Is Anchor or Castos better?

Neither clearly leads. Anchor starts at Free and Castos at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Anchor or Castos?

Anchor starts at Free and Castos at Free.

Does Anchor or Castos run on more platforms?

Anchor runs on Web, Ios, Android. Castos runs on Web, Wordpress.

Can I use Anchor for free?

Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

What is Anchor best used for?

Anchor is most often used for free podcast hosting and distribution, recording and basic editing from a phone, distributing an episode to spotify and other directories, audience analytics for a show. Of those, free podcast hosting and distribution and recording and basic editing from a phone are not what Castos is typically brought in for.

What can Anchor do that Castos cannot?

Anchor covers Unlimited podcast hosting, One-click distribution, Built-in recording, Episode scheduling. Castos covers Unlimited hosting, WordPress integration, Distribution, Monetization. Both handle Analytics, Content protection, Web support.

Video Production · head to head

Anchor vs Castos

Anchor

Video Production

Free podcast hosting and creation platform by Spotify

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Castos

Podcasting

Simple podcast hosting for WordPress sites

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Anchor no longer a standalone product. Spotify folded Anchor into its own podcaster tooling, and anchor.fm now redirects to creators.spotify.com; Castos transcripts are metered by tier, at 10 a month on Essentials and 100 on Pro
They diverge on capability: Anchor covers Unlimited podcast hosting, Castos covers Unlimited hosting.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Anchor and Castos actually diverge.

Attributes where Anchor and Castos differ
Attribute	Anchor	Castos
Pricing model	free	subscription
Platforms	Web, Ios, Android	Web, Wordpress
Category	Video Production	Podcasting
Founded	2015	2016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Anchor

Unlimited podcast hosting
One-click distribution
Built-in recording
Episode scheduling
Monetization tools
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts

Only in Castos

Unlimited hosting
WordPress integration
Distribution
Monetization
Email marketing
WordPress
All podcast platforms
Email services

Both cover

Analytics
Content protection
Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Anchor

Free podcast hosting and distributionnot Castos
Recording and basic editing from a phonenot Castos
Distributing an episode to Spotify and other directoriesnot Castos
Audience analytics for a shownot Castos

Castos

Podcast hosting with unlimited episodes and downloadsnot Anchor
Private and subscriber-only podcastsnot Anchor
Automatic transcription of episodesnot Anchor
Republishing episodes to YouTubenot Anchor
WordPress-integrated podcast publishingnot Anchor

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Anchor

No longer a standalone product. Spotify folded Anchor into its own podcaster tooling, and anchor.fm now redirects to creators.spotify.com
Tying hosting to Spotify's platform means the analytics and monetisation follow Spotify's terms rather than a neutral host's

Castos

Transcripts are metered by tier, at 10 a month on Essentials and 100 on Pro
Private podcast subscribers are capped, at 100 on Essentials and 500 on Pro
Video hosting and the uptime SLA require the Pro tier at $99 a month
SSO and a dedicated account manager are Premium only, from $499 a month
Team seats are limited by tier, at 5 on Growth and 10 on Pro

Pricing, plan by plan

Anchor

Free

FreeFree
- Unlimited hosting
- Automatic distribution
- Built-in recording tools

Castos

Free

Essentials$19/month
- unlimited podcasts/episodes
- 10 transcripts/month
Growth$49/month
- advanced analytics
- 25 transcripts/month
Pro$99/month
- video hosting
- 100 transcripts/month
Premium$499/month
- unlimited transcripts
- dedicated account management

Which should you pick?

Choose Anchor if

You need unlimited podcast hosting.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, Ios, Android.
You also want one-click distribution.

Anchor review

Choose Castos if

You need unlimited hosting.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, Wordpress.
You also want wordpress integration.

Castos review

Questions people ask

Is Anchor or Castos better?: Neither clearly leads. Anchor starts at Free and Castos at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Anchor or Castos?: Anchor starts at Free and Castos at Free.
Does Anchor or Castos run on more platforms?: Anchor runs on Web, Ios, Android. Castos runs on Web, Wordpress.
Can I use Anchor for free?: Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Anchor best used for?: Anchor is most often used for free podcast hosting and distribution, recording and basic editing from a phone, distributing an episode to spotify and other directories, audience analytics for a show. Of those, free podcast hosting and distribution and recording and basic editing from a phone are not what Castos is typically brought in for.
What can Anchor do that Castos cannot?: Anchor covers Unlimited podcast hosting, One-click distribution, Built-in recording, Episode scheduling. Castos covers Unlimited hosting, WordPress integration, Distribution, Monetization. Both handle Analytics, Content protection, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Anchor: Does Spotify for Creators charge a fee for podcasters?

No pricing information is published on the main Spotify for Creators page. The site focuses on features like growth tools, monetization, and customization.

Source

Castos: How much does Castos cost?

Castos plans range from USD 19/month for Essentials to USD 499+/month for Premium, with annual billing offering 2 months free discount.

Source

Anchor: How do I find pricing for Spotify for Creators?

Pricing details would need to be found in the sign-up flow, help center, or by contacting Spotify support directly.

Source

Castos: Is there a free trial for Castos?

Yes, Castos offers a 14-day free trial on the Essentials plan with no credit card required to get started.

Source

Anchor: What monetization features does Spotify for Creators include?

The site mentions monetization as a feature but does not specify details, rates, or minimum thresholds for creators to earn revenue.

Source

Castos: How many transcripts are included per plan?

Essentials includes 10 transcripts/month, Growth includes 25, Pro includes 100, and Premium includes unlimited transcripts.

Source

Castos: What are Castos add-ons and how much do they cost?

Add-ons include AI Assistant at USD 10/month and extra private subscribers at USD 50/month per 500 additional subscribers.

Source

Anchor vs Castos

Anchor

Castos

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Anchor

Only in Castos

Both cover

What people use each for

Anchor

Castos

Where each one falls short

Anchor

Castos

Pricing, plan by plan

Anchor

Castos

Which should you pick?

Choose Anchor if

Choose Castos if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Anchor

More on Castos

Keep looking

Other head to heads