# Best Casting Websites for Actors: Actors Access, Backstage, Casting Networks and More

> Six casting sites judged on the same four questions: what work is listed, what is free, what submitting costs, and who can submit you there. Plus how to spot a casting scam and a plan for when paying is worth it. Prices as of October 2026.

- URL: https://www.offbook.com/blog/best-casting-sites-for-actors
- Published: 2026-10-13
- Last updated: 2026-10-13

You have a headshot, a résumé that fits on one page, and no agent yet. So you search for auditions, and the same few sites keep coming up. The general casting sites each have a paid plan, and it is not obvious what you get without it.

It is easy to sign up for all of them in one anxious evening and spend a lot of money a year on listings you never use. It is just as easy to stay on free profiles forever and wonder why nothing comes in.

Here is the short version. A good casting site lists the kind of work you can actually book, lets you build a profile for free, charges a fair price only for submitting, and lets the right people submit you. The sites fall into two kinds: general casting platforms where you build a profile and submit to roles, and theater boards for stage work. Below, each is judged on the same four questions, with prices checked on each site's own pages. Our plan for which to start on, and when to pay, is at the end.

## Judge Every Casting Site on the Same Four Questions

Platform facts come from each platform's own pages (pricing, help, FAQ, terms); union and scam guidance comes from SAG-AFTRA and the FTC. Everything was checked in October 2026. Where two official pages disagreed on a price, we left the price out and tell you to check it.

1. **What work is listed?** Film and TV, commercials, theater, student and indie projects, background. A site full of roles you cannot play is no bargain at any price.
2. **What is free?** A profile, browsing, alerts, and sometimes limited submissions. The free tier tells you whether the site is worth paying for before you pay.
3. **What does submitting cost?** A subscription, extra fees for photos and clips, or nothing. Read what the paid plan does not include, too.
4. **Who can submit you there?** You, your agent, or both. Some listings reach only agents, and some only actors, so it matters whose route a site uses.

## Casting Sites at a Glance

Prices are US prices at the time of writing (October 2026). They change often, so confirm on the site before you pay.

| Site | What is listed | Free | To submit freely | Who submits | Best for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Actors Access | Breakdowns casting releases to actors, paid and unpaid | Profile, 2 photos, name-and-résumé submissions, Eco Cast self-tapes | Plus: $68/year or $9.99/month | You or your agent, depending on where casting releases the role | Any US actor starting out: the free profile costs nothing |
| Backstage | Casting calls you can filter by city, production type, pay, and union status; work types not otherwise stated on its pages | Browse and search casting calls | Subscription (monthly, 6-month, or annual); check the current price | You apply; subscribers can also be found and messaged by employers | Actors who want to search and filter listings free before paying |
| Casting Networks | Projects on Casting Billboard, plus public Open Calls; work types not stated on its pages | 2 photos, 1 video, 1 audio, view projects, Open Calls | Premium: $29.99/month or $299.90/year | You (Premium, or anyone on Open Calls) or your representatives (any plan) | Actors whose local casting offices post there, and represented actors whose agents submit through it |
| Casting Frontier | Commercials, digital, film, print, TV | 1 headshot, résumé, non-paying jobs on Direct Submit | Premium or Premium Plus; check the current price | You or your representatives | Actors after commercial, digital, film, print, or TV work who want another free profile |
| Playbill jobs | Theater jobs, including performer auditions and open calls | Browse; twice-weekly jobs newsletter | Each listing says how to submit; cost to apply not stated on its pages | As each listing says | Stage actors looking for theater listings and open calls |
| Equity Casting Call | Equity Principal Auditions, chorus calls | Run by the union for members; cost not stated on its pages | Members sign up through the member portal | Equity members | Union stage actors |

## Start With the General Casting Platforms

These four are general casting platforms: casting posts roles there, and you build a profile to submit. Each has a free tier and a paid plan.

### Actors Access

[Actors Access](https://actorsaccess.com/register/benefits.cfm) is the actor side of Breakdown Services, the company that sends casting notices, called breakdowns, to agents and managers. The free Starter profile lets you view every breakdown released to Actors Access and submit your name and résumé to it, with 2 free photos and 1 free SlateShot. Extra photos, SlateShots, and performance clips cost extra.

Actors Access Plus is $68 a year or $9.99 a month at the time of writing, according to its [help center](https://actorsaccess.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/17000122056-actors-all-about-actors-access-plus). It lets you submit with your full profile, photos and clips included, and SAG-AFTRA members with a current membership on their profile get 20% off the annual plan. It does not discount photo or media uploads, and you need it to submit from the phone app.

One thing to know: the casting director decides where each project goes. Breakdown Services' [FAQ](https://breakdownservices.com/index.cfm/main/faq) says a breakdown can go to agents and managers, to actors on Actors Access, or both. The free account also covers Eco Cast, the Breakdown Services system casting uses to request self-tapes.

**Who submits:** you, your agent, or both, depending on where casting releases the role. **Best for:** any US actor starting out: the free profile costs nothing. Make it first, even if you never pay.

### Backstage

[Backstage](https://help.backstage.com/en/articles/12633157-backstage-subscriptions-benefits) lets anyone view and search its casting calls for free. Applying to a job and messaging a hiring team need a paid subscription, which also puts your profile in the Talent Database, where employers can find and message you. You can filter calls by city, production type, pay, and union status, and save searches with alerts. The help pages we checked do not list which kinds of work it carries, so browse your city before you pay.

Subscriptions are monthly, six-month, or annual and renew automatically. Monthly plans are not refundable; under its [terms](https://www.backstage.com/terms-of-service/), longer plans can be refunded if you cancel within 30 days of renewal. Official pages showed different prices on the day we checked, so check the current price on the site before you subscribe. The same company also runs Mandy and StarNow.

**Who submits:** you apply yourself, and subscribers can also be found and messaged by employers. **Best for:** actors who want to search and filter listings free before paying.

### Casting Networks

[Casting Networks](https://support.castingnetworks.com/en/articles/11229249) has a free membership with 2 photos, 1 video, and 1 audio upload. Free members can view projects on its Casting Billboard but cannot self-submit; an agent or manager can still submit you. Premium is $29.99 a month or $299.90 a year at the time of writing, with unlimited media, unlimited self-submissions, and a Role Tracker that shows where each submission stands.

New accounts start on a free Premium trial, and you add billing details at sign-up; cancel during the trial and you drop to the free membership. Casting can also post [Open Calls](https://support.castingnetworks.com/en/articles/11229121), a public link anyone can submit to for free, account or not. The help pages we checked do not list which kinds of work it carries.

**Who submits:** you on Premium (or anyone on an Open Call), or your representatives on any plan. **Best for:** actors whose local casting offices post there, and represented actors whose agents submit through it.

### Casting Frontier

[Casting Frontier](https://castingfrontier.com/) describes its listings as commercials, digital content, film, print, and TV. Its [free Basic membership](https://support.castingfrontier.com/hc/en-us/articles/23431235057549-TALENT-What-are-the-different-Casting-Frontier-membership-levels) gives you 1 headshot and a résumé, lets you self-submit to non-paying jobs on its Direct Submit board, and lets your representatives submit you. Paid Premium lets you self-submit to any role on its Direct Submit board, and Premium Plus adds unlimited headshots and clips. Its pages showed different prices, so check the current price on its site.

**Who submits:** you, and your representatives. **Best for:** actors after commercial, digital, film, print, or TV work who want another free profile.

## Add a Theater Board if You Work on Stage

These two are for stage work. Add one if theater is what you are going after.

### Playbill jobs board

[Playbill's jobs board](https://playbill.com/jobs) lists theater jobs, from acting to design and technical work. Performer listings include auditions, open calls, and video submissions, and each one says how to apply. Its jobs pages do not state whether applying costs anything. A free jobs newsletter sends new listings on Tuesdays and Fridays.

**Who submits:** whoever each listing asks for. **Best for:** stage actors looking for theater listings and open calls.

### Actors' Equity Casting Call

If you are an Equity member, the union's own [Casting Call](https://actorsequity.org/resources/producers/casting-call-how-to) is where producers post Equity Principal Auditions (EPAs) and chorus calls for members. You sign up for EPA appointments through the member portal. The pages we checked do not state a cost. If you aren't a member yet, our guide on [how to join Actors' Equity](https://www.offbook.com/blog/how-to-join-actors-equity) covers the paths in and what they cost.

**Who submits:** Equity members. **Best for:** union stage actors. Check it before any paid site.

## Know Which Listings Are Open to You

Union status changes which listings count. SAG-AFTRA's [Global Rule One](https://www.sagaftra.org/contracts-industry-resources/global-rule-one) says members may not work for a producer who has not signed a union agreement where the union has a national contract. Once you join, non-union listings for work SAG-AFTRA covers are off limits, and penalties range up to fines and expulsion.

Pay also decides where a role is sent. Breakdown Services' [posting rules](https://actorsaccess.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/17000056203-casting-how-to-post-a-breakdown) say roles sent to agents through Breakdown Express must pay at least $125 a day, while lower-paying roles can go to Actors Access. Non-union projects with deferred pay are listed as no pay and go only to Actors Access.

So read every listing's pay line. Unpaid and low-paid work can be worth doing for footage and credits, but know which one you are choosing. If you are still deciding whether to look for representation, our guide on [how to get an agent with no experience](https://www.offbook.com/blog/how-to-get-acting-agent-no-experience) covers what agents see that you do not.

## Never Pay to Get a Job

A real casting site may charge for submitting or for extra media. A scam charges you for the job. The Federal Trade Commission's [alert on virtual casting call scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/12/lights-camera-scam-spot-virtual-casting-call-scams) describes texts from a "talent scout" about a virtual open call for a well-known production that turn into a pitch for photo shoots or acting classes. Its rule is blunt: "Paying to get a job is always a sign of a scam."

SAG-AFTRA's [member alert on fraudulent casting outreach](https://www.sagaftra.org/member-alert-beware-fraudulent-casting-outreach) lists these warning signs:

- Someone asks you to send money for the job, or to contribute to travel or upfront costs.
- Someone offers to pay a union joining fee on your behalf; the union says it never asks a third party to do that.
- A message claims to come from SAG-AFTRA but does not come from a sagaftra.org address.

If a listing looks off, ask the platform's support before you reply. SAG-AFTRA's alert asks members to check suspicious outreach with the union, and the FTC asks you to report scam texts at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Then move on to the next listing.

## Pay Only When the Free Tier Proves Itself

The mistake is paying for access before you know a site carries your work. A better plan is to make every site earn its fee. Here is a simple way to do that over about three months.

1. **Build the free profile properly.** Make a free profile on Actors Access and start browsing Backstage's free listings. Use a current headshot and an honest résumé. Our free [acting resume builder](https://www.offbook.com/tools/acting-resume-builder) makes a clean one-page PDF, and our [headshots guide](https://www.offbook.com/blog/acting-headshots-guide) covers the photo.
2. **Count the roles you could play.** For a few weeks, browse daily and note every role that fits your age range, type, union status, and city. A free [audition tracker](https://www.offbook.com/tools/audition-tracker) keeps the list in one place.
3. **Use every free route.** Send name-and-résumé submissions on Actors Access, submit to Casting Networks Open Calls, and self-submit to non-paying jobs on Casting Frontier's Direct Submit board.
4. **Pay for the one site that keeps showing your roles.** A subscription is worth testing once it keeps showing roles you fit every week. Pay monthly first, then switch to annual once it has brought you auditions.
5. **Review after three months.** Look at submissions, auditions, and callbacks per site, and if the paid site brought you nothing, cancel it and try the next one. Our guide on [how to track your auditions](https://www.offbook.com/blog/how-to-track-auditions) shows what to log.

Have something ready for the first self-tape request, too. A monologue you know cold covers the open calls that ask for one, and our [classical monologue collection](https://www.offbook.com/monologues) lists each speech with its run time, shortest first. The rest of our [free tools for actors](https://www.offbook.com/tools) help with timing and cue scripts.

## Questions Actors Ask

### Is Actors Access worth it?

The free profile is worth it for any US actor starting out, because it costs nothing: you can see every breakdown released to actors and submit your name and résumé. Plus ($9.99 a month or $68 a year at the time of writing) is worth testing once it keeps showing roles you fit every week, because it sends your photos and clips with each submission. Start monthly; Plus purchases are nonrefundable.

### Is Backstage worth paying for?

Browse it free for a few weeks first. A monthly subscription is worth testing once it keeps showing roles you fit every week. If most fitting roles are elsewhere, put the money into the site that has them.

### Can I submit to roles without paying anything?

Yes, in limited ways. Actors Access lets free members submit their name and résumé, Casting Networks Open Calls are free to anyone, and Casting Frontier's free tier allows self-submission to non-paying jobs on its Direct Submit board.

### Do I need an agent to use casting sites?

No. Actors Access, Casting Networks, and Casting Frontier all let you build your own free profile, and Backstage's profile comes with a subscription. An agent adds access you cannot get alone, because some breakdowns go only to agents and managers, and on Casting Networks an agent can submit you even on a free membership.

## Verdict

Go back to the four questions. For most US actors starting out, the answer is a free Actors Access profile first, because casting releases breakdowns to actors there and you can submit your name and résumé for free. Add free browsing on Backstage, free profiles on Casting Networks or Casting Frontier if casting near you posts there, and Playbill or Equity's Casting Call for theater. Pay for one site only once it keeps showing roles you fit every week, and pay monthly until it brings you auditions.

Then comes the part no casting site does for you: the sides arrive and often with little time to learn them. Offbook is built for exactly that. Upload the sides, pick your role, and realistic voices read every other character; it listens while you say your lines and plays the next cue when you finish. Hide your lines or switch to first-letter cues as they go in, so you walk in, or press record, off book.

*Offbook is made by the team behind this blog. Prices as of October 2026.*