AdvertiseCast vs RedCircle Comparison 2026
AdvertiseCast is a pure ad marketplace: no hosting, just a published rate card of $18 to $26 CPM matched to a show already running elsewhere. RedCircle hosts the show itself, on a free Core plan with unlimited episodes and downloads, then layers in cross promotions and unlimited dynamic ad insertion at $14.99 a month on Growth. The question is simple: a sales channel bolted onto the current host, or a host that also wants to sell the ads.
Podcast ad marketplace with published rates
Podcast hosting that sells your ad slots
At a glance
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
AdvertiseCast | RedCircle | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | From $14.99 |
| Pricing model (they differ) | Free | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing (they differ) | Usage-based | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | 7 days |
| API | Not stated |
AdvertiseCast
Podcast ad marketplace with published rates
AdvertiseCast is the rare ad network that prints its rate card in public, so a podcaster can work out what an episode is worth before talking to anybody. Shows list, advertisers book, and host-read spots are matched against downloads. Its rates are an industry average rather than an offer, and a small show will be quoted under them.
Our note
The rate table is worth reading whether or not you list here, because it is the clearest public benchmark for what podcast advertising is worth. Use it to sanity-check any sponsorship offer you get directly.
Only on this side
- Covers brand deals & sponsorships
RedCircle
Podcast hosting that sells your ad slots
RedCircle hosts the show and runs the advertising against it, with dynamic insertion so a sponsor read can be swapped out of the back catalogue later. Cross promotions trade audience with other shows on the network. The free Core plan carries unlimited episodes and downloads, which is unusual, and the paid tiers are about analytics and ad control rather than storage.
Why people weigh these two
- RedCircle instead of AdvertiseCast
- RedCircle sells your ad slots as part of its podcast hosting, free tier included with paid plans from $14.99.
- AdvertiseCast instead of RedCircle
- AdvertiseCast publishes its ad rates up front and sells the placements only, leaving the actual hosting to whatever RedCircle or another host already provides.
Which one should you pick
Pick AdvertiseCast if you are already happy with the current host and only want a channel to sell ads, with a public rate card and no monthly fee. It suits a show already pulling a few thousand downloads an episode; anything smaller will not clear the minimums that make a buy worth an advertiser's time. It hosts nothing and inserts nothing into old episodes.
Pick RedCircle for hosting and an ad marketplace from one company, starting with a free Core plan that caps neither episodes nor downloads, unusual among hosts. Growth at $14.99 a month adds cross promotions with other shows and unlimited dynamic insertion, both behind a 7-day trial. The ad marketplace itself is younger than a dedicated network like AdvertiseCast, so treat any RedCircle ad revenue as a bonus on top of free hosting rather than the reason to switch.
Common questions
- Does AdvertiseCast include hosting?
- No, it is only the ad marketplace, so a separate host is needed for the show itself. RedCircle hosts the episodes and runs an ad marketplace against them, with a free Core plan that has no cap on episodes or downloads.
- What does RedCircle's free plan include?
- Unlimited episodes, unlimited downloads and distribution everywhere, more generous than most free hosting tiers. The advertising tools, cross promotions and unlimited dynamic insertion, sit behind the $14.99 a month Growth plan.
- Which pays a better rate on ads?
- AdvertiseCast publishes its rate card: $24 to $26 CPM for host-read spots and $18 to $22 for dynamic ones. RedCircle does not publish a rate card, and its ad marketplace is newer and less established, so AdvertiseCast is the one with a number to check in advance.
- Is there a free trial on RedCircle's paid plans?
- Yes, every paid tier starts with a 7-day trial, and annual billing saves $60 on the two lower plans. AdvertiseCast needs no trial, since listing a show is free to begin with.
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.