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Podcast & Audio Publishing · head to head

Captivate vs Podtrac

Captivate logo

Captivate

Podcast & Audio Publishing

Smart podcast hosting with AI insights

From
Free
Rated
-
Podtrac logo

Podtrac

Podcast & Audio Publishing

Industry-standard podcast measurement and analytics

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; Podtrac the Publisher Plans & Pricing page names four tiers, Getting Started, Grow Your Show, Grow Your Show Plus and Enterprise, but publishes no figure for any paid tier and offers no contact sales button, only a registration link
  • They diverge on capability: Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, Podtrac covers IAB-certified measurement.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Captivate and Podtrac actually diverge.

Attributes where Captivate and Podtrac differ
AttributeCaptivatePodtrac
Founded20162005

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), 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
  • Social media

Only in Podtrac

  • IAB-certified measurement
  • Download analytics
  • Industry rankings
  • Audience demographics
  • Trend analysis
  • Custom reporting
  • All podcast hosts
  • Advertising platforms

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 Podtrac
  • Distribution to the major podcast directoriesnot Podtrac
  • Audience analytics by episode and platformnot Podtrac
  • Running several podcasts under one subscriptionnot Podtrac

Podtrac

  • Podcast measurementnot Captivate
  • Industry rankingsnot Captivate
  • Advertiser reportingnot Captivate
  • Audience analysisnot 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

Podtrac

  • The Publisher Plans & Pricing page names four tiers, Getting Started, Grow Your Show, Grow Your Show Plus and Enterprise, but publishes no figure for any paid tier and offers no contact sales button, only a registration link

Pricing, plan by plan

Captivate

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

Podtrac

Free
  • PublisherFree
    • Podcast measurement
    • Download analytics
    • Industry rankings
  • Premium$undefined/month
    • Advanced demographics
    • Custom reporting
    • API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Captivate if

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

Choose Podtrac if

  • You need iab-certified measurement.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want download analytics.

Questions people ask

Is Captivate or Podtrac better?
Neither clearly leads. Captivate starts at Free and Podtrac at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Captivate or Podtrac?
Captivate starts at Free and Podtrac at Free.
Does Captivate or Podtrac run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Podtrac is typically brought in for.
What can Captivate do that Podtrac cannot?
Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, AI analytics, Smart recommendations, Distribution. Podtrac covers IAB-certified measurement, Download analytics, Industry rankings, Audience demographics. Both handle Web support.

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