Acast

What Is Acast?

Podcast hosting splits into two camps: platforms that just store and distribute audio files, and platforms that treat podcasting as an advertising business. Acast built its reputation in the second camp. Founded in Stockholm in 2013 by Karl Rosander, Mans Ulvestam, and Johan Billgren, the company popularised dynamic ad insertion — technology that swaps sponsor messages into episodes after publication, without re-editing the audio itself. That single feature reshaped how podcast advertising works across the industry, not just on Acast's own platform.

Acast AB (publ) has been publicly traded since 2021, first on Nasdaq First North and, since November 2025, on the main Nasdaq Stockholm market. Public listing means quarterly financial reports are available to anyone, a level of transparency most privately held podcast hosts do not offer. The company runs a marketplace spanning more than 140,000 podcasts and roughly one billion quarterly listens, connecting shows directly with advertisers and agencies rather than routing every deal through a third party.

Against competitors like Spotify's Megaphone or the US-based Buzzsprout, Acast sits closer to a media company than a simple hosting tool. Independent creators use it for straightforward hosting and distribution. Larger networks and established shows use it for the ad marketplace, sponsorship tools, and now video podcasting. The two use cases live on different pricing tiers, and understanding which one applies to you shapes almost every decision about whether Acast fits.

Key Features

Dynamic Ad Insertion and the Sponsorship Marketplace

Acast's core innovation lets creators change or update sponsor messages in episodes that have already been published, targeting listeners by location, device, or time without touching the original audio file. Shows that reach 1,000 listeners on the Influencer plan gain access to Acast's marketplace, connecting them to advertisers actively looking for podcast inventory. For shows below that threshold, the free Starter tier still allows ad monetisation, but only if the podcast joins the marketplace — otherwise Starter caps out at five episodes.

This threshold matters. It means the marketplace access that makes Acast distinctive is not universally available on day one; smaller shows need to build an audience first, or accept the free tier's episode limit.

Video Podcasting and Cross-Format Publishing

The Video tier, at EUR 50 per month (or EUR 39.99 billed annually), adds automatic conversion between audio and video formats and publishing to Apple Podcasts' video feed. A single upload becomes both an audio episode and a video episode without manual re-export, and the tier includes 10,000 monthly video views. Video podcasting has grown fast on YouTube and Spotify, and Acast's answer avoids forcing creators to maintain two separate production workflows for one show.

Publishing API and Network Management

Networks running multiple shows get a publishing API and webhook support on the Ace plan, priced at EUR 40 per month or EUR 29.99 annually. Podcast networks can automate episode creation, metadata updates, and scheduled releases across dozens of shows instead of managing each one by hand in the dashboard. Team management tools on the same tier let larger organisations assign roles and permissions, which solo podcasters on lower tiers do not need.

Analytics and Transcriptions

Every paid tier from Influencer up includes advanced analytics beyond basic download counts, plus automatic episode transcriptions. Transcriptions help with accessibility and searchability, and they feed into show notes without requiring a separate transcription service. Free Starter accounts only get basic analytics, which is enough to track growth but not enough to understand audience demographics in depth.

Track Record and Acquisitions

Acast has grown partly through acquisition, absorbing platforms including Pippa, RadioPublic, and Podchaser into its ecosystem over the years. Each deal added either technology or discovery surface area rather than simply buying market share for its own sake. The company now operates across roughly 15 countries and reports a marketplace of more than 140,000 podcasts generating around one billion quarterly listens combined. Those figures come from Acast's own reporting, but as a listed company its numbers face outside scrutiny that a private competitor's marketing claims do not.

Pricing

Acast's Starter tier costs nothing and includes hosting, distribution, and a basic podcast website. Five episodes is the limit, though, unless the show joins the ad marketplace — a meaningful catch for anyone who just wants free unlimited hosting without commercial ambitions.

Influencer runs EUR 25 monthly or EUR 14.99 per month billed annually, adding multiple shows, unlimited episodes, sponsorship marketplace access at 1,000-plus listeners, and transcriptions. Ace costs EUR 40 monthly (EUR 29.99 annually) and adds team management, the publishing API, webhooks, and prioritised multi-language support. Video sits at EUR 50 monthly or EUR 39.99 annually for the video-audio conversion features described above. An invitation-only Creator Network tier exists above Video for established shows with large audiences, priced by negotiation.

The jump from Influencer to Ace roughly doubles the monthly bill for API and team-management access alone. For a solo podcaster who never needs automation, Influencer likely covers everything; for a small network, Ace's cost premium buys real operational leverage.

EU Compliance & Privacy

Acast AB (publ) is a Swedish company, which places it under GDPR as home-jurisdiction law and gives it public reporting obligations as a Nasdaq Stockholm-listed entity. The company provides a Data Processing Agreement to customers who need one for their own GDPR compliance work.

That said, Acast's infrastructure runs on Amazon Web Services rather than a stated EU-only region. For any international data transfers, the company relies on standard contractual clauses and, where applicable, the EU-US Data Privacy Framework adequacy decision — the standard toolkit for GDPR compliance without EU-exclusive hosting. Podcasters who need a guaranteed EU-resident data pipeline, rather than contractual safeguards on globally distributed infrastructure, should weigh this distinction against hosts that name a specific EU data centre.

How Acast Compares to Other EU Podcast Hosts

Choosing between Europe's three biggest podcast-hosting platforms usually comes down to what a team is optimising for. Podigee's compliance-first architecture suits a German enterprise running a private, internal-only show, while Ausha's PSO tooling suits creators fixated on Apple Podcasts and Spotify search rankings. Acast's own case is narrower but sharper: when the goal is advertising revenue at scale, not compliance paperwork or keyword tracking, its marketplace and dynamic ad insertion outperform both alternatives.

Who It's Best For

If your goal is sponsorship revenue at scale, Acast's marketplace and dynamic ad insertion give you tools most competitors cannot match. Podcast networks managing several shows benefit most from the Ace tier's API, webhooks, and team permissions, which justify the higher price through time saved on manual publishing. Solo creators who want free, no-frills hosting with no monetisation ambitions may find the five-episode Starter cap frustrating and should compare it against flatter-priced competitors. Shows expanding into video get a genuinely useful conversion workflow on the Video tier, provided the extra EUR 10 to 25 per month is worth it for their audience size.

The Verdict

Acast earns its reputation as an advertising-first podcast platform, not just a hosting tool with an ad marketplace bolted on. The Nasdaq Stockholm listing brings a level of financial transparency uncommon in this category, and dynamic ad insertion remains a genuinely useful differentiator for monetisation-focused shows. Data residency specificity is where it falls short. Reliance on AWS with standard contractual clauses is compliant, but it is not the EU-exclusive hosting story some GDPR-sensitive customers want, and the free tier's episode cap will frustrate podcasters without commercial goals. Shows chasing sponsorship revenue or running a multi-show network get real value from Acast's marketplace access and API. Everyone else should compare it against flatter, simpler EU hosts before committing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Acast GDPR compliant?

Acast AB (publ) is a Swedish company subject to GDPR as its home jurisdiction, and it offers a Data Processing Agreement for customer data. Its infrastructure runs on AWS rather than a guaranteed EU-only region, so international transfers rely on standard contractual clauses and, where applicable, the EU-US Data Privacy Framework rather than EU-exclusive hosting.

Is Acast free to use?

Yes, the Starter tier is free and includes hosting, distribution to all major podcast apps, and a basic website. It limits shows to 5 episodes, though, unless the podcast also joins Acast's ad marketplace, which removes the episode cap.

How does Acast compare to Buzzsprout?

Buzzsprout keeps podcast hosting simple and affordable, without a built-in advertising marketplace. Acast trades some of that simplicity for scale: dynamic ad insertion and a marketplace connecting shows directly to sponsors, better suited to podcasters chasing meaningful sponsorship revenue rather than just reliable hosting. See our full breakdown of EU alternatives to Buzzsprout for other options in the category.

Where is Acast headquartered and is it publicly traded?

Acast AB (publ) is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and has traded on Nasdaq Stockholm since November 2025 after moving up from the First North Growth Market. That listing gives it public financial reporting obligations that privately held competitors do not have.

Does Acast offer an API for podcast networks?

Yes. The Ace plan and above include a publishing API and webhook support, letting networks automate episode creation, metadata updates, and scheduling across multiple shows rather than managing each one manually.

For a broader look at European podcast platforms, see the podcasting category page, which compares Acast against hosts like Podigee and Ausha.