Airlist

Airlist is a web-based guest CRM that combines podcast outreach, booking, follow-ups, and episode progress. It suits independent hosts handling production without a staff, especially those who need relationship tracking as much as scheduling. The main trade-off is that its most labor-saving prospecting and outreach tools sit behind Pro.

Overview

Airlist brings the guest relationship and the episode workflow into one workspace. Instead of stopping at a booking link, it follows a contact from an initial idea through research, pitching, replies, scheduling, recording, editing, publishing, and a possible re-invite. That makes it a stronger fit for a host coordinating an ongoing guest roster than for someone who only wants occasional introductions.

The service runs on the web and offers a free plan plus a 14-day Pro trial. Pro is month-to-month, can be canceled in the app, and keeps guest data exportable, which reduces the risk of being locked into the workflow.

Key features

The drag-and-drop pipeline covers the full sequence from ideas and research to re-invites. For a solo producer, having guest status and episode progress in the same view can replace separate tracking systems and make stalled conversations visible.

AI guest sourcing creates a ranked prospect list from a show niche, including contact information, recent media appearances, and individualized pitch angles. The pitch generator then prepares personalized cold emails with subject-line A/B variants. These features are useful when the hardest part is finding credible prospects and starting a relevant conversation, but they belong to the Pro trial rather than the ongoing Free plan.

Pro's automated outreach sends a nudge after five days and a break-up email after 12 days, stopping when the guest replies. That timing suits hosts who want consistent follow-through without manually monitoring every pitch. Free still provides follow-up reminders, but not the automated sequence engine.

The public booking page allows a guest to pick a recording slot, answer preparation questions, and receive automatic confirmation. Guest matching, scheduling, relationship tools, and custom intake forms support a complete booking process rather than a bare calendar handoff.

Integrations include Riverside, Zencastr, SquadCast, Google Calendar, Notion, Slack, Canva, Airtable, Zapier, Twitter, LinkedIn, Gmail, and more than 2,000 additional services through Zapier and Make.com. CSV import and export on Pro, plus export of the full guest list and episode tracker, make it practical to move records in or out.

Pricing

Free

Free costs nothing, billed forever. It includes the full pipeline, follow-up reminders, episode tracker, public booking page, and community support. The pricing page says free accounts can manage up to 25 active guests with no credit card; the plan listing specifies up to 15 guests, so hosts near either threshold should confirm the applicable cap before committing. Free is appropriate for a small, steady show that can handle outreach manually.

Pro

Pro costs $19.99 a month, billed monthly. It adds unlimited guests and episodes, the re-invite engine, automated outreach sequences, CSV import and export, and priority support. Every account starts with a 14-day Pro trial that includes AI sourcing, pitch generation, and automated follow-ups. Pro is the sensible tier for a growing roster or a host who would otherwise spend regular time chasing replies; it is less compelling if the show stays within the free guest allowance and manual reminders are sufficient.

Platforms

Airlist is available on the web. Its listed integrations extend the workflow into recording, calendars, productivity, social, email, and automation services.

Who it's for

Airlist is designed for an independent podcast host operating without a full staff. It fits hosts who repeatedly research guests, pitch them, schedule recordings, track production stages, and revisit past relationships. It is less suited to a user seeking only a guest marketplace or a simple one-off booking page.

Pros and cons

Pros

• End-to-end pipeline: guest outreach and episode stages remain connected from research through publishing.
• Useful automation: timed nudges and break-up emails pause when a guest responds, reducing repetitive follow-up work.
• Flexible booking intake: guests choose times and answer prep questions before confirmation.
• Exit-friendly data handling: Pro users can export guest and episode records to CSV, and cancellation happens in the app.

Cons

• Core AI tools are temporary for free users: sourcing and pitch generation are part of the 14-day Pro trial, not the ongoing Free plan.
• Free capacity is limited: the published free guest caps are suited to smaller shows, not a large active roster.
• Web only: there is no listed mobile platform for managing the pipeline away from a browser.

Alternatives

Choose Podcast Guest Booking Software when you want a broader comparison of booking-focused tools.

DM-Mi is worth considering if Android or iOS access matters and you prefer a guest-profile and podcast-creator model; its creator plan is £30 a month after the initial period.

Guestio suits users who want a marketplace-style free tier with messaging, press kits, booking tracking, and up to five pitches per month.

Let's Make A Podcast is an alternative for browsing shows and guests, pitching, messaging, and calendar-invite scheduling without a free trial.

PodcastGuests.com is better for newsletter-based discovery and directory promotion, with a 20.00 USD monthly Basic plan for one category.

show.fm fits a show that needs API access, staff seats, booking links, and automation rules alongside guest management.

Codie Dog is a free web option with no premium tiers or feature limits.

Guest.Market is a free public-beta choice for basic guest-market services.

GuestLoop is suited to expert profiles, show discovery, applications, and booking management, with a free guest plan.

Verdict

Choose Airlist if you are an independent host who wants one system for guest relationships, episode stages, booking, and repeat outreach. Its main reason to choose Pro is the combination of AI prospecting and automated follow-up at a predictable monthly price. Look elsewhere if you mainly need a discovery marketplace, mobile-first access, or a workflow that remains fully capable without a small guest cap.