Podcast & Audio Publishing · head to head
Patreon vs Acast
Acast
Podcast & Audio Publishing
Enterprise podcast hosting and advertising
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Patreon has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Patreon takes 10% of the income a creator earns on the platform; 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: Patreon covers Membership tiers, Acast covers Enterprise hosting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Patreon and Acast actually diverge.
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 Patreon
- Membership tiers
- Exclusive content
- Private podcast feeds
- Community features
- Payment processing
- Discord
- Podcast apps
- Zapier
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.
Patreon
- Running a paid membership for fans of a creator or podcastnot Acast
- Selling recurring access to exclusive content and communitynot Acast
Acast
- Hosting and distributing a podcast to all major listening appsnot Patreon
- Monetising episodes through the Acast advertising marketplace and sponsorshipsnot Patreon
- Publishing video podcast episodes alongside audionot Patreon
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Patreon
- Takes 10% of the income a creator earns on the platform
- Payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees are charged on top of that 10% and are not quantified on the pricing page
- The total deduction is therefore not calculable from the pricing page alone, and requires reading a separate support article
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 $50 per month monthly
- The Video plan includes only 10,000 monthly video views
- A payment card is required to sign up even for the free tier
- The Creator Network tier is quote only with no published price
Pricing, plan by plan
Patreon
Free- FreeFree
- Free membership page
- Basic features
- Community tools
- ProFree
- All free features
- Analytics dashboard
- Priority support
- PremiumFree
- All Pro features
- Dedicated partner manager
- Custom onboarding
Acast
On request- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Unlimited hosting
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Sponsorship marketplace
Which should you pick?
Choose Patreon if
- You need membership tiers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want exclusive content.
Questions people ask
- Is Patreon or Acast better?
- Neither clearly leads. Patreon 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, Patreon or Acast?
- Patreon has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Patreon and On request for Acast.
- Does Patreon or Acast run on more platforms?
- Patreon runs on Web, Ios, Android. Acast runs on Web.
- Can I use Patreon for free?
- Yes. Patreon has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Acast starts at On request.
- What is Patreon best used for?
- Patreon is most often used for running a paid membership for fans of a creator or podcast, selling recurring access to exclusive content and community. Of those, running a paid membership for fans of a creator or podcast and selling recurring access to exclusive content and community are not what Acast is typically brought in for.
- What can Patreon do that Acast cannot?
- Patreon covers Membership tiers, Exclusive content, Private podcast feeds, Community features. Acast covers Enterprise hosting, Dynamic ad insertion, Sponsorship platform, Monetization. Both handle Analytics, Web support.
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