Head-to-head comparison
OP3 vs Podsights
Two of the analytics tools podcasters reach for. Here's how they differ on pricing, features, audience, and the trade-offs that actually matter day-to-day.
Open-source IAB-certified analytics prefix you can self-verify.
Best for: Privacy-minded podcasters
Spotify-owned attribution platform for podcast advertisers.
Best for: Brand advertisers
At a glance
The honest trade-offs
OP3
Pros
- Open source and self-auditable
- Free, public stats pages with exports
- No data mixing with third-party IP databases
Watch-outs
- Not yet IAB-certified for ad buying
- No marketing demographics or attribution
- Self-service feel; no support team
Podsights
Pros
- Free pixel attribution across podcasts
- Unified with Spotify music and display ads
- Real-time conversion and brand lift reporting
Watch-outs
- Spotify-owned, tied to their ad ecosystem
- Podsights brand has been retired
- Built for advertisers, not publishers
Which one should you pick?
Pick OP3 if
You’re building around privacy-minded podcasters. OP3 is the rare analytics tool you can actually inspect — open source, single-cloud, no shadowy data deals — and it's free forever for any podcaster who adds the prefix to their feed. The trade-off is no IAB certification yet, so big sponsors may still ask for Podtrac numbers alongside it.
Pick Podsights if
You’re building around brand advertisers. Podsights doesn't really exist anymore — Spotify rolled it into Spotify Ad Analytics, which is now a free attribution tool tied to the broader Spotify Audience Network. For brand advertisers this is a win (free and unified), but anyone hoping for the independent platform Podsights once was is out of luck.
Also worth comparing
Or see all OP3 alternatives.
Frequently asked
What does OP3 do better than Podsights?
OP3's standout is "Open source and self-auditable". Podsights doesn't make that promise — it leans into "Free pixel attribution across podcasts" instead. If the first sentence describes your workflow, pick OP3; if the second does, pick Podsights.
What are the trade-offs?
OP3: not yet iab-certified for ad buying. Podsights: spotify-owned, tied to their ad ecosystem. Whether either matters depends entirely on what you actually need — neither is a deal-breaker by itself.
Can I use OP3 and Podsights together?
Both are analytics tools so most teams pick one. Some workflows do combine them — for example, using OP3 for one show or episode type and Podsights for another. Worth trying both free tiers before committing.