11%9.8%8%2.9%0.68%0.56%0.32%0.17%
Sep 202639.2%26.6%10.1%9.7%7.9%4.3%1.4%0.55%0.3%0.17%

How has the Buzzsprout and Riverside comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for podcast hosting platforms worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Buzzsprout lost share of searches among podcast hosting platforms worldwide, from 11% to 10.1%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Riverside worldwide rose 22.9% over 12 measured months, from 480 to 590 in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

3 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Buzzsprout’s and Riverside’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Buzzsprout

2 branded search terms

  • buzzsprout
  • buzzsprout podcast hosting

Riverside

1 branded search term

  • riverside webinar

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among podcast hosting platforms

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Put your own brand in this comparison

Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.

Start free