Acast

Overview

Acast is a podcasting platform and content management system from a company founded in 2014 and based in Stockholm, Sweden. It brings podcast publishing, distribution, management, analytics and monetization into one service. Acast offers a free Starter plan as well as paid tiers for creators who need more shows, episodes, team tools or video publishing.

Creators can publish to Spotify and Apple Podcasts with one click, distribute to major podcast directories and use an RSS feed. Beyond distribution, Acast supports private podcasts and video podcasts, along with tools for scheduling episodes, editing in bulk, managing multiple shows and placing ads. Audience-facing options include a customizable podcast website and web player, plus video clips for social sharing.

Acast states that it does not own content uploaded by podcasters. Its GDPR policy identifies Acast AB as the data controller for users in the EEA, Switzerland and UK, and describes rights that include access, correction and erasure.

Key features

Publishing and distribution

Episode scheduling and bulk editing help organize releases, while multi-show management supports creators running more than one podcast. Acast also offers automated ad placements and dynamic intros and outros. Episodes can be distributed to major podcast directories, with one-click publishing to Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The Starter plan covers one show and five episodes. Unlimited episodes become available when a show is made available in Acast's advertising marketplace. Acast's Publishing API supports show and episode operations, but is available to Pro-plan users and Creator Network members; its current rate limit is 60 requests per minute. When webhooks are enabled, Acast sends an event whenever a new episode is published.

Analytics and audience tools

Acast provides advanced analytics covering downloads, listener geography, listening platforms, engagement and revenue. Creators can also use a customizable no-code podcast website and web player, and create video clips for social sharing. Its Headliner integration makes audiograms for platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. The integration is included in paid plans, uses a 10-minute default video length and supports videos up to four hours.

Video and security

The Video plan includes publishing video episodes to Apple Podcasts, but that capability is currently a limited beta for selected creators. Acast also lists automatic video-to-audio conversion and 10,000 monthly video views as Video-plan features.

Acast's security portal lists measures including audit logging, access monitoring, backups, data erasure, AWS hosting, anti-DDoS protection, separate production environments, disk encryption, firewalls and intrusion detection and prevention systems. Support is available through [email protected] and Intercom chat; Pro includes prioritized support.

Pricing

Acast uses a freemium pricing model. The Starter plan is free and includes one show and five episodes; its price is not otherwise listed. Paid plans are billed yearly at these monthly rates:

The Acast Creator Network is listed as offering premium benefits and services beyond the standard tiers; its price is not listed. The general paid-from price is $14.99/mo (annual).

Platforms

Acast is available on Android, iOS and the web, and provides an API. Its directory distribution and RSS support let creators reach listeners through external podcast services.

Who it's for

Acast suits podcasters who want publishing, directory distribution, analytics and monetization tools together. The free Starter tier provides a limited entry point, while Essential supports multiple shows and unlimited episodes. Pro adds team management and API access, and Video is aimed at creators who need video-publishing tools, subject to the limited Apple Podcasts beta.

It may also suit creators building a direct audience presence, with a customizable website and player, or looking to develop sponsorship and advertising revenue. For related options, see Podcast Website Builders, Podcast Advertising Platforms and Podcast Monetization Platforms.

Pros and cons

• Pros: One-click publishing to Spotify and Apple Podcasts, distribution to major directories, RSS support, advanced analytics and monetization tools.
• Pros: Scheduling, bulk editing, dynamic intros and outros, multi-show management, private podcasts and audience-facing website and player tools.
• Cons: Starter is limited to one show and five episodes unless the show is made available in Acast's advertising marketplace.
• Cons: Apple Podcasts video publishing is currently a limited beta for selected creators.
• Cons: API access is limited to Pro users and Creator Network members.

Alternatives

Other options include Podbean, Blubrry, SupaPass Podcast Website Builder, RSS.com, Podcast.page, PodView, Jellypod and MyPodOps Website Builder.

Verdict

Acast combines podcast hosting and publishing workflows with directory distribution, advanced analytics, monetization and audience tools. Its tiers distinguish basic show and episode capacity from team management, API access and video features. The main caveats are the Starter limits and the selected-creator beta for video publishing to Apple Podcasts. Creators comparing plans should also note that paid prices are quoted per month but billed yearly.