Growing an audience
Running the business
Both cover audio & podcasting. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
| Acast | Riverside | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $14.99 | From $29 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | None | 14 days |
| API | Yes | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | Not stated |
| Runs on | Web | Not stated |
| Covers | Audio & Podcasting, Ad Networks, Monetization & Payments | Audio & Podcasting, Video Editing |
| Works with | Podcast | YouTube, Podcast |
| Founded | Not listed | Not listed |
| Reader rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| Live deals | None right now | None right now |
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
Remote recording captured locally in full quality
Riverside records every participant on their own machine, so a bad connection during the call does not ruin the file. Up to 4K video and separate audio tracks. Guests need a reasonably modern browser and some patience with the upload.
Our note
The one to buy if the video matters as much as the audio. If you only ever publish audio, the local-recording safety net is still the reason to be here, but a cheaper recorder plus good habits gets close.
Only on this side
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.