OP3, the Open Podcast Prefix Project, measures how many people download your podcast episodes. It's for independent podcasters who want honest download numbers without paying for analytics or trusting a host's figures. It's free and open source, with no signup or login. You add https://op3.dev/e/ in front of the episode URLs in your feed, and every show measured gets a free, public stats page.
What it can do for you
Add the prefix in your podcast host's settings, and OP3 starts counting downloads using industry-standard metrics, with breakdowns by app, device and country, plus data you can export. There's also a documented API if you want to pull the numbers into your own spreadsheets or reports, and setup is a single change to your feed rather than a new hosting account.
What people like
It's free, transparent and privacy-respecting: OP3's privacy policy says listener IP addresses are hashed and never exposed. Reviewers see it as a useful, transparent way to verify downloads independently of your host.
The honest downsides
- Your stats are public. OP3 is clear that you're opening your show's listener numbers to the world. If you'd rather keep them private, it's not for you.
- No demographics. It counts downloads, not who your listeners are.
- No polished dashboard or the commercial features of paid analytics tools, according to reviewers.
- Podcasts only. It doesn't measure YouTube or other video.
Skip it if
- you don't want competitors seeing your numbers
- you need audience demographics for ad sales
Alternatives
There's nothing we list that's better for free, independent podcast stats. Your podcast host's built-in analytics are the private option.
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