RedCircle vs Spreaker Comparison 2026
RedCircle hosts a podcast with no storage or download cap on its free Core plan, and adds dynamic ad insertion and cross promotions once you reach Growth at $14.99 a month. Spreaker's free Free Speech plan caps storage but turns on programmatic advertising immediately, taking a 20 percent cut of any supporters club income until you reach On Air Talent at $20 a month, which removes that fee entirely. RedCircle is generous with space and holds back the ad tools. Spreaker is generous with the ad tools and holds back space.
Podcast hosting that sells your ad slots
Hosting with programmatic ads on the free plan
At a glance
- RedCircle starts cheaper, at $14.99.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
RedCircle | Spreaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $14.99 | From $20 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Not stated |
| Free trial | 7 days | Not stated |
| API | Not stated |
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.
Our note
Acast is the closer comparison than Buzzsprout here, because both sell hosting and advertising together. RedCircle's free tier is the more generous of the two, and its ad marketplace is the less established.
Only on this side
- Covers monetization & payments
- Works with YouTube
Spreaker
Hosting with programmatic ads on the free plan
Spreaker hosts a show and sells advertising against it, which is the reason to pick it over a host that only stores files. Dynamic ad insertion means a slot can be filled and refilled after an episode is published, so a back catalogue keeps earning. The free plan carries a storage cap and takes a fifth of anything a supporters club brings in. Paid plans drop that fee to nothing and raise the limits.
Why people weigh these two
- Spreaker instead of RedCircle
- Spreaker runs programmatic ad insertion automatically on its free plan, rather than RedCircle's model of selling ad slots to sponsors directly.
- RedCircle instead of Spreaker
- RedCircle also sells the ad slots themselves as part of hosting, with a free tier and a $14.99 plan, the closest match in shape to what Spreaker does.
Which one should you pick
Choose RedCircle if unlimited storage and downloads matter more than earning from ads on day one: the free Core plan hosts everything with no cap, and Growth at $14.99 a month adds dynamic ad insertion, cross promotions with other shows and instant payouts. Annual billing saves $60 on the two lower plans, and every paid tier opens with a 7-day trial.
Choose Spreaker if earning from ads immediately matters more, even before paying: programmatic advertising runs on the free plan, though it keeps 20 percent of supporters club income until an upgrade. On Air Talent is $20 a month, cheaper only in that it removes the fee entirely, and it costs about five dollars a month more than RedCircle's comparable Growth tier. Anybody who wants unlimited hosting for nothing should start with RedCircle instead, since Spreaker's free plan carries a storage cap.
Common questions
- Which free plan is more generous for storage, RedCircle or Spreaker?
- RedCircle's. Its free Core plan hosts unlimited shows, episodes and downloads. Spreaker's free Free Speech plan carries a storage cap, though it turns on programmatic ad revenue immediately, which RedCircle's free plan does not.
- Does Spreaker take a cut of my earnings on the free plan?
- Yes, 20 percent of any supporters club income while on Free Speech. Upgrading to On Air Talent at $20 a month removes that fee entirely. RedCircle does not publish an equivalent percentage for its own ad program.
- Which is cheaper for the first paid tier, RedCircle or Spreaker?
- RedCircle. Growth is $14.99 a month against Spreaker's On Air Talent at $20 a month, both billed monthly, so RedCircle's entry paid tier costs about five dollars less.
- Can dynamic ad insertion run for free on either one?
- Spreaker allows programmatic ads on its free plan, minus the 20 percent fee on supporter income. RedCircle holds dynamic ad insertion back for Growth and above, so its free Core plan hosts the show without the ad tooling.
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.