Both platforms let you run an internet radio station. They take different approaches to pricing, streaming technology, and server control. Here is an honest breakdown to help you decide.
Radio.co uses tiered pricing. Each tier raises the listener cap, storage, and listening-hour allowance. Here is the full breakdown for reference.
| Plan | Price | Listeners | Storage | Hours/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | $35/mo | 500 | 2 GB | 18,000 |
| Standard | $59/mo | 20,000 | 20 GB | 360,000 |
| Plus | $139/mo | 500,000 | 75 GB | 875,000 |
| Premium | $199/mo | Unlimited | 300 GB | 1,300,000 |
Pricing as of early 2026. Check radio.co/pricing for the latest.
CloudRadio One ($39/mo) vs Radio.co Standard ($59/mo), plus features available on other plans.
| Feature |
CloudRadio One $39/mo |
Radio.co Standard $59/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Concurrent listeners | Unlimited | 20,000 |
| Listening hours / month | Unlimited | 360,000 |
| Storage | 750 GB | 20 GB |
| HLS streaming | ✓ (adaptive bitrate) | ✗ |
| ICY / HTTP streaming | ✓ | ✓ |
| Max audio quality | 256 kbps AAC | 192 kbps MP3 |
| AutoDJ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduled programming | ✓ | ✓ |
| Live broadcasting | ✓ | ✓ |
| Embeddable player | ✓ | ✓ |
| Listener analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
| SSL/HTTPS streams | ✓ | ✓ |
| DJ accounts | ✗ | 20 accounts |
| AI voice studio | ✗ | 1,500 credits/mo |
| Dedicated mobile app | ✗ | Add-on (included on Plus+) |
| Alexa skill | ✗ | Add-on (included on Plus+) |
CloudRadio One gives you both HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) and ICY/HTTP streaming. HLS is the same protocol behind Apple Music and YouTube. It delivers adaptive bitrate so the stream adjusts quality based on the listener's connection, working natively in every modern browser and mobile device without plugins. The ICY/HTTP stream covers everything else: traditional radio apps, hardware receivers, and directory submissions that expect a classic Icecast-style URL.
Radio.co uses traditional Icecast streaming over HTTP. This works well with desktop media players and most mobile apps, but does not support adaptive bitrate. Listeners on slow connections may experience buffering rather than a quality downgrade.
CloudRadio One is $39/month, flat. No listener caps, no listening-hour limits, no overage charges. You get unlimited listeners and 750 GB of storage on a single plan.
Radio.co starts at $35/month for the Lite plan, which includes 500 concurrent listeners, 2 GB of storage, and 18,000 listening hours. If your station grows, you will need to upgrade: the Standard plan is $59/month, Plus is $139/month, and Premium is $199/month.
CloudRadio One includes 750 GB of storage on the base plan. That is enough for tens of thousands of tracks. Radio.co starts at 2 GB on Lite and reaches 300 GB only on the $199/month Premium plan. If you have a large music library, this difference matters.
Radio.co offers branded iOS and Android apps on their Plus ($139/mo) and Premium ($199/mo) plans. You provide your Apple and Google developer accounts, and they build and publish an app for your station. This is a real advantage if a dedicated listener app is important to your audience.
CloudRadio does not currently offer dedicated mobile apps. However, HLS streams play natively in mobile browsers without an app, and you can embed the CloudRadio player widget on any mobile-friendly website.
Yes. You can export your audio files from Radio.co and upload them to CloudRadio. Your playlists and schedules will need to be recreated, but the process is straightforward. Our team can help if you run into issues.
Yes. Upload your music and CloudRadio puts you on the air right away. No software to install, no configuration needed. When you are ready, you can build playlists, adjust track weights, and set a full broadcast schedule. Start simple, grow at your own pace.
Radio.co streams MP3 at up to 192 kbps. CloudRadio One streams AAC at 64, 128, or 256 kbps. AAC is a more efficient codec than MP3: 256 kbps AAC delivers noticeably better audio than 320 kbps MP3, and it is the same format used by Apple Music and Spotify. Add adaptive bitrate on top of that and listeners on slower connections get a clean lower-quality stream instead of buffering.
Radio.co offers a 7 to 14 day free trial. There is no permanent free tier. CloudRadio also does not offer a free plan, but the monitoring tools and embeddable player are free to use.
Start with CloudRadio One at $39/month. Unlimited listeners, 750 GB storage, built-in AutoDJ, and HLS streaming. No listening-hour caps.