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Podcasting · head to head

Acast vs Glow.fm

Acast logo

Acast

Podcasting

Enterprise podcast hosting and advertising

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Glow.fm logo

Glow.fm

Podcasting

Premium podcast subscriptions made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Acast the free Starter tier is limited to 1 show and 5 episodes; unlimited episodes require making the show available in Acast's advertising marketplace; Glow.fm the Internet Archive's capture of Glow's pricing page on 6 December 2021 listed Basic starting at $0/month plus $0.55 per listener per month or $2 per one-time purchase, and Professional starting at $300/month for unlimited listeners with podcast hosting capped at 150,000 downloads per month; card processing adds $0.30 plus 2.9% per transaction on both tiers.
  • They diverge on capability: Acast covers Enterprise hosting, Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acast and Glow.fm actually diverge.

Attributes where Acast and Glow.fm differ
AttributeAcastGlow.fm
Pricing modelfreemiumtransaction
Founded20142019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Podcasting).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Acast

  • Enterprise hosting
  • Dynamic ad insertion
  • Sponsorship platform
  • Monetization
  • API access
  • All podcast platforms
  • Advertising networks
  • CMS systems

Only in Glow.fm

  • Private RSS feeds
  • Any app support
  • Tiered subscriptions
  • Subscriber management
  • Payment processing
  • All podcast apps
  • Stripe
  • Email platforms

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Acast

  • Podcast distribution and monetizationnot Glow.fm
  • Ad network managementnot Glow.fm
  • Listener analytics trackingnot Glow.fm
  • Multi-platform publishingnot Glow.fm

Glow.fm

  • Premium podcastsnot Acast
  • Subscriber contentnot Acast
  • Membership tiersnot Acast
  • Direct monetizationnot Acast

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Acast

  • The free Starter tier is limited to 1 show and 5 episodes; unlimited episodes require making the show available in Acast's advertising marketplace
  • Multiple shows require the paid Influencer plan at $14.99 per month billed annually or $25 per month billed monthly
  • Team management, prioritised support and the Publishing API require the Pro plan at $29.99 per month billed annually or $40 per month monthly
  • Publishing video episodes to Apple Podcasts requires the Video plan at $39.99 per month billed annually or $50 per month monthly
  • The Video plan includes only 10,000 monthly video views
  • A payment card is required to sign up even for the free tier
  • The Creator Network tier is quote only with no published price

Glow.fm

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Glow's pricing page on 6 December 2021 listed Basic starting at $0/month plus $0.55 per listener per month or $2 per one-time purchase, and Professional starting at $300/month for unlimited listeners with podcast hosting capped at 150,000 downloads per month; card processing adds $0.30 plus 2.9% per transaction on both tiers.

Pricing, plan by plan

Acast

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 1 show
    • 5 episodes (unlimited with monetization)
    • Basic podcast website
  • Essential$25/month
    • Unlimited shows
    • Unlimited episodes
    • All Starter features
  • Pro$40/month
    • Unlimited shows
    • Unlimited episodes
    • All Essential features
  • Video$50/month
    • Unlimited shows
    • Unlimited episodes
    • All Pro features

Glow.fm

Free
  • StandardFree
    • Private RSS feeds
    • Any podcast app support
    • Subscription management

Which should you pick?

Choose Acast if

  • You need enterprise hosting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want dynamic ad insertion.
Acast review

Choose Glow.fm if

  • You need private rss feeds.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want any app support.
Glow.fm review

Questions people ask

Is Acast or Glow.fm better?
Neither clearly leads. Acast starts at Free and Glow.fm at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acast or Glow.fm?
Acast starts at Free and Glow.fm at Free.
Does Acast or Glow.fm run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Acast for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Acast best used for?
Acast is most often used for podcast distribution and monetization, ad network management, listener analytics tracking, multi-platform publishing. Of those, podcast distribution and monetization and ad network management are not what Glow.fm is typically brought in for.
What can Acast do that Glow.fm cannot?
Acast covers Enterprise hosting, Dynamic ad insertion, Sponsorship platform, Monetization. Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds, Any app support, Tiered subscriptions, Subscriber management. Both handle Analytics, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Acast: What is the minimum cost to publish a podcast on Acast?

Acast offers a free Starter plan that allows publishing 1 show with up to 5 episodes. To unlock unlimited episodes and multiple shows, the Essential plan starts at EUR 25 per month.

Source
Acast: How does Acast's annual billing discount work?

Annual plans are discounted versus monthly billing. Essential plan costs EUR 14.99 per month when billed yearly, Pro costs EUR 29.99 monthly when annual, and Video costs EUR 39.99 monthly when annual.

Source
Acast: Which Acast plan includes team management and API access?

The Pro plan (EUR 40 per month) includes team management, prioritized support, and publishing API access. Pricing is for monthly billing.

Source
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