Software · head to head
Captivate vs Simplecast
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; Simplecast basic plan at $15 per month includes only 20,000 monthly downloads and 2 team seats
- They diverge on capability: Captivate covers AI analytics, Simplecast covers Analytics.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Captivate and Simplecast actually diverge.
| Attribute | Captivate | Simplecast |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $15/month |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2016 | 2014 |
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
- AI analytics
- Smart recommendations
- Monetization
- Audience insights
- Social media
- Email services
- Content protection
- Privacy controls
Only in Simplecast
- Analytics
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Team collaboration
- API access
- Advertising networks
- CMS systems
- Enterprise security
- SOC 2 compliant
Both cover
- Unlimited hosting
- Distribution
- All podcast platforms
- 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 Simplecast
- Distribution to the major podcast directoriesnot Simplecast
- Audience analytics by episode and platformnot Simplecast
- Running several podcasts under one subscriptionnot Simplecast
Simplecast
- Hosting podcasts with per-episode analytics and audience metricsnot Captivate
- Distributing shows to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other directoriesnot Captivate
- Monetising podcasts through dynamic ad insertion at the Professional tiernot 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
Simplecast
- Basic plan at $15 per month includes only 20,000 monthly downloads and 2 team seats
- Essential plan at $35 per month includes 50,000 monthly downloads and 4 team seats
- Dynamic ad insertion and campaign management are only on the Professional plan, which is quoted by sales with no published rate
- API access for publishing and campaign management is Enterprise only
- Annual prepayment is required to get the 10 percent discount
Pricing, plan by plan
Captivate
Free- FreeFree
- 3 hours storage
- Basic hosting
- Limited analytics
- Professional$19/month
- Unlimited hosting
- AI analytics
- Full distribution
Simplecast
$15/month- Creator$15/month
- Unlimited hosting
- Analytics
- Distribution
- Studio$49/month
- All Creator features
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Team access
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Custom features
- API access
- Dedicated manager
Which should you pick?
Choose Captivate if
- You need ai analytics.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want smart recommendations.
Questions people ask
- Is Captivate or Simplecast better?
- Neither clearly leads. Captivate starts at Free and Simplecast at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Captivate or Simplecast?
- Captivate has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Captivate and $15/month for Simplecast.
- Does Captivate or Simplecast 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. Simplecast starts at $15/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 Simplecast is typically brought in for.
- What can Captivate do that Simplecast cannot?
- Captivate covers AI analytics, Smart recommendations, Monetization, Audience insights. Simplecast covers Analytics, Dynamic ad insertion, Team collaboration, API access. Both handle Unlimited hosting, Distribution, All podcast platforms, Web support.
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