Softwr

Podcasting · head to head

Acast vs Transistor

Acast logo

Acast

Podcasting

Enterprise podcast hosting and advertising

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Transistor logo

Transistor

Podcasting

Professional podcast hosting for businesses and creators

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; Transistor starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
  • They diverge on capability: Acast covers Enterprise hosting, Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acast and Transistor actually diverge.

Attributes where Acast and Transistor differ
AttributeAcastTransistor
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Founded20142018

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
  • Analytics
  • Monetization
  • All podcast platforms
  • Advertising networks
  • CMS systems

Only in Transistor

  • Unlimited podcasts
  • Private podcasting
  • Advanced analytics
  • Team collaboration
  • Custom branding
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify
  • Google Podcasts

Both cover

  • API access
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Acast

  • Podcast distribution and monetizationnot Transistor
  • Ad network managementnot Transistor
  • Listener analytics trackingnot Transistor
  • Multi-platform publishingnot Transistor

Transistor

  • Podcast hosting and distributionnot Acast
  • Audio content publishingnot Acast
  • Private subscriber managementnot 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

Transistor

  • Starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
  • Private podcast subscribers are capped at 50 on Starter and 500 on Professional
  • Dynamic ad insertion and auto-posting to YouTube require the $49 per month Professional plan or higher
  • Removing Transistor branding requires the $99 per month Business plan
  • Enterprise plans above 250,000 monthly downloads start at $199 per month and require contacting the vendor

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

Transistor

Free
  • Starter$19/month
    • 20K monthly downloads
    • 50 private subscribers
    • Unlimited podcasts
  • Professional$49/month
    • 100K monthly downloads
    • 500 private subscribers
    • Dynamic ads
  • Business$99/month
    • 250K monthly downloads
    • 3K private subscribers
    • Branded removal
  • Enterprise$199/month
    • Custom limits exceeding 250K downloads or 3K private subscribers

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 Transistor if

  • You need unlimited podcasts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want private podcasting.
Transistor review

Questions people ask

Is Acast or Transistor better?
Neither clearly leads. Acast starts at Free and Transistor at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acast or Transistor?
Acast starts at Free and Transistor at Free.
Does Acast or Transistor 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 Transistor is typically brought in for.
What can Acast do that Transistor cannot?
Acast covers Enterprise hosting, Dynamic ad insertion, Sponsorship platform, Analytics. Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts, Private podcasting, Advanced analytics, Team collaboration. Both handle API access, 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
Transistor: Does Transistor offer a free trial?

Yes, Transistor offers a 14-day free trial.

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
Transistor: Can I save money by paying annually?

Yes, Transistor offers 12 months for the price of 10 when you pay yearly, representing a 17% discount.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Acast

More on Transistor

Keep looking

Other head to heads