podcast host · Acast

Acast

Podcast host with a free Starter plan, paid plans with unlimited shows and episodes, and an ad marketplace.

67/100

#4 of 10 podcast hosts
Facts checked 8 Oct 2026

In short

The free Starter plan allows 1 show and 5 episodes; shows that qualify for the Acast ad marketplace can get unlimited episodes^1,3.
Essential costs $14.99 a month on the yearly option ($25 on the monthly option)¹.
Essential, Pro and Video plans list unlimited shows and unlimited episodes¹.
The publishing API and team management start on Pro, $29.99 a month on the yearly option^1,11.
The Video plan, $39.99 a month on the yearly option, adds video uploads for Apple Podcasts^1,5.

Acast suits creators who want a free start, a low-priced plan with unlimited shows, or ads sold through its marketplace^1,3,6. It states that its download counts are IAB 2.2 certified and offers an import tool and feed redirect^4,8,12. The catch: the pages do not state upload or download limits for paid plans, and private podcasts and file downloads are not documented^1,13.

Best for: Creators who want free hosting or plan to sell ads through the host's marketplace.

Where the points come from

Hosting limits8 of 20

Publishing21 of 28

Ads and stats13 of 13

Your data15 of 21

Price10 of 18

Hosting limits 8 of 20 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Unlimited episodes	YesEssential lists unlimited shows and episodes; no storage limit stated¹.	4 / 4
No monthly upload cap	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's pricing page, features page or help articles^1,2,3.	0 / 6
No download cap	Not publishedNot published for Essential on the pricing page; the Starter help article states unlimited listener downloads for Starter^1,3.	0 / 6
More than one show	YesEssential lists unlimited shows; the FAQ says multiple shows run from one account¹.	4 / 4

Publishing 21 of 28 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Directory submission guides	Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon MusicHelp article covers Apple Podcasts Connect and one-click Spotify and Amazon submission. YouTube Music is not documented⁷.	3 / 4
Private podcasts	Not publishedon the vendor's pricing, features or help pages^1,2,13.	0 / 6
Video podcasts	YesVideo plan publishes video to Apple Podcasts and extracts audio for other apps; launch announced August 5, 2026⁵.	4 / 4
Automatic transcripts	YesEssential and above list transcriptions; help says paid plans only, generated on request^1,10.	3 / 3
Team members	YesPro lists team management; owners and admins invite other users^1,9.	4 / 4
Public API	YesPublic docs at developers.acast.com cover creating, updating and deleting episodes; Pro plan¹¹.	3 / 3
Show website and player	YesEvery plan lists a basic podcast website and basic embed player; no extra fee¹.	4 / 4

Ads and stats 13 of 13 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Dynamic ad insertion	YesHelp says Acast uses dynamic ad insertion to add ads and sponsorships at download time⁶.	7 / 7
IAB-certified downloads	YesHelp article says Acast is fully IAB 2.2 certified for podcast download filtering¹².	6 / 6

Your data 15 of 21 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Import from another host	YesDashboard option 'I want to import my existing show' finds the show by RSS feed and brings in episodes⁸.	7 / 7
Redirect when you leave	YesShow redirection setting sends the feed to the new host's RSS URL; help does not use the term 301⁴.	8 / 8
Download your files	Not publishedon the vendor's help pages; the redirect article describes no audio download^4,13.	0 / 6

Price 10 of 18 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Free plan that publishes	YesStarter is free, with 1 show, 5 episodes and distribution to every podcast app^1,3.	8 / 8
Cheapest paid plan	$14.99/moEssential, $14.99 a month on the yearly option ($25 monthly)¹.	2 / 10

The rule behind each line: how we score podcast hosts.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

Plan	Price as listed	Per month	Notes
Starter1 show, 5 episodes	Free^1,3	$0	Unlimited episodes if the show qualifies for the ad marketplace
EssentialUnlimited shows and episodes	$14.99/month (yearly option); $25 monthly¹	$14.99	Adds transcripts, sponsorships and a customisable website
ProUnlimited shows and episodes	$29.99/month (yearly option); $40 monthly¹	$29.99	Adds team management and the publishing API
VideoUnlimited shows and episodes	$39.99/month (yearly option); $50 monthly^1,5	$39.99	Adds video publishing; 10,000 video views a month

The pricing page toggles between monthly and yearly per-month prices and does not say whether yearly plans are charged once a year¹.

Strengths

Free Starter plan sends the show to every podcast app³.
Essential, Pro and Video list unlimited shows and episodes¹.
Acast says its download measurement is IAB 2.2 certified¹².
Import tool brings a show over from its RSS feed⁸.
Show redirection is a self-service setting⁴.

Limits

Free Starter allows only 5 episodes unless the show joins the ad marketplace^1,3.
Private podcasts and downloading your own audio files are not documented on the vendor's pages¹³.
Video uploads cannot go to Spotify, because Spotify does not accept a separate video version of a show hosted with Acast¹⁴.
Pages do not state whether yearly prices are billed once a year¹.
The publishing API needs the Pro plan or Creator Network membership¹¹.

What Acast says

Vendor claims. We show them, but they earn no points.

Acast says it is fully IAB 2.2 certified for podcast download filtering¹².

Other podcast hosts

1
PodbeanCreators who want a free start, a low paid tier and a clear way to leave
77/100
$12/mocheapest paid plan
2
CastosCreators who want no caps and a WordPress-friendly host
77/100
$15.83/mocheapest paid plan
3
RSS.comCreators who want a free start and AI transcripts included
72/100
$15/mocheapest paid plan
5
PodigeeCreators who want video, private feeds and ad insertion in one host
65/100
$19.58/mocheapest paid plan

All 10 podcast hosts

Sources

Acast pricing, Acast. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Acast features, Acast. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Acast's free Starter plan, Acast Learning Center. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
How to redirect your podcast, cancel your subscription or delete your account, Acast Learning Center. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Introducing the Acast Video Plan, Acast Learning Center. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
How does Acast insert ads into episodes?, Acast Learning Center. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Submitting Your Podcast for Distribution, Acast Learning Center. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Checklist to import an existing show to Acast, Acast Learning Center. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Introduction to User Management, Acast Learning Center. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Get Started with Transcripts, Acast Learning Center. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Acast Publishing API, Acast Learning Center. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
How does Acast measure podcast download data? (IAB 2.2), Acast Learning Center. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Acast Learning Center, Acast Learning Center. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Spotify and Video Podcasts, Acast Learning Center. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.

Website: www.acast.com · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Acast.