Acast vs Spreaker

Acast is a podcast hosting and monetization company founded in Stockholm, Sweden, and listed on Nasdaq First North. Its core job is to host shows, distribute them to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and every other directory, and then turn listens into revenue through one of the largest podcast advertising marketplaces in the world.

The free Starter plan covers hosting and distribution. Paid tiers (Essential, Pro and Video) add multiple shows, unlimited episodes, team management, a publishing API and video publishing to Apple Podcasts. Acast inserts dynamic ads sold by its own sales teams and programmatic partners into back catalog episodes, so older episodes keep earning. Acast+ lets creators sell premium subscriptions with bonus or ad-free episodes, and sponsorship tools connect shows with brands directly.

Acast fits independent and network podcasters for whom advertising is the business model and who want access to advertisers they could not reach alone. The trade-off is a revenue share on ads and less control over which ads appear. Transistor is a better choice for companies running private or branded shows, Buzzsprout is simpler for hobbyists, and Spotify for Creators offers free hosting tied closely to Spotify. For shows with real audiences that want to be paid, Acast remains one of the strongest options.

Spreaker is a podcast hosting, distribution and monetisation platform owned by iHeartMedia, the largest US radio and podcast publisher, which bought Spreaker's parent company Voxnest in 2020. Spreaker Inc. now operates as an iHeartMedia company, and its technology also hosts iHeart's own on-demand audio. Its core job is to host episodes, push them to every major podcast app and help shows earn money from ads and listeners.

The free Free Speech plan covers one podcast with unlimited episodes, automatic distribution to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and iHeartRadio and access to ad monetisation. Paid plans add unlimited podcasts, private and subscription podcasts including Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, longer statistics retention and collaborators. The Supporters Club lets listeners pay a monthly fee, with a 20% platform cut on the free plan and 0% on paid plans. Publisher adds an Ad Campaign Manager to sell and traffic your own ads, plus IAB category blocking for revenue share.

Spreaker fits independent podcasters who want to monetise from day one and networks that need ad trafficking tools at a fixed monthly fee. Its interface feels dated, analytics on the free plan stop at six months, and ad revenue depends on audience size and US-heavy demand. Buzzsprout is simpler for beginners, Podbean offers similar monetisation with a polished app, and Acast is stronger for premium sponsorships.

Spreaker is one of the largest hosts by new episode volume: Podnews data from October 2025 put it second, with 18.5% of new episodes, behind Spotify.