Acast vs Buzzsprout Comparison 2026
Acast hosts a podcast and sells the advertising against it from one account, free for one show and five episodes before the marketplace lifts the cap. Buzzsprout is hosting built around clean statistics and easy publishing, with a free plan and Audio at $15 a month billed annually for 72 hours of upload a year, and a $25 tier that also publishes the same episode as video to Apple, Spotify and YouTube. The question is whether you want ad sales built in, or a simpler host with the clearest numbers and a video option.
Podcast hosting with an ad marketplace attached
Podcast hosting that publishes the video too
At a glance
- Acast starts cheaper, at $14.99.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
Acast | Buzzsprout | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $14.99 | From $15 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Not stated |
| Free trial | None | Not stated |
| API | Yes |
Acast
Podcast hosting with an ad marketplace attached
Acast hosts the show and sells the ads against it, which is the combination a podcaster otherwise assembles from two companies. Putting a show into its marketplace lifts the episode cap on the free plan, so monetizing and hosting are the same decision. Ad revenue depends on being picked up by advertisers, and a small show may see nothing for a while.
Only on this side
- Covers ad networks
- Covers monetization & payments
Buzzsprout
Podcast hosting that publishes the video too
Buzzsprout hosts a podcast, submits it to the directories and reports back with statistics that are actually readable, which is the reason it keeps being the recommendation for a first show. Upload time is the meter rather than episode count, and the plans are sold as hours a year. One tier up, the same episode is published as video to Apple, Spotify and YouTube from the same upload. Anybody who wants a subscription paywall around episodes will need something else beside it.
Our note
Why people weigh these two
- Buzzsprout instead of Acast
- Buzzsprout also publishes the video version of an episode, from $15 a month with a free tier, for a show that wants to be on YouTube too.
- Acast instead of Buzzsprout
- Acast is podcast hosting with an ad marketplace attached, free tier included and paid from $14.99, for a show that wants sponsorship money sooner.
Which one should you pick
Pick Acast when advertising is part of the plan and you want one company hosting the show and filling the slots. Free covers one show and five episodes, with the cap lifting once you join the ad marketplace, and Influencer at €14.99 a month covers multiple shows with unlimited episodes. Ad revenue depends on being picked up by advertisers, so it is not guaranteed income from day one.
Pick Buzzsprout when you want hosting settled in an afternoon with statistics that are actually readable and no ad marketplace to think about. Audio is $15 a month billed annually for 72 hours of upload a year, about ninety minutes a week, and Audio plus Video at $25 publishes the same upload to YouTube as well. Anybody planning to put episodes behind a paywall needs a separate membership tool, since that is not what either plan sells.
Common questions
- Does Buzzsprout sell advertising against a show?
- No. It hosts, distributes and reports statistics, with no ad marketplace attached. Acast hosts and sells ads from the same account, and joining its marketplace is what lifts the free plan's five-episode cap.
- Which one is cheaper to start?
- Both have a free plan. Acast's free tier covers one show and five episodes and asks for a card at signup, stated as not charged. Buzzsprout's free plan exists too, though what it includes sits behind an accordion on the pricing page rather than on the card itself.
- Can either one publish video to YouTube?
- Buzzsprout can, one tier up: Audio plus Video at $25 a month publishes the same upload as 1080p video to Apple, Spotify and YouTube. Acast's plans are audio only, with no video publishing listed among its features.
- How is Buzzsprout's upload limit measured?
- In hours per year rather than episode count: 72 hours on the Audio plan, about ninety minutes a week. Acast measures its free tier in episodes instead, capped at five until the show joins the ad marketplace.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.