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Podcast & Audio Publishing · head to head

Captivate vs Castos

Captivate logo

Captivate

Podcast & Audio Publishing

Smart podcast hosting with AI insights

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Castos logo

Castos

Podcast & Audio Publishing

Simple podcast hosting for WordPress sites

From
$13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Castos transcripts are metered by tier, at 10 a month on Essentials and 100 on Pro
  • They diverge on capability: Captivate covers AI analytics, Castos covers WordPress integration.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Captivate and Castos actually diverge.

Attributes where Captivate and Castos differ
AttributeCaptivateCastos
Starting priceFree$13/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Wordpress

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Podcast & Audio Publishing), founded (2016).

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

  • AI analytics
  • Smart recommendations
  • Audience insights
  • Social media
  • Privacy controls

Only in Castos

  • WordPress integration
  • Analytics
  • Email marketing
  • WordPress
  • WordPress security
  • Wordpress support

Both cover

  • Unlimited hosting
  • Distribution
  • Monetization
  • All podcast platforms
  • Email services
  • Content protection
  • 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 Castos
  • Distribution to the major podcast directoriesnot Castos
  • Audience analytics by episode and platformnot Castos
  • Running several podcasts under one subscriptionnot Castos

Castos

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

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

Captivate

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 hours storage
    • Basic hosting
    • Limited analytics
  • Professional$19/month
    • Unlimited hosting
    • AI analytics
    • Full distribution

Castos

$13/month
  • Podcaster$13/month
    • Unlimited hosting
    • Automatic distribution
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$29/month
    • All Podcaster features
    • Advanced analytics
    • Email marketing

Which should you pick?

Choose Captivate if

  • You need ai analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want smart recommendations.
Captivate review

Choose Castos if

  • You need wordpress integration.
  • You work on Web, Wordpress.
  • You also want analytics.
Castos review

Questions people ask

Is Captivate or Castos better?
Neither clearly leads. Captivate starts at Free and Castos at $13/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Captivate or Castos?
Captivate has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Captivate and $13/month for Castos.
Does Captivate or Castos run on more platforms?
Captivate runs on Web. Castos runs on Web, Wordpress.
Can I use Captivate for free?
Yes. Captivate has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Castos starts at $13/month.
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 Castos is typically brought in for.
What can Captivate do that Castos cannot?
Captivate covers AI analytics, Smart recommendations, Audience insights, Social media. Castos covers WordPress integration, Analytics, Email marketing, WordPress. Both handle Unlimited hosting, Distribution, Monetization, All podcast platforms.
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