Podcast & Audio Publishing · head to head
Captivate vs Buzzsprout
Captivate
Podcast & Audio Publishing
Smart podcast hosting with AI insights
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Buzzsprout
Podcast & Audio Publishing
Simple and powerful podcast hosting made easy
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- 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; Buzzsprout upload hours do not carry over monthly; unused allocation lost
- They diverge on capability: Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, Buzzsprout covers Audio optimization.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Captivate and Buzzsprout actually diverge.
| Attribute | Captivate | Buzzsprout |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web | Web, Mobile |
| Founded | 2016 | 2009 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Podcast & Audio Publishing).
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
- Monetization
- Audience insights
- All podcast platforms
- Email services
Only in Buzzsprout
- Audio optimization
- Automatic distribution
- Episode transcription
- Custom podcast website
- Analytics dashboard
- Magic Mastering
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
Both cover
- Social media
- Privacy controls
- 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 Buzzsprout
- Distribution to the major podcast directoriesnot Buzzsprout
- Audience analytics by episode and platformnot Buzzsprout
- Running several podcasts under one subscriptionnot Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout
- Podcast hostingnot Captivate
- Audio and video podcast distributionnot Captivate
- Transcription and show notes generationnot Captivate
- Podcast analytics and monetisationnot 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
Buzzsprout
- Upload hours do not carry over monthly; unused allocation lost
- Overage charges apply at plan rate for additional uploads
Pricing, plan by plan
Captivate
Free- FreeFree
- 3 hours storage
- Basic hosting
- Limited analytics
- Professional$19/month
- Unlimited hosting
- AI analytics
- Full distribution
Buzzsprout
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Buzzsprout review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Captivate if
- You need unlimited hosting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want ai analytics.
Choose Buzzsprout if
- You need audio optimization.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want automatic distribution.
Questions people ask
- Is Captivate or Buzzsprout better?
- Neither clearly leads. Captivate starts at Free and Buzzsprout at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Captivate or Buzzsprout?
- Captivate starts at Free and Buzzsprout at Free.
- Does Captivate or Buzzsprout run on more platforms?
- Captivate runs on Web. Buzzsprout runs on Web, Mobile.
- Can I use Captivate for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Buzzsprout is typically brought in for.
- What can Captivate do that Buzzsprout cannot?
- Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, AI analytics, Smart recommendations, Distribution. Buzzsprout covers Audio optimization, Automatic distribution, Episode transcription, Custom podcast website. Both handle Social media, Privacy controls, Web support.