Best Podcast Monetization Platforms in 2026
Updated
In short: Firstory is ranked #1 of 31 as of 8 October 2026, ahead of Disctopia and Podimo. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Disctopia. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Lenny.fm at $4/mo.
Podcast monetization platforms give creators different ways to offer paid listening or invite financial support from their audience. Compare premium episodes and private podcast feeds with listener donations and community tools to understand the available approaches. Member limits can shape the scale of a paid community, while transaction fees affect the economics of audience support. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing are also useful cost considerations. Firstory, Disctopia, and RSS.com are among the options shown. Think about how listeners should access paid content or contribute, then weigh the listed features and terms against the model you want for your show.
31 podcast monetization platforms ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Podcast Monetization Platforms, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 20 of the 25 on this page can be tried for free.
- 1 FirstoryPaid from $7/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 DisctopiaPaid from $6.99/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 3 PodimoPaid from €4.99/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 4 PinecastPaid from $10/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 5 RSS.comPaid from $19.99/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 6 SpreakerPaid from $20/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 7 AcastFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 8 Apple PodcastsFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 9 PatreonFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 10 BuzzsproutPaid from $18/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 11 PodbeanPaid from $17/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 12 iVoox
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 13 PodfanPaid from $12/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 14 SubstackFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 15 Supporting CastPaid from $99/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 16 Thx.soPaid from $6.67/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 17 Onion PodcastsFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 18 Podcast.coPaid from $19/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 19 BeamlyPaid from $18/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 20 Fountain
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 21 LibsynPaid from $12/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 22 Lenny.fmPaid from $4/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 23 RedCircle
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 24 CastosPaid from $19/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 25 Spotify for Creators
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Premium episodes | Private podcast feeds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Firstory | 7.9 | Free plan | $7/mo | Yes | 7 /mo | — | — |
| 2 | Disctopia | 7.8 | Free plan | $6.99/mo | Yes | 6.99 /mo | Yes | — |
| 3 | Podimo | 7.7 | Free plan | €4.99/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 4 | Pinecast | 7.6 | Free plan | $10/mo | Yes | 10 /mo | — | — |
| 5 | RSS.com | 7.6 | Free plan | $19.99/mo | Yes | 15 /mo | — | — |
| 6 | Spreaker | 7.4 | Free plan | $20/mo | Yes | 20 /mo | — | — |
| 7 | Acast | 7.3 | Free plan | — | Yes | 14.99 /mo | — | — |
| 8 | Apple Podcasts | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 9 | Patreon | 7.3 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 10 | Buzzsprout | 7.2 | Free plan | $18/mo | Yes | 15 /mo | — | — |
| 11 | Podbean | 7.2 | Free plan | $17/mo | Yes | 12 /mo | — | — |
| 12 | iVoox | 7.1 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | Podfan | 7.0 | Free plan | $12/mo | Yes | 12 /mo | Yes | Yes |
| 14 | Substack | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 15 | Supporting Cast | 7.0 | No | $99/mo | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | Thx.so | 7.0 | Free plan | $6.67/mo | Yes | 8 /mo | Yes | No |
| 17 | Onion Podcasts | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 18 | Podcast.co | 6.7 | No | $19/mo | No | 19 /mo | — | — |
| 19 | Beamly | 6.6 | No | $18/mo | No | 18 /mo | — | — |
| 20 | Fountain | 6.6 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 21 | Libsyn | 6.5 | No | $12/mo | No | 12 /mo | — | — |
| 22 | Lenny.fm | 6.2 | No | $4/mo | Yes | 4 /mo | No | No |
| 23 | RedCircle | 6.2 | No | — | Yes | 19.99 /mo | — | — |
| 24 | Castos | 6.1 | No | $19/mo | No | 19 /mo | — | — |
| 25 | Spotify for Creators | 6.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
Is your platform 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 The Geeks Club?
Firstory is ranked #1 of 31 with a score of 7.9. Disctopia is second and Podimo 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, Lenny.fm has the lowest first paid tier we found: $4/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.