Podcast & Audio Publishing · head to head
Acast vs Pocketcasts
Acast
Podcast & Audio Publishing
Enterprise podcast hosting and advertising
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Pocketcasts
Podcast & Audio Publishing
The powerful podcast player for serious listeners
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Pocketcasts 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; Pocketcasts two paid tiers above the free app: Plus and Patron, but no figures are shown in the fetchable page content
- They diverge on capability: Acast covers Enterprise hosting, Pocketcasts covers Podcast discovery.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Acast and Pocketcasts actually diverge.
| Attribute | Acast | Pocketcasts |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | quote | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Ios, Android, Web, Windows, Macos |
| Founded | 2014 | 2010 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Podcast & Audio Publishing).
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
- Analytics
- Monetization
- API access
- All podcast platforms
- Advertising networks
Only in Pocketcasts
- Podcast discovery
- Variable speed playback
- Silence trimming
- Cross-device sync
- Custom filters
- Apple Watch
- Wear OS
- Sonos
Both cover
- 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 Pocketcasts
- Monetising episodes through the Acast advertising marketplace and sponsorshipsnot Pocketcasts
- Publishing video podcast episodes alongside audionot Pocketcasts
Pocketcasts
- Podcast listeningnot Acast
- Audio content consumptionnot Acast
- Learning on the gonot 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 $50 per month monthly
- The Video plan includes only 10,000 monthly video views
- A payment card is required to sign up even for the free tier
- The Creator Network tier is quote only with no published price
Pocketcasts
- Two paid tiers above the free app: Plus and Patron, but no figures are shown in the fetchable page content
Pricing, plan by plan
Acast
On request- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Unlimited hosting
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Sponsorship marketplace
Pocketcasts
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited podcasts
- Cross-device sync
- Playback effects
- Plus$39.99/year
- Desktop apps
- Cloud storage 10GB
- Extra themes
Which should you pick?
Choose Pocketcasts if
- You need podcast discovery.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Android, Web, Windows, Macos.
- You also want variable speed playback.
Questions people ask
- Is Acast or Pocketcasts better?
- Neither clearly leads. Acast starts at On request and Pocketcasts at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Acast or Pocketcasts?
- Pocketcasts has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Acast and Free for Pocketcasts.
- Does Acast or Pocketcasts run on more platforms?
- Acast runs on Web. Pocketcasts runs on Ios, Android, Web, Windows, Macos.
- Can I use Pocketcasts for free?
- Yes. Pocketcasts 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 Pocketcasts is typically brought in for.
- What can Acast do that Pocketcasts cannot?
- Acast covers Enterprise hosting, Dynamic ad insertion, Sponsorship platform, Analytics. Pocketcasts covers Podcast discovery, Variable speed playback, Silence trimming, Cross-device sync. Both handle Web support.
Related pages
More on Pocketcasts
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