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Castos vs Patreon

Castos logo

Castos

Software

Simple podcast hosting for WordPress sites

From
$13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Patreon logo

Patreon

Software

Membership platform for creators

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Patreon has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Castos transcripts are metered by tier, at 10 a month on Essentials and 100 on Pro; Patreon takes 10% of the income a creator earns on the platform
  • They diverge on capability: Castos covers Unlimited hosting, Patreon covers Membership tiers.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Castos and Patreon actually diverge.

Attributes where Castos and Patreon differ
AttributeCastosPatreon
Starting price$13/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, WordpressWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20162013

Identical on both: 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 Castos

  • Unlimited hosting
  • WordPress integration
  • Distribution
  • Monetization
  • Email marketing
  • WordPress
  • All podcast platforms
  • Email services

Only in Patreon

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

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Content protection
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Castos

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

Patreon

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

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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

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

Castos

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

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 Castos if

  • You need unlimited hosting.
  • You work on Web, Wordpress.
  • You also want wordpress integration.
Castos 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 Castos or Patreon better?
Neither clearly leads. Castos starts at $13/month and Patreon at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Castos or Patreon?
Patreon has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $13/month for Castos and Free for Patreon.
Does Castos or Patreon run on more platforms?
Castos runs on Web, Wordpress. Patreon runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Patreon for free?
Yes. Patreon has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Castos starts at $13/month.
What is Castos best used for?
Castos is most often used for podcast hosting with unlimited episodes and downloads, private and subscriber-only podcasts, automatic transcription of episodes, republishing episodes to youtube. Of those, podcast hosting with unlimited episodes and downloads and private and subscriber-only podcasts are not what Patreon is typically brought in for.
What can Castos do that Patreon cannot?
Castos covers Unlimited hosting, WordPress integration, Distribution, Monetization. Patreon covers Membership tiers, Exclusive content, Private podcast feeds, Community features. Both handle Analytics, Content protection, Web support.
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