Software · head to head
Captivate vs Megaphone
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; Megaphone there is no free tier; the entry Professional plan starts at $99 per month
- They diverge on capability: Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, Megaphone covers Enterprise hosting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Captivate and Megaphone 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
- Monetization
- Audience insights
- All podcast platforms
- Social media
Only in Megaphone
- Enterprise hosting
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Targeted advertising
- Advanced analytics
- Network management
- API access
- Spotify
- Advertising networks
Both cover
- 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 Megaphone
- Distribution to the major podcast directoriesnot Megaphone
- Audience analytics by episode and platformnot Megaphone
- Running several podcasts under one subscriptionnot Megaphone
Megaphone
- Enterprise podcast hosting and distribution for publishers and networksnot Captivate
- Dynamic ad insertion and campaign management across a back cataloguenot Captivate
- Podcast measurement and reporting for large teamsnot 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
Megaphone
- There is no free tier; the entry Professional plan starts at $99 per month
- The Enterprise plan is custom priced and requires requesting a quote
- Access to the Megaphone API and the Metrics Export Service is Enterprise only
- Live chat support on the Professional plan is limited to 4am to 9pm Monday to Friday Eastern Time
- Monetisation runs through the Spotify Audience Network rather than an open marketplace
Pricing, plan by plan
Captivate
Free- FreeFree
- 3 hours storage
- Basic hosting
- Limited analytics
- Professional$19/month
- Unlimited hosting
- AI analytics
- Full distribution
Megaphone
On request- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Unlimited hosting
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Advanced analytics
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 Megaphone better?
- Neither clearly leads. Captivate starts at Free and Megaphone at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Captivate or Megaphone?
- Captivate has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Captivate and On request for Megaphone.
- Does Captivate or Megaphone 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. Megaphone 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 Megaphone is typically brought in for.
- What can Captivate do that Megaphone cannot?
- Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, AI analytics, Smart recommendations, Distribution. Megaphone covers Enterprise hosting, Dynamic ad insertion, Targeted advertising, Advanced analytics. Both handle Web support.
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