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Podcast & Audio Publishing · head to head

Glow.fm vs Acast

Glow.fm logo

Glow.fm

Podcast & Audio Publishing

Premium podcast subscriptions made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Acast logo

Acast

Podcast & Audio Publishing

Enterprise podcast hosting and advertising

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Glow.fm has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; 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
  • They diverge on capability: Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds, Acast covers Enterprise hosting.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Glow.fm and Acast differ
AttributeGlow.fmAcast
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modeltransactionquote
Free tierYesNo
Founded20192014

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Glow.fm

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

Only in Acast

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

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Glow.fm

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

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

Where each one falls short

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

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.

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Glow.fm

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

Acast

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

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.
Glow.fm review

Choose Acast if

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

Questions people ask

Is Glow.fm or Acast better?
Neither clearly leads. Glow.fm starts at Free and Acast at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Glow.fm or Acast?
Glow.fm has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Glow.fm and On request for Acast.
Does Glow.fm or Acast 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 Glow.fm best used for?
Glow.fm is most often used for premium podcasts, subscriber content, membership tiers, direct monetization. Of those, premium podcasts and subscriber content are not what Acast is typically brought in for.
What can Glow.fm do that Acast cannot?
Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds, Any app support, Tiered subscriptions, Subscriber management. Acast covers Enterprise hosting, Dynamic ad insertion, Sponsorship platform, Monetization. Both handle Analytics, Web support.
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