Firstory vs uStudio
Firstory
firstory.meuStudio
ustudio.comSide by side
| Figure | Firstory | uStudio |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $7/mo | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · Podcast hosting platforms | 9.2 (#3) | 7.6 (#41) |
| Analytics | Firstory combines Apple and other RSS data with official Spotify data in its listening analytics. | Administrators can view engagement and named-user analytics in dashboards and integrate analytics data through an API with tools such as Power BI, Tableau, and Workday. |
| Analytics level | advanced | advanced |
| Directory distribution | major directories | major directories |
| Integrations | The comparison page lists Apple Podcast subscriptions, Discord, Zapier auto-email, and corporate bank payout. | uStudio supports SAML 2.0 single sign-on, SCIM user provisioning, and integrations with systems such as Okta, Azure AD, and Ping Identity. |
| Private podcasts | Yes | Yes |
| Product | Firstory is a podcast hosting platform for creators. | uStudio provides enterprise audio, video, streaming, and podcasting tools for workforce communications, learning, and engagement. |
| RSS feed | Yes | Yes |
| Support | Firstory says all users receive a reply within two business days and paid users within one business day. | uStudio advertises customized support, dedicated support, coaching, resources, and quarterly product health checks. |
| Video podcast support | Yes | Yes |
Plans
Firstory
- Firstory FreeFree
- Firstory Lite$7 a month
- Firstory Pro$15 a month
- Firstory Enterprise$159 a month
In their own words
Firstory
Firstory is a podcast hosting platform for creators who want to publish, distribute, promote, and monetize shows. Uploading audio and video together in one go lets creators publish both formats, then distribute to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, KKBOX, and more than 10 platforms. Distribution is one-click for Spotify, KKBOX, and Pocket Casts; several other directories require manual distribution. AI Studio can create transcripts, summaries, highlights, newsletter drafts, questions and answers, keywords, and topic tags after upload. Analytics cover plays, audience profiles, and episode performance, combining RSS data with official Spotify data. Daily Spotify charts and listener and follower metrics are limited to Pro and higher. Promotion tools include FLink, a link for listening platforms and social profiles, an automatically built show website, and an embeddable player. Monetization options include dynamic ads, donations, recurring subscriptions, and cross-platform memberships. The free plan allows one show and one AI content extraction episode per month. Paid plans start at $7/mo, with a 14-day trial; annual billing saves 22%.
uStudio
uStudio is a paid enterprise platform for audio, video, live streaming, and podcasting in workforce communications, learning, and engagement. It covers media ingestion, hosting, management, distribution, consumption controls, and performance measurement for live and on-demand formats. Employees can use iOS and Android apps, download content for offline listening, and connect playback to car audio or smart speakers. Administrators can apply authentication, interactivity, localization, closed captioning, and lockout settings. Dashboards show engagement and named-user analytics, while an API connects data with Power BI, Tableau, and Workday. Integrations include SAML 2.0 single sign-on, SCIM provisioning, Okta, Azure AD, and Ping Identity. Hosting can use public clouds, private clouds, or on-premises solutions. uStudio describes AES-128-or-higher encryption for customer database data at rest and in transit. The enterprise platform uses SaaS per-user fees adjusted for audience size and scope, with pricing on request.