Acast vs Firstory

Acast9.2Visit Firstory9.0Visit

Higher score Acast #3 in Podcast Hosting Platforms 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Acast

vs

Firstory #5 in Podcast Hosting Platforms 9.0/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Firstory

• Acast fits best

  Publishers focused on advertising and subscriptions

• Firstory fits best

  Budget-conscious creators wanting premium features

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Side by side

Feature	Acast 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Firstory 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	9.0
Ranking	#3 in Podcast Hosting Platforms	#5 in Podcast Hosting Platforms
Best for	Publishers focused on advertising and subscriptions	Budget-conscious creators wanting premium features
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	$7/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	14 days
Deployment	Cloud, Browser extension	Cloud
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Email, Live chat	Email, Live chat, Docs
Integrations	12 integrations	11 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Acast 4/4 · Firstory 4/4
RSS feed	✓	✓
Monetization tools	✓	✓
Private podcasts	✓	✓
Video podcast support	✓	✓
Specs
Directory distribution	Major directories	Major directories
Monthly upload hours	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Analytics level	Advanced	Advanced
Our review
Pros	IAB-verified analytics with advanced audience insights Dynamic advertising, subscriptions, and private RSS feeds Video publishing, APIs, scheduling, and broad directory distribution	Advanced analytics include audience demographics, geography, and listening times. AI creates transcripts, summaries, highlights, and newsletter drafts. Supports video, private RSS feeds, subscriptions, donations, and advertising.
Cons	Starter is limited to 1 show and up to 5 episodes Video publishing requires the Video plan Team management and the publishing API start with Pro	Video support is in early access and centers on Apple Podcasts synchronization. Built-in monetization is available only in selected regions. Spotify video requires a separate Spotify for Creators workflow.
Our verdict	Acast is a web-based podcast hosting and monetization platform for independent creators, publishers, and podcast networks. It generates and manages RSS feeds, distributes shows to podcast apps and major directories, and includes podcast… Read the review →	Firstory is a podcast hosting platform for creators and media businesses that need episode publishing, RSS distribution, analytics, and audience-facing tools. It generates an RSS feed for each podcast, supports automatic or manual… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Acast — where it wins

  • IAB-verified analytics with advanced audience insights
  • Dynamic advertising, subscriptions, and private RSS feeds
  • Video publishing, APIs, scheduling, and broad directory distribution

  Where it doesn't

  • Starter is limited to 1 show and up to 5 episodes
  • Video publishing requires the Video plan
  • Team management and the publishing API start with Pro

• Firstory — where it wins

  • Advanced analytics include audience demographics, geography, and listening times.
  • AI creates transcripts, summaries, highlights, and newsletter drafts.
  • Supports video, private RSS feeds, subscriptions, donations, and advertising.

  Where it doesn't

  • Video support is in early access and centers on Apple Podcasts synchronization.
  • Built-in monetization is available only in selected regions.
  • Spotify video requires a separate Spotify for Creators workflow.

• Acast9.2/10 · Free plan

  Acast suits publishers that need podcast distribution, audience insight, and revenue tools.

  Visit AcastFull verdict →
• Firstory9.0/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

  A low-cost podcast host combining advanced analytics, AI tools, video, and monetization.

  Visit FirstoryFull verdict →