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Software · head to head

Captivate vs Patreon

Captivate logo

Captivate

Software

Smart podcast hosting with AI insights

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Patreon logo

Patreon

Software

Membership platform for creators

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Patreon takes 10% of the income a creator earns on the platform
  • They diverge on capability: Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, Patreon covers Membership tiers.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Captivate and Patreon actually diverge.

Attributes where Captivate and Patreon differ
AttributeCaptivatePatreon
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20162013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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
  • Email services

Only in Patreon

  • Membership tiers
  • Exclusive content
  • Private podcast feeds
  • Community features
  • Analytics
  • Payment processing
  • Discord
  • Podcast apps

Both cover

  • Social media
  • Content protection
  • 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 Patreon
  • Distribution to the major podcast directoriesnot Patreon
  • Audience analytics by episode and platformnot Patreon
  • Running several podcasts under one subscriptionnot Patreon

Patreon

  • Running a paid membership for fans of a creator or podcastnot Captivate
  • Selling recurring access to exclusive content and communitynot 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

Patreon

  • Takes 10% of the income a creator earns on the platform
  • Payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees are charged on top of that 10% and are not quantified on the pricing page
  • The total deduction is therefore not calculable from the pricing page alone, and requires reading a separate support article

Pricing, plan by plan

Captivate

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

Patreon

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Free membership page
    • Basic features
    • Community tools
  • ProFree
    • All free features
    • Analytics dashboard
    • Priority support
  • PremiumFree
    • All Pro features
    • Dedicated partner manager
    • Custom onboarding

Which should you pick?

Choose Captivate if

  • You need unlimited hosting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want ai analytics.
Captivate review

Choose Patreon if

  • You need membership tiers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want exclusive content.
Patreon review

Questions people ask

Is Captivate or Patreon better?
Neither clearly leads. Captivate starts at Free and Patreon at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Captivate or Patreon?
Captivate starts at Free and Patreon at Free.
Does Captivate or Patreon run on more platforms?
Captivate runs on Web. Patreon runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Patreon is typically brought in for.
What can Captivate do that Patreon cannot?
Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, AI analytics, Smart recommendations, Distribution. Patreon covers Membership tiers, Exclusive content, Private podcast feeds, Community features. Both handle Social media, Content protection, Privacy controls, Web support.
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