Overview

Airlist is a web-based guest CRM for independent podcast hosts, bringing guest outreach and episode progress into one workspace. It suits solo hosts who want to manage a guest pipeline and booking without a full staff. Its free plan covers core tracking and scheduling; Pro is the step up for automated outreach and unlimited guests.

Key features

The drag-and-drop pipeline follows a guest from idea and research through pitching, scheduling, recording, editing, publishing, and re-inviting. That makes Airlist a practical fit for hosts who want guest relationships and episode progress organized together, rather than relying on a simple booking link alone.

AI sourcing generates ranked guest candidates with contact information, recent media appearances, and personalized pitch angles based on a show niche. The pitch generator drafts personalized cold emails and subject-line A/B variants. These tools can help a solo host move from finding a guest to making a tailored approach, though AI sourcing and pitch generation are included in the Pro trial, not the listed Free plan.

Pro automates outreach sequences with a nudge after five days and a break-up email after 12 days, pausing when a guest replies. Its public booking page lets guests choose a recording time, answer prep questions, and receive confirmations. The booking page and follow-up reminders are useful even at the free tier; automated sequences are a paid-plan distinction.

Airlist connects with Riverside, Zencastr, SquadCast, Google Calendar, Notion, Slack, Canva, Airtable, Zapier, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Gmail, plus 2,000+ more through Zapier and Make.com. That breadth helps it fit alongside varied production and communication tools. Guest data and the episode tracker can be exported to CSV, and the privacy policy covers access, export, and deletion controls.

Pricing

Airlist is freemium. The Free plan costs 0.00 USD per free, billed forever, and includes up to 15 guests, the full pipeline, follow-up reminders, episode tracking, a public booking page, and community support. It is a sensible starting point for a host with a small active guest roster, but the guest cap and manual reminders make it a less suitable home for a growing show’s full outreach operation.

Pro costs 19.99 USD per month, billed monthly. It includes unlimited guests and episodes, the re-invite engine, automated outreach sequences, CSV import and export, and priority support. It is the better fit for hosts who need automated follow-up or have outgrown the free guest cap. Pro can be canceled in the app, and guest data remains exportable.

Every account starts with a 14-day Pro trial, including AI sourcing, pitch generation, and automated follow-ups; no credit card is required for the Free plan. The pricing page describes the free cap as up to 25 active guests, while the Free plan lists up to 15 guests. That discrepancy matters when deciding whether the free tier will accommodate a particular roster, so check the applicable cap before relying on it.

Platforms

Airlist is available on the web. Its public booking page and listed integrations suit a host coordinating guest scheduling and production tools from a browser-based workspace.

Who it's for

Airlist is aimed at independent hosts running a show without a full staff. It is strongest for those who want guest sourcing, outreach, scheduling, follow-ups, and re-invites tied to an episode pipeline. Hosts who only need guest discovery or a booking marketplace may prefer a more focused alternative.

Pros and cons

Pros: The pipeline spans the guest’s full journey, including re-invites, so hosts can keep outreach and episode progress together.
Pros: The booking page, prep questions, and confirmations reduce the steps involved in arranging a recording.
Pros: Pro combines unlimited guests and episodes with automated outreach, monthly billing, in-app cancellation, and CSV export.
Cons: The free guest limit is inconsistent across the pricing information: 15 in the plan and 25 active guests on the pricing page.
Cons: AI sourcing, pitch generation, and automated follow-ups are trial features rather than listed Free-plan inclusions.
Cons: Airlist is web-only, and the Free plan has community rather than priority support.

Alternatives

Podcast Guest Booking Software is a useful category starting point for comparing options. Choose show.fm if unlimited guests on a free plan matter more than unlimited episode capacity: its free tier allows one show, two episodes per month, and one staff seat, with automation rules and actions capped.

Let's Make A Podcast is worth considering for a free, web-based service centered on profiles, show discovery, pitching, messaging, and calendar-invite scheduling. Choose Guestio if you want an Android or iOS app as well as web access; its free plan includes finding and booking guests or shows, messaging, press kits, booking tracking, and up to five pitches a month.

Codie Dog is a free web alternative with no premium tiers and no feature limits. GuestLoop is another web option, with a free expert profile, show discovery feed, booking management, appearance tracker, and unlimited applications.

Choose PodMatch if you prefer a paid host service built around unlimited matches and guest discovery, with scheduling, admin automation, and production workflows. PodReach is a web-based freemium alternative. MatchMaker.fm may suit readers who want an Android or iOS option and a 30-day free trial; its Pro plan costs 15.00 USD per month after the trial and includes five free conversation starts.

Verdict

Airlist is a strong fit for independent podcast hosts who want guest relationships and episode work managed together, and who will benefit from Pro’s automated outreach as their roster grows. The full journey from sourcing to re-inviting is its clearest advantage. Look elsewhere if mobile access is essential, or if the free guest cap and the paid gate on AI and automated outreach do not fit your workflow.

	Airlist	PodReach
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	Yes	No
Paid from	$19.99/mo	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Web	Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Guest matching	Yes	—
Guest scheduling	Yes	Yes
Guest relationship tools	Yes	Yes
Custom intake forms	Yes	—
Calendar sync	—	one_way

Airlist vs PodReach

Airlist

PodReach