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Castos vs Simplecast

Castos logo

Castos

Software

Simple podcast hosting for WordPress sites

From
$13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Simplecast logo

Simplecast

Software

Hosting for professional podcast networks

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Castos transcripts are metered by tier, at 10 a month on Essentials and 100 on Pro; Simplecast basic plan at $15 per month includes only 20,000 monthly downloads and 2 team seats
  • They diverge on capability: Castos covers WordPress integration, Simplecast covers Dynamic ad insertion.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Castos and Simplecast actually diverge.

Attributes where Castos and Simplecast differ
AttributeCastosSimplecast
Starting price$13/month$15/month
PlatformsWeb, WordpressWeb
Founded20162014

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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

  • WordPress integration
  • Monetization
  • Email marketing
  • WordPress
  • Email services
  • Content protection
  • WordPress security
  • Wordpress support

Only in Simplecast

  • Dynamic ad insertion
  • Team collaboration
  • API access
  • Advertising networks
  • CMS systems
  • Enterprise security
  • SOC 2 compliant
  • Access controls

Both cover

  • Unlimited hosting
  • Distribution
  • Analytics
  • All podcast platforms
  • 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 Simplecast
  • Private and subscriber-only podcastsnot Simplecast
  • Automatic transcription of episodesnot Simplecast
  • Republishing episodes to YouTubenot Simplecast
  • WordPress-integrated podcast publishingnot Simplecast

Simplecast

  • Hosting podcasts with per-episode analytics and audience metricsnot Castos
  • Distributing shows to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other directoriesnot Castos
  • Monetising podcasts through dynamic ad insertion at the Professional tiernot 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

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

Castos

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

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 Castos if

  • You need wordpress integration.
  • You work on Web, Wordpress.
  • You also want monetization.
Castos review

Choose Simplecast if

  • You need dynamic ad insertion.
  • You also want team collaboration.
Simplecast review

Questions people ask

Is Castos or Simplecast better?
Neither clearly leads. Castos starts at $13/month and Simplecast at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Castos or Simplecast?
Castos starts at $13/month and Simplecast at $15/month.
Does Castos or Simplecast run on more platforms?
Castos runs on Web, Wordpress. Simplecast runs on Web.
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 Simplecast is typically brought in for.
What can Castos do that Simplecast cannot?
Castos covers WordPress integration, Monetization, Email marketing, WordPress. Simplecast covers Dynamic ad insertion, Team collaboration, API access, Advertising networks. Both handle Unlimited hosting, Distribution, Analytics, All podcast platforms.
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