Software · head to head
Acast vs Glow.fm
The short version
- Only Glow.fm has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- 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.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Acast and Glow.fm actually diverge.
Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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
- Hosting and distributing a podcast to all major listening appsnot Glow.fm
- Monetising episodes through the Acast advertising marketplace and sponsorshipsnot Glow.fm
- Publishing video podcast episodes alongside audionot 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 $0.30 plus 2.9% per transaction on both tiers.
Pricing, plan by plan
Acast
On request- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Unlimited hosting
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Sponsorship marketplace
Glow.fm
Free- StandardFree
- Private RSS feeds
- Any podcast app support
- Subscription management
Which should you pick?
Choose Glow.fm if
- You need private rss feeds.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want any app support.
Questions people ask
- Is Acast or Glow.fm better?
- Neither clearly leads. Acast starts at On request 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?
- Glow.fm has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Acast and Free for Glow.fm.
- 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 Glow.fm for free?
- Yes. Glow.fm has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Acast starts at On request.
- What is Acast best used for?
- Acast is most often used for hosting and distributing a podcast to all major listening apps, monetising episodes through the acast advertising marketplace and sponsorships, publishing video podcast episodes alongside audio. Of those, hosting and distributing a podcast to all major listening apps and monetising episodes through the acast advertising marketplace and sponsorships 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.
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