Creative Process

Yes, Acast’s free plan is that good. What’s the catch?

Yes, Acast’s free plan is that good. What’s the catch?

2022.06.23

Acast’s fundamental belief is that anyone and everyone should be able to share their voice. Thankfully, cloud hosting and storage — which keep the podcasting cogs turning — is now cheaper than ever, which is further democratizing the medium and opening it up to more people.

Despite that, many podcast companies are still charging for these basic services. What justification could there be for podcasters being charged fees like this, in some cases before their show is even off the ground? 

The answer is in the business model. Some companies depend on monthly subscription fees which, regardless of whether your show is succeeding or not, help them fund their platform. 

Acast is built differently. We make money when our podcasters do — whether that’s through advertising or memberships — which gives us a huge incentive to make things as simple and affordable as possible for our creators. If they’re doing well, so are we.

That’s why we decided to lower the barrier to entry for podcasters by providing free, unlimited hosting for all.

While we do offer paid plans for more advanced podcasters, we believe there should be a quality, free, entry-level option that gives every creator the opportunity to find and build their audience. 

We’re not interested in charging you for an extra hour of podcasting, and will never force you to upgrade to a paid plan by threatening to delete your episodes. We simply want to provide podcasters with the best possible tools to help them grow. 

It’s an approach that has attracted 47,000 podcasts, all around the world — from major publishers like Vice and The Economist, and every sized podcaster in between. They all trust us to help grow their shows, and help them make a living from it. 

And “free” doesn’t mean you’re getting a cheap, bare-bones product. All podcasters, from all backgrounds, should have access to high-impact features like advanced analytics, distribution to every major directory, and the ability to monetize their shows. That’s why, on Acast, a podcaster just starting out gets the same toolkit used by giants like the BBC, Marc Maron, and Anna Faris. 

It’s already hard enough to make a great show and stand out against the millions of podcasts out there. We don’t believe in making that even harder by placing a financial burden on new podcasters.

Of course, skeptics will say, “You get what you pay for.” But we challenge podcasters to ask themselves exactly that: What are you paying for? And is it worth it? 

If we’ve piqued your curiosity and you want to take a look at what our platform can offer, switching to Acast is free and only takes a few minutes. If you’re not happy, we’ll redirect you back to your current platform. 

Every podcaster, regardless of their financial resources or starting knowledge, deserves the opportunity to be heard, find their audience, and make money from their craft. And Acast will continue to prioritize that.

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