Software · head to head
Captivate vs Acast
The short version
- Only Captivate has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Captivate tiers are download ceilings and nothing else: 30,000 a month on Personal, 150,000 on Professional and 300,000 on Business; Acast the free Starter tier is limited to 1 show and 5 episodes; unlimited episodes require making the show available in Acast's advertising marketplace
- They diverge on capability: Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, Acast covers Enterprise hosting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Captivate and Acast actually diverge.
Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Captivate
- Unlimited hosting
- AI analytics
- Smart recommendations
- Distribution
- Audience insights
- Social media
- Email services
- Content protection
Only in Acast
- Enterprise hosting
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Sponsorship platform
- Analytics
- API access
- Advertising networks
- CMS systems
- Enterprise security
Both cover
- Monetization
- All podcast platforms
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Captivate
- Podcast hosting with unlimited shows on any tiernot Acast
- Distribution to the major podcast directoriesnot Acast
- Audience analytics by episode and platformnot Acast
- Running several podcasts under one subscriptionnot Acast
Acast
- Hosting and distributing a podcast to all major listening appsnot Captivate
- Monetising episodes through the Acast advertising marketplace and sponsorshipsnot Captivate
- Publishing video podcast episodes alongside audionot Captivate
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Captivate
- Tiers are download ceilings and nothing else: 30,000 a month on Personal, 150,000 on Professional and 300,000 on Business
- A show that exceeds its allowance for two consecutive months is expected to move up a tier
- Above 300,000 downloads a month the plan is quote-only
- Prices are quoted in euros at the yearly rate
Acast
- The free Starter tier is limited to 1 show and 5 episodes; unlimited episodes require making the show available in Acast's advertising marketplace
- Multiple shows require the paid Influencer plan at $14.99 per month billed annually or $25 per month billed monthly
- Team management, prioritised support and the Publishing API require the Pro plan at $29.99 per month billed annually or $40 per month monthly
- Publishing video episodes to Apple Podcasts requires the Video plan at $39.99 per month billed annually or $50 per month monthly
- The Video plan includes only 10,000 monthly video views
- A payment card is required to sign up even for the free tier
- The Creator Network tier is quote only with no published price
Pricing, plan by plan
Captivate
Free- FreeFree
- 3 hours storage
- Basic hosting
- Limited analytics
- Professional$19/month
- Unlimited hosting
- AI analytics
- Full distribution
Acast
On request- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Unlimited hosting
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Sponsorship marketplace
Which should you pick?
Choose Captivate if
- You need unlimited hosting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want ai analytics.
Questions people ask
- Is Captivate or Acast better?
- Neither clearly leads. Captivate starts at Free and Acast at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Captivate or Acast?
- Captivate has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Captivate and On request for Acast.
- Does Captivate or Acast run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Captivate for free?
- Yes. Captivate has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Acast starts at On request.
- What is Captivate best used for?
- Captivate is most often used for podcast hosting with unlimited shows on any tier, distribution to the major podcast directories, audience analytics by episode and platform, running several podcasts under one subscription. Of those, podcast hosting with unlimited shows on any tier and distribution to the major podcast directories are not what Acast is typically brought in for.
- What can Captivate do that Acast cannot?
- Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, AI analytics, Smart recommendations, Distribution. Acast covers Enterprise hosting, Dynamic ad insertion, Sponsorship platform, Analytics. Both handle Monetization, All podcast platforms, Web support.