Acast vs Buzzsprout:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Buzzsprout had more branded searches than Acast among podcast hosting platforms worldwide. Buzzsprout had about 34,700 branded searches, while Acast had 27,100. Buzzsprout made up 10.1% of all podcast hosting platform searches we track, and Acast accounted for 7.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about podcast hosting platforms, Buzzsprout appeared in all five answers and Acast in none.
Who do people search for more?
Buzzsprout, about 28% more searches than Acast
Who does AI mention more?
Buzzsprout, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Buzzsprout, the only one of the two named
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Top podcast hosting platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Buzzsprout appeared in all five answers. Acast did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Buzzsprout1st
Spotify for Creators2nd
Transistor3rd- RSS.com4th
Captivate5th
Riverside6th
Podbean7th
RedCircle–
Acast–
Libsyn–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Spotify for Creators5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Buzzsprout5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Captivate5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- RSS.com4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Transistor3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Podbean2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Riverside2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
RedCircle0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Acast0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Libsyn0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about podcast hosting platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which podcast hosting platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best podcast hosting platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best podcast hosting platform for publishing and distribution?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“podcast hosting platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“podcast hosting service”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Acast or Buzzsprout more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Acast and Buzzsprout by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten podcast hosting platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Buzzsprout, Acast. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Spotify for Creators | RedCircle | Buzzsprout | Podbean | Acast | Libsyn | Transistor | RSS.com | Captivate | Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 24.9% | 30.7% | 15.1% | 13.9% | 9.1% | 5% | 0.46% | 0.44% | 0.35% | 0.13% |
| Nov 2025 | 27.3% | 27.7% | 13.9% | 15.2% | 10% | 4.5% | 0.51% | 0.48% | 0.38% | 0.14% |
| Dec 2025 | 28.6% | 28.9% | 14.5% | 13.1% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 0.51% | 0.51% | 0.38% | 0.12% |
| Jan 2026 | 29.7% | 30.1% | 15.2% | 11.2% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 0.54% | 0.51% | 0.46% | 0.16% |
| Feb 2026 | 30.6% | 30.9% | 12.8% | 11.5% | 7.5% | 5% | 0.5% | 0.53% | 0.44% | 0.13% |
| Mar 2026 | 33.4% | 27.5% | 13.9% | 12.5% | 8.2% | 3% | 0.51% | 0.47% | 0.43% | 0.15% |
| Apr 2026 | 35.7% | 29.5% | 11.9% | 11% | 7.2% | 3.2% | 0.55% | 0.5% | 0.37% | 0.16% |
| May 2026 | 36.1% | 29.7% | 11.6% | 11.1% | 7.2% | 2.6% | 0.62% | 0.51% | 0.37% | 0.16% |
| Jun 2026 | 38.8% | 26.3% | 12.9% | 9.6% | 7.8% | 2.8% | 0.71% | 0.55% | 0.33% | 0.17% |
| Jul 2026 | 40.1% | 27.2% | 11.4% | 10% | 6.6% | 2.9% | 0.69% | 0.56% | 0.32% | 0.18% |
| Aug 2026 | 39.7% | 26.9% | 11% | 9.8% | 8% | 2.9% | 0.68% | 0.56% | 0.32% | 0.17% |
| Sep 2026 | 39.2% | 26.6% | 10.1% | 9.7% | 7.9% | 4.3% | 1.4% | 0.55% | 0.3% | 0.17% |
How has the Acast and Buzzsprout comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Buzzsprout was ahead of Acast in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Acast’s share of searches among podcast hosting platforms worldwide moved from 9.1% to 7.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 33.1K to 27.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Buzzsprout’s share of searches among podcast hosting platforms worldwide moved from 15.1% to 10.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 54.9K to 34.7K.
How did search popularity change for podcast hosting platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes

In September 2026, Buzzsprout lost share of searches among podcast hosting platforms worldwide, from 11% to 10.1%.

Estimated monthly branded searches for Acast worldwide fell 18.1% over 12 measured months, from 33.1K to 27.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Acast’s and Buzzsprout’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Acast
1 branded search term
- acast
Buzzsprout
2 branded search terms
- buzzsprout
- buzzsprout podcast hosting
Other head-to-heads among podcast hosting platforms

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