Comparison

Podstatus vs Podtrac: downloads are just one number

Podtrac measures audience and provides growth tools such as Smart Links and promotion attribution. Podstatus focuses on a different layer: where a show ranks inside podcast apps, how reviews and search positions change, and which nearby competitors are moving.

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Podstatus podcast analytics dashboard

First-party comparison published by Podstatus and last reviewed July 29, 2026. Podstatus pricing is $7.99 month-to-month or $59.99/year for Solo; competitor pricing and features can change, so verify current details with Podtrac.

Downloads do not tell the full story

Download, demographic, and campaign-attribution data answer important questions. They do not replace native-app chart, review, and podcast-search monitoring. Podstatus is built for those discoverability signals; Podtrac is built for measurement and promotion.

Feature comparison

Feature Podtrac Podstatus
Download measurement Yes (IAB certified) Via OP3 integration
Audience sizing Yes No
Audience demographics Yes (plan-dependent) No
Industry rankings (by downloads) Yes No
Smart Links Paid plans Podcast Page links; no attribution
Promo trades / attribution Yes (plan-dependent) No
Chart / ranking tracking No 3 platforms, 175 countries, hourly
Review monitoring No 175 countries, with alerts
Keyword tracking No Professional / Network
SEO analyzer No Professional / Network
Competitor monitoring No Yes
Spotify chart tracking No Yes
iVoox chart tracking No Yes
YouTube podcast tracking No Professional / Network
Advanced reporting Paid plans Email reports; PDFs on Professional / Network
PDF reports No Professional / Network (Document Studio)
Free plan Yes (basic measurement) No (7-day free trial)

Better together — or Podstatus on its own

Podtrac and Podstatus measure different things. You can use both, or choose the one that matches what you need most.

Podtrac alone

You get certified measurement plus audience, promotional, and reporting tools according to plan. It does not publish the same ongoing app-chart, review, or search-position workflow as Podstatus.

Podstatus alone

You know your rankings, reviews, keywords, SEO health, and competitor movements. OP3 integration gives you download data. A complete growth picture in one dashboard.

Both together

Combine Podtrac's certified measurement and campaign tools with Podstatus rankings, SEO, reviews, and competitive signals when both measurement layers matter.

What Podtrac does well

Podtrac publishes IAB-certified podcast measurement, audience demographics, industry rankings by download volume, promo trades, Smart Links, attribution, and advanced reporting across its plan range. Those features are useful for sponsors, networks, and paid growth workflows.

Podstatus addresses a different question: how visible is the show inside Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iVoox, and how are its rankings, reviews, search positions, metadata, and nearby competitors changing?

Frequently asked questions

They measure different layers. Podtrac provides IAB-certified download and audience measurement plus growth tools such as Smart Links, promo trades, and attribution on eligible plans. Podstatus focuses on discoverability: chart rankings, reviews, podcast-search positions, SEO analysis, and competitor tracking.

Podtrac published free basic IAB-certified measurement when reviewed July 29, 2026. It also offers paid growth and reporting plans, but current prices were not available as machine-readable text on its official pricing page. Podstatus Solo costs $7.99 month-to-month or $59.99/year.

Yes. Many podcasters use Podtrac for IAB-certified download reporting and Podstatus for rankings, reviews, keywords, and competitive intelligence. The two tools complement each other because they cover different areas of podcast analytics.

Podstatus integrates with OP3, an open-source podcast analytics project, to provide download statistics. For IAB-certified download numbers, Podtrac is the standard. Podstatus is built for the metrics beyond downloads: where you rank, how you are discovered, and how you compare to competitors.

Not necessarily. If your main concern is understanding your podcast's discoverability — rankings, keywords, SEO, reviews, competitors — Podstatus alone covers that with OP3 download data included. If you specifically need IAB-certified download numbers for sponsor reporting, adding Podtrac makes sense.

Both can support growth in different ways. Podtrac offers audience measurement, Smart Links, promo trades, and attribution according to plan. Podstatus shows app-chart visibility, reviews, podcast-search positions, SEO opportunities, and nearby competitors. Choose based on the signals and workflow you need.

Your podcast needs more than download numbers.

Rankings, reviews, keywords, SEO, and competitor tracking across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iVoox. Start understanding your growth.

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