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Software · head to head

Acast vs Transistor

Acast logo

Acast

Software

Enterprise podcast hosting and advertising

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Transistor logo

Transistor

Software

Professional podcast hosting for businesses and creators

From
$19/month
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.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acast and Transistor actually diverge.

Attributes where Acast and Transistor differ
AttributeAcastTransistor
Starting priceOn request$19/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Founded20142018

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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
  • 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

  • Hosting and distributing a podcast to all major listening appsnot Transistor
  • Monetising episodes through the Acast advertising marketplace and sponsorshipsnot Transistor
  • Publishing video podcast episodes alongside audionot Transistor

Transistor

  • Hosting and distributing multiple podcasts from one accountnot Acast
  • Running private, subscriber-only podcast feedsnot Acast
  • Publishing podcast websites and inserting dynamic audio adsnot 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

On request
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited hosting
    • Dynamic ad insertion
    • Sponsorship marketplace

Transistor

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 10,000 downloads/month
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$49/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 50,000 downloads/month
    • Advanced analytics
  • Business$99/month
    • Unlimited podcasts
    • 150,000 downloads/month
    • Full analytics
  • Enterprise$199/month
    • Unlimited everything
    • 300,000+ downloads
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Acast if

  • You need enterprise hosting.
  • You also want dynamic ad insertion.
Acast review

Choose Transistor if

  • You need unlimited podcasts.
  • You also want private podcasting.
Transistor review

Questions people ask

Is Acast or Transistor better?
Neither clearly leads. Acast starts at On request and Transistor at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acast or Transistor?
Acast starts at On request and Transistor at $19/month.
Does Acast or Transistor run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 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.
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