Best Podcast Monetization Platforms in 2026
Updated
In short: Spreaker is ranked #1 of 31 as of 8 October 2026, ahead of Acast and Apple Podcasts. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Acast. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Captivate at $3.67/mo.
Podcast monetization platforms offer different ways to make paid access or listener support part of a show. Compare premium episodes and private podcast feeds with listener donations and community tools to see which approaches are listed. Member limits and transaction fees can affect the setup, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost context. Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Disctopia are among the platforms to examine. Consider what supporters should receive and how you want listeners to contribute, then weigh those needs against the published features and plan details.
31 podcast monetization platforms ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
15 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SpreakerWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | $20/mo | 6.7 | |
| 2 | AcastWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 3 | Apple PodcastsWeb · Windows · Mac · iPhone | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 4 | DisctopiaWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $6.99/mo | 6.6 | |
| 5 | FirstoryWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $7/mo | 6.6 | |
| 6 | PatreonWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 7 | PodbeanAndroid · iPhone | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | $17/mo | 6.5 | |
| 8 | PodimoWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | €4.99/mo | 6.5 | |
| 9 | SubstackWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 10 | BuzzsproutWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $18/mo | 6.4 | |
| 11 | Onion PodcastsWeb · Android | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 12 | PinecastWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $10/mo | 6.4 | |
| 13 | PodfanWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $12/mo | 6.4 | |
| 14 | RSS.comWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $19.99/mo | 6.4 | |
| 15 | Thx.soWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $6.67/mo | 6.4 | |
| 16 | FountainWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 17 | iVooxWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 18 | Supporting CastWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $99/mo | 5.5 |
| 19 | Lenny.fmWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $4/mo | 5.4 |
| 20 | Spotify for CreatorsWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 21 | RedCircleWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 22 | CastosWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $19/mo | 5.1 |
| 23 | Podcast.coWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $19/mo | 5.1 |
| 24 | BeamlyWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $18/mo | 5.0 |
| 25 | CaptivateWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $3.67/mo | 4.9 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Premium episodes | Private podcast feeds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spreaker | 6.7 | Free plan | $20/mo | Yes | 20 /mo | — | — |
| 2 | Acast | 6.6 | Free plan | — | Yes | 14.99 /mo | — | — |
| 3 | Apple Podcasts | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 4 | Disctopia | 6.6 | Free plan | $6.99/mo | Yes | 6.99 /mo | Yes | — |
| 5 | Firstory | 6.6 | Free plan | $7/mo | Yes | 7 /mo | — | — |
| 6 | Patreon | 6.6 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 7 | Podbean | 6.5 | Free plan | $17/mo | Yes | 12 /mo | — | — |
| 8 | Podimo | 6.5 | Free plan | €4.99/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 9 | Substack | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 10 | Buzzsprout | 6.4 | Free plan | $18/mo | Yes | 15 /mo | — | — |
| 11 | Onion Podcasts | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 12 | Pinecast | 6.4 | Free plan | $10/mo | Yes | 10 /mo | — | — |
| 13 | Podfan | 6.4 | Free plan | $12/mo | Yes | 12 /mo | Yes | Yes |
| 14 | RSS.com | 6.4 | Free plan | $19.99/mo | Yes | 15 /mo | — | — |
| 15 | Thx.so | 6.4 | Free plan | $6.67/mo | Yes | 8 /mo | Yes | No |
| 16 | Fountain | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 17 | iVoox | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 18 | Supporting Cast | 5.5 | No | $99/mo | — | — | — | — |
| 19 | Lenny.fm | 5.4 | No | $4/mo | Yes | 4 /mo | No | No |
| 20 | Spotify for Creators | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 21 | RedCircle | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | 19.99 /mo | — | — |
| 22 | Castos | 5.1 | No | $19/mo | No | 19 /mo | — | — |
| 23 | Podcast.co | 5.1 | No | $19/mo | No | 19 /mo | — | — |
| 24 | Beamly | 5.0 | No | $18/mo | No | 18 /mo | — | — |
| 25 | Captivate | 4.9 | No | $3.67/mo | No | 17 /mo | — | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which podcast monetization platform is ranked first on Freedom251?
Spreaker is ranked #1 of 31 with a score of 6.7. Acast is second and Apple Podcasts third.
How many of these have a free plan?
15 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Captivate has the lowest first paid tier we found: $3.67/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.