Best Podcast Monetization Platforms in 2026
Updated
In short: Patreon is ranked #1 of 31 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Acast and Podcast.co. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Acast. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Captivate at $1.42/mo.
Podcast monetization platforms offer different ways to support paid listening, memberships, donations, and community activity. Compare premium episodes and private podcast feeds with listener donations and community tools to see which options align with your approach. Member limits and transaction fees matter alongside free-plan availability and paid-from pricing. Patreon leads the ranked entries, with Acast and Podfan among the early options. Use the listed features and costs to consider how you want listeners to support your show and what kind of access you plan to offer.
31 podcast monetization platforms ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Premium episodes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patreon | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 2 | Acast | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | 14.99 /mo | — | View |
| 3 | Podcast.co | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $19/mo | No | 19 /mo | — | View |
| 4 | Buzzsprout | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $18/mo | Yes | 15 /mo | — | View |
| 5 | Firstory | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $7/mo | Yes | 7 /mo | — | View |
| 6 | Podbean | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $17/mo | Yes | 12 /mo | — | View |
| 7 | Apple Podcasts | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 8 | Disctopia | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $6.99/mo | Yes | 6.99 /mo | Yes | View |
| 9 | iVoox | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 10 | Podfan | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $12/mo | Yes | 12 /mo | Yes | View |
| 11 | RSS.com | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $19.99/mo | Yes | 15 /mo | — | View |
| 12 | Thx.so | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $6.67/mo | Yes | 8 /mo | Yes | View |
| 13 | Pinecast | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $10/mo | Yes | 10 /mo | — | View |
| 14 | RedCircle | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | 19.99 /mo | — | View |
| 15 | Fountain | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $2.99/mo | Yes | — | — | View |
| 16 | Spreaker | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $20/mo | Yes | 20 /mo | — | View |
| 17 |  Lenny.fm | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | 4 /mo | No | View |
| 18 | Podimo | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | €4.99/mo | Yes | — | — | View |
| 19 | Spotify for Creators | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 20 |  Onion Podcasts | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 21 | Substack | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 22 | Beamly | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $18/mo | No | 18 /mo | — | View |
| 23 | Captivate | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $1.42/mo | No | 17 /mo | — | View |
| 24 | Castos | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $19/mo | No | 19 /mo | — | View |
| 25 | Kajabi | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $143/mo | No | 143 /mo | — | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which podcast monetization platform is ranked first on Inferse?
Patreon is ranked #1 of 31 with a score of 7.4. Acast is second and Podcast.co third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 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: $1.42/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.