Overview

Acast is a podcast CMS for creators who want publishing, distribution, analytics and monetization tools in one service. Its strongest fit is a podcaster ready to manage a growing show or several shows; the Starter cap makes it less suitable for an ongoing, high-volume workflow without moving to a paid plan.

Key features

Publishing and distribution

One-click publishing to Spotify and Apple Podcasts, distribution to major directories and RSS support cover the core reach-and-release needs. Scheduling, bulk editing and multi-show management can reduce repetitive work for publishers with frequent episodes or several programs. Automated ad placements and dynamic intros and outros add useful production controls, though Starter's five-episode limit is a real constraint unless the show is made available in Acast's advertising marketplace, which unlocks unlimited episodes.

Audience, analytics and monetization

Advanced analytics cover downloads, geography, listening platforms, engagement and revenue, giving creators more to assess than download totals alone. Monetization tools, private podcasts, a customizable no-code website and web player, and social video clips extend Acast beyond basic hosting. The Headliner integration for audiograms is included in paid plans; videos default to 10 minutes and can run up to four hours.

Video and developer tools

The Video plan includes Apple Podcasts video publishing, automatic conversion of video episodes to audio and 10,000 monthly video views. Apple Podcasts video publishing remains a limited beta for selected creators, so that plan's headline feature may not be accessible to every buyer. Pro includes a Publishing API for show and episode operations, with a rate limit of 60 requests per minute; webhooks can trigger an event when a new episode is published.

Ownership, privacy and security

Acast says podcasters retain ownership of uploaded content. Its GDPR policy identifies Acast AB as controller for users in the EEA, Switzerland and UK and provides rights including access, rectification and erasure. Security measures include audit logging, access monitoring, backups, data erasure, AWS hosting, anti-DDoS protection, disk encryption, firewalls and intrusion detection and prevention systems.

Pricing

Starter is free, with one show and five episodes. Unlimited episodes are available if the show is made available in Acast's advertising marketplace, a trade-off creators should weigh before choosing the free tier.

Essential costs 14.99 USD per month (billed yearly) and adds multiple shows, unlimited episodes, ads and sponsorships. It suits creators who have outgrown Starter's episode cap but do not need team administration or API access.

Pro costs 29.99 USD per month (billed yearly) and includes everything in Essential, plus team management, prioritized support and the Publishing API. It is the more relevant tier for collaborative or technically integrated workflows.

Video costs 39.99 USD per month (billed yearly) and includes everything in Pro, Apple Podcasts video publishing, automatic video-to-audio conversion and 10,000 monthly video views. The selected-creator beta limits how confidently buyers can plan around Apple video publishing.

Acast Creator Network offers premium benefits and services beyond the standard tiers at custom pricing. Acast also provides support by email and Intercom chat; prioritized support is reserved for Pro and above.

Platforms

Acast supports Android, iOS and web, and offers an API. The platform combination suits creators who want to manage podcasts across mobile and browser workflows or connect publishing through developer tools.

Who it's for

Acast is a strong fit for independent podcasters moving beyond a single small show, publishers managing multiple programs, and teams that need analytics, monetization or API access. Starter works for a small one-show test; Essential is the practical step up for unlimited episodes, while Pro makes more sense when team controls or prioritized support matter. Look elsewhere if you need unrestricted video publishing to Apple Podcasts now, or do not want a marketplace condition tied to unlimited episodes on the free plan.

Pros and cons

Pros: One-click Spotify and Apple Podcasts publishing plus major-directory distribution streamline release reach.
Pros: Advanced analytics include geography, engagement and revenue, useful for assessing both audience and monetization.
Pros: Paid tiers scale from multiple shows to team management, API access and video tools.
Cons: Starter is capped at one show and five episodes unless the show joins Acast's advertising marketplace.
Cons: Apple Podcasts video publishing is limited to selected creators, weakening the certainty of the Video plan's core distinction.
Cons: Essential, Pro and Video prices are billed yearly, which requires a longer commitment than monthly billing.

Alternatives

Consider Podbean if its free plan's stated storage, bandwidth and episode limits better fit your publishing needs. Choose SupaPass Podcast Website Builder when a free podcast website with RSS import, a sitewide player and member features is the priority. MyPodOps Website Builder is another paid option, with a Starter plan at 19.00 USD per month for one podcast and stated audio, video, contact and email quotas.

Podcast.co is a paid alternative whose Lite plan costs 19.00 USD per month or 190.00 USD annually, with one user, 15,000 monthly downloads and basic podcast pages. Stationista offers a paid podcasting plan at 12.00 EUR per month for one show, 20,000 downloads per month, two team members and unlimited episodes and storage. Castos is a paid alternative with monthly plans that include transcript and private-subscriber allowances.

Blubrry offers a free plan and a 7.00 USD per month Standard 1.5 plan for up to 1.5 hours monthly, with audio/video podcasting and standard statistics. RSS.com has a free plan for one podcast, 30 days of analytics history and one voicemail, with a Plus tier at 19.99 USD per month. For related browsing, see Podcast Website Builders, Podcast Advertising Platforms and Podcast Monetization Platforms.

Verdict

Choose Acast if you want podcast distribution, advanced analytics and monetization in a service that can scale into multi-show and team workflows. Its main draw is that breadth, while the Starter cap and selected-creator Apple video beta are the clearest reasons to compare alternatives.

	Acast	Onion Podcasts
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	—	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, api, iOS, Web	Web, Android
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	14.99 /mo	—
Premium episodes	—	Yes
Private podcast feeds	—	Yes
Community tools	—	Yes

Acast vs Onion Podcasts

Acast

Onion Podcasts