Podcast & Audio Publishing · head to head
Podbean vs Acast
Podbean
Podcast & Audio Publishing
All-in-one podcast hosting with built-in monetization
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Acast
Podcast & Audio Publishing
Enterprise podcast hosting and advertising
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Podbean has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Podbean upload allowance is monthly rather than cumulative, at 1 GB on the entry plan, so a heavy recording month is capped even with unlimited total storage; 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: Podbean covers Unlimited hosting, Acast covers Enterprise hosting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Podbean 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 Podbean
- Unlimited hosting
- Built-in monetization
- Live streaming
- Video podcasting
- Podcast app
- Premium content
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
Only in Acast
- Enterprise hosting
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Sponsorship platform
- Analytics
- Monetization
- API access
- All podcast platforms
- Advertising networks
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Podbean
- Hosting and distributing a podcast with an RSS feed and playernot Acast
- Running multiple shows or a private internal podcastnot Acast
Acast
- Hosting and distributing a podcast to all major listening appsnot Podbean
- Monetising episodes through the Acast advertising marketplace and sponsorshipsnot Podbean
- Publishing video podcast episodes alongside audionot Podbean
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Podbean
- Upload allowance is monthly rather than cumulative, at 1 GB on the entry plan, so a heavy recording month is capped even with unlimited total storage
- The Network plan at $99 a month meters bandwidth at 3 TB while cheaper plans are unmetered, so the middle tier is the only one with a bandwidth ceiling
- Advanced analytics are excluded from every plan below Business
- Private podcasting and live chat support are Business only
- Team members are capped at 50 on Network despite being described as unlimited
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
Podbean
Free- BasicFree
- 5 hours total storage
- 100 GB bandwidth
- Basic analytics
- Unlimited Audio$9/month
- Unlimited storage
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Advanced analytics
- Unlimited Plus$29/month
- All audio features
- Video podcasting
- Live streaming
- Business$99/month
- All features
- Team management
- Enterprise security
Acast
On request- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Unlimited hosting
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Sponsorship marketplace
Which should you pick?
Choose Podbean if
- You need unlimited hosting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want built-in monetization.
Questions people ask
- Is Podbean or Acast better?
- Neither clearly leads. Podbean 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, Podbean or Acast?
- Podbean has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Podbean and On request for Acast.
- Does Podbean or Acast run on more platforms?
- Podbean runs on Web, Ios, Android. Acast runs on Web.
- Can I use Podbean for free?
- Yes. Podbean has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Acast starts at On request.
- What is Podbean best used for?
- Podbean is most often used for hosting and distributing a podcast with an rss feed and player, running multiple shows or a private internal podcast. Of those, hosting and distributing a podcast with an rss feed and player and running multiple shows or a private internal podcast are not what Acast is typically brought in for.
- What can Podbean do that Acast cannot?
- Podbean covers Unlimited hosting, Built-in monetization, Live streaming, Video podcasting. Acast covers Enterprise hosting, Dynamic ad insertion, Sponsorship platform, Analytics. Both handle Web support.