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Software · head to head

Transistor vs Acast

Transistor logo

Transistor

Software

Professional podcast hosting for businesses and creators

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Acast logo

Acast

Software

Enterprise podcast hosting and advertising

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Transistor starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000; 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: Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts, Acast covers Enterprise hosting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Transistor and Acast actually diverge.

Attributes where Transistor and Acast differ
AttributeTransistorAcast
Starting price$19/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Founded20182014

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 Transistor

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

Only in Acast

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

Both cover

  • API access
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

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

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

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

Acast

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Transistor if

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

Choose Acast if

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

Questions people ask

Is Transistor or Acast better?
Neither clearly leads. Transistor starts at $19/month and Acast at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Transistor or Acast?
Transistor starts at $19/month and Acast at On request.
Does Transistor or Acast run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Transistor best used for?
Transistor is most often used for hosting and distributing multiple podcasts from one account, running private, subscriber-only podcast feeds, publishing podcast websites and inserting dynamic audio ads. Of those, hosting and distributing multiple podcasts from one account and running private, subscriber-only podcast feeds are not what Acast is typically brought in for.
What can Transistor do that Acast cannot?
Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts, Private podcasting, Advanced analytics, Team collaboration. Acast covers Enterprise hosting, Dynamic ad insertion, Sponsorship platform, Analytics. Both handle API access, Web support.
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