How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Actors Access is the industry standard for film and TV: a free profile, then about $2 per media submission, or about $68 a year for a membership with unlimited submissions.
- Backstage at about $19.99 a month is the beginner and self submission platform: open calls, indie film, theatre, and non union work, browsable free before you pay.
- Casting Networks, around $29.99 a month, is where commercial casting lives, and most working commercial actors treat it as non optional.
- Project Casting lets you browse free and apply once a day free, a low risk way to learn the market before subscribing anywhere.
- The scam warning matters more than the ranking: legitimate casting never asks you to pay to audition for a specific job, buy expensive photos from the casting company, or share bank details with a stranger. Verify every call independently. More below.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Actors Access | Film and TV submissions, industry standard | Free | Yes |
 Backstage | Beginners, indie, theatre, and non union work | $19.99 per month | No |
 Casting Networks | Commercial casting | $29.99 per month | No |
 Project Casting | Browsing the market free | Free | Yes |
 Casting Frontier | Commercials, strong on the West Coast | See website | No |
 Mandy | Film and TV crew and cast listings | See website | No |
 StarNow | Beginners, models, and reality casting | Free | Yes |
 AllCasting | Open calls and background work | See website | No |
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The best casting apps
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Actors Access is the platform the industry itself runs on. Casting directors post breakdowns through its parent, agents submit through the same system, and unrepresented actors submit alongside them. If you can afford only one presence in professional film and TV, coach and actor guides agree it is this one: the free profile costs nothing, and the yearly membership is the cheapest serious money in this guide.
The trade off is friction. Every photo, clip, and submission is a small transaction unless you buy the membership, and the site will not hold your hand. Actors Access fits actors pursuing film and TV, with or without representation, who treat submissions as a daily professional habit.
What we like- Run by Breakdown Services, the company behind the breakdowns agents and managers use
- The professional home of episodic TV and feature casting
- Free profile, then pay per submission at about $2 with media, or a yearly membership around $68 for unlimited submissions and audition sides
- Where represented actors' submissions actually flow
Watch out for- A basic free submission without media is weak, headshots and clips cost per submission
- The interface is functional rather than friendly
- Pay per submission adds up fast at high volume without the membership
Starting price$19.99 per month
Free planNo
Backstage is where acting careers start. It casts the work that builds a reel and a resume: student films, indie shorts, community and professional theatre, background, and non union commercials. Its claim to check notices before posting adds a layer of confidence, and its career content genuinely teaches the business to newcomers.
The trade off is signal. You will read past a lot of unpaid passion projects and the occasional dubious post to find the good calls, which is why the scam guidance below matters even here. Backstage fits beginners, theatre actors, and unrepresented performers building credits, who will cancel and rejoin seasonally as work demands.
What we like- The largest self submission platform, running since the print magazine era
- Open calls, student and indie film, theatre, and non union work that beginners can actually book
- Listings can be browsed free, with a subscription at about $19.99 a month or about $149.99 a year to apply
- Strong advice and career editorial included
Watch out for- Listing quality varies widely, with unpaid and questionable posts beside real work
- The union film and TV core largely casts elsewhere
- Applying broadly without judgement wastes the subscription
Starting price$29.99 per month
Free planNo
Casting Networks owns the commercial world. If the work you want is advertising, the casting directors for it live here, and actors in major markets describe the subscription as a cost of doing business rather than a choice. Commercial work also pays reliably and repeats, which is how the fee justifies itself for working actors.
The trade off is price against focus. At roughly $30 a month it is the dearest ticket in this guide, and it earns that only if commercials are genuinely your market. Casting Networks fits commercial actors, background performers in big markets, and represented talent whose offices cast through it.
What we like- The dominant platform for commercials, used exclusively by many commercial casting offices
- Strong in background and regional markets as well as LA and New York
- Profiles support the lifestyle photography commercial casting actually wants
- Subscription around $29.99 a month or about $299.90 a year
Watch out for- The most expensive mainstream subscription here
- Interface feels dated beside Backstage
- Much less central for theatrical film and TV than Actors Access
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Project Casting's gift to a new actor is information at no cost. Spending two weeks reading real calls teaches you the shape of the market, the pay bands, the markets that cast your type, before a single subscription starts. The free daily application means the learning can include doing.
The trade off is ceiling. When your career needs the professional breakdown pipe, you will graduate to Actors Access and keep Project Casting as a supplement. Project Casting fits newcomers researching the business, and actors in mid sized markets where its listings run strong.
What we like- Browse film, TV, and commercial casting calls free, with one free application per day
- A practical way to learn what is casting, where, and at what pay before paying anyone
- Premium at $50 a month or about $239.99 a year for unlimited applications
- A growing marketplace with entertainment industry jobs beyond acting
Watch out for- Premium is expensive relative to the incumbents
- Listing depth cannot match Actors Access for professional breakdowns
- A marketplace model means quality varies by production
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Casting Frontier is the other commercial pipe, used by a set of casting offices, especially in Los Angeles, that run their auditions through it. Because it shares ownership with Casting Networks, actors sometimes meet it through their agency's preference rather than their own research. Its audition management tooling is the part casting offices praise.
The trade off is duplication. Holding both commercial platforms is the classic overspend unless your market genuinely splits across them. Casting Frontier fits commercial actors in markets and offices that cast through it; ask your agent or local casting directors which pipe they use before subscribing.
What we like- A commercial casting platform with particular strength on the West Coast
- Shares a parent company with Casting Networks, so its industry standing is established
- Digital audition and scheduling tools built for casting offices
- Talent profiles with media for commercial submissions
Watch out for- Pricing is published in tiers that change, so confirm before paying
- Overlaps heavily with Casting Networks, and many actors need only one of them
- Less relevant outside commercial and print work
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Mandy comes from the production jobs world, and actors are one part of its membership. Its value is breadth across the industry: the same account that finds you an indie feature role can find you a paid runner or assistant job on the next production, which is how many film careers actually survive their early years.
The trade off is focus. For pure acting submissions the specialist platforms serve you better. Mandy fits actors with crew skills, actors outside the biggest US markets, and anyone building an industry life rather than only an audition queue.
What we like- A long running jobs board for film and TV, covering cast and crew together
- International reach, with strength in the UK as well as the US
- Useful for actors who also work crew roles while building a career
- Employers post directly, from indie productions to broadcasters
Watch out for- Pricing for premium talent accounts is not stated in our sources, so check the site
- A jobs board rather than a submission pipeline, so the experience is less managed
- Quality ranges from funded productions to micro budget calls
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
StarNow is the shallow end, in a good way. Reality shows, brands, photographers, and student productions cast here, and a newcomer can gather first credits and set experience without industry gatekeeping. It is also honest about being a marketplace: anyone can post, which is why your screening matters.
The trade off is exactly that openness. Treat every listing as unverified until you have checked the production independently. StarNow fits total beginners, models, and performers curious about reality and commercial extra work, who go in with the safety rules below taped to the screen.
What we like- A beginner friendly marketplace for acting, modelling, music, and reality TV casting
- Free to join and browse, with paid upgrades for applying and visibility
- International presence across the UK, Australia, and beyond
- Low pressure first step for people testing whether performance work suits them
Watch out for- The professional film and TV core does not cast here
- Listings skew to entry level, unpaid, and exposure style work, so screen carefully
- Premium pushes hard relative to the value at the casual end
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
AllCasting aggregates the open call layer: productions that will see newcomers, background casting in filming cities, and modelling and promo work. For someone in Atlanta, Chicago, or another production hub without representation, it surfaces work the big three's filters might never show you.
The trade off is trust and depth. It is a starting tool, not a career platform. AllCasting fits beginners and background artists who want local alerts and first set days, and who apply the scam checks in this guide as a habit, not a warning they read once.
What we like- Open calls across acting, modelling, and background work in many US cities
- Simple profiles and alerts matched to your location and type
- Aimed at newcomers, with categories beyond major market work
- Subscription pricing is not published in our sources, so confirm in the app
Watch out for- Listing quality is uneven, and the platform has lighter industry standing than the top three
- Background and open call work dominates over principal roles
- As with all open marketplaces, verification is the user's job
How we chose
We started from where casting directors actually post, using 2026 actor guides that compare the platforms' prices and territories, and we kept the territories distinct rather than pretending one app wins everything. Figures marked as reported or estimated in the sources are written that way here, and platforms whose current pricing we could not verify are marked See website. We weighted scam exposure as a selection factor, favouring platforms with verification practices and established industry use. We did not submit for roles or claim hands on testing.
How to spot a casting scam, and other money rules
Learn the shape of the legitimate business first. Real productions pay you; money flows toward the actor for work, and the normal costs of the trade, headshots, classes, platform subscriptions, are things you buy from providers you choose, never fees a casting notice demands. With that shape in mind, the red flags are clear.
Never pay to audition for a specific job, and never pay a casting company for photos, portfolios, or classes as a condition of being considered; that is the oldest scam in the industry, and it targets beginners on open platforms. Verify every call independently: find the production company through your own search, check the casting director's name against industry listings, and be wary of approaches that arrive only through social media DMs. Never share bank details, your Social Security number, or copies of ID with an unknown caster before a real booking through a real platform; payroll details are collected after hiring, by the production's payroll company. Meet first auditions and meetings in professional settings, tell someone where you are going, and leave any situation that feels wrong. A legitimate opportunity survives your caution. A scam depends on you skipping it.
Frequently asked questions
Which casting app should a beginner start with?
Backstage for submitting, because its open calls, indie, and theatre listings are the work beginners book, plus a free Actors Access profile from day one, because that is where your career is heading. Browse Project Casting free for two weeks first to learn the market. One subscription used daily beats three used rarely.
Is Actors Access or Backstage better?
They do different jobs. Actors Access is the professional film and TV pipe, tied to the breakdown system agents use, and cheap on the yearly membership. Backstage is the self submission world of indie, theatre, student, and non union work. Most working actors end up with Actors Access permanently and Backstage seasonally, as their stage of career dictates.
How much should an actor spend on casting platforms per year?
Less than most do. A sensible base is the Actors Access membership at about $68 a year, plus one subscription matched to your market: Backstage at about $150 a year for beginners and theatre, or Casting Networks at about $300 a year when commercials become real income. Add professional headshots before any second subscription; casting directors consistently rank materials above platform count.
Are free casting sites legitimate?
Some are useful and some are bait, and the difference is verification. Project Casting's free browsing and daily application are a real, limited free tier from an established marketplace. A site promising fame, charging joining fees for guaranteed roles, or operating only through social media is not a platform, it is a pitch. Guaranteed work does not exist in casting, from anyone, at any price.
What should I never pay for as an actor?
Access to a specific audition, a casting director's consideration, or a guaranteed role. Also refuse photo packages, classes, or portfolio services sold by the same people offering you work, and upfront fees from anyone calling themselves an agent; legitimate agents earn commission from work they get you, typically after you are paid. Subscriptions to established platforms and your own chosen headshot photographer are the normal, legitimate costs.
Sources we checked (0)
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.