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Podcast & Audio Publishing · head to head

Castos vs Zencastr

Castos logo

Castos

Podcast & Audio Publishing

Simple podcast hosting for WordPress sites

From
$13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zencastr logo

Zencastr

Podcast & Audio Publishing

Free podcast recording in your browser

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zencastr 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; Zencastr the pricing page lists no dollar amount for any tier; the paid Enterprise tier is marked Custom and requires contacting sales
  • They diverge on capability: Castos covers Unlimited hosting, Zencastr covers Browser-based recording.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Castos and Zencastr actually diverge.

Attributes where Castos and Zencastr differ
AttributeCastosZencastr
Starting price$13/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, WordpressWeb
Founded20162015

Identical on both: 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 Castos

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

Only in Zencastr

  • Browser-based recording
  • Separate tracks
  • Automatic postproduction
  • Video recording
  • Lossless audio
  • Cloud storage
  • Dropbox
  • Google Drive

Both cover

  • 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 Zencastr
  • Private and subscriber-only podcastsnot Zencastr
  • Automatic transcription of episodesnot Zencastr
  • Republishing episodes to YouTubenot Zencastr
  • WordPress-integrated podcast publishingnot Zencastr

Zencastr

  • Recording remote podcast interviews with separate local tracks per guestnot Castos
  • Recording video podcasts in the browser without guest software installsnot Castos
  • Publishing recorded episodes and clips from one workspacenot 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

Zencastr

  • The pricing page lists no dollar amount for any tier; the paid Enterprise tier is marked Custom and requires contacting sales
  • The free tier caps a session at 6 participants
  • The free tier caps video streaming quality at 1080p
  • The free tier is limited to 5 podcast shows and 4 seats

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

Zencastr

Free
  • HobbyistFree
    • 8 hours/month audio
    • MP3 quality
    • Up to 2 guests
  • Professional$20/month
    • Unlimited recording
    • WAV lossless quality
    • Video recording

Which should you pick?

Choose Castos if

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

Choose Zencastr if

  • You need browser-based recording.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want separate tracks.
Zencastr review

Questions people ask

Is Castos or Zencastr better?
Neither clearly leads. Castos starts at $13/month and Zencastr at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Castos or Zencastr?
Zencastr has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $13/month for Castos and Free for Zencastr.
Does Castos or Zencastr run on more platforms?
Castos runs on Web, Wordpress. Zencastr runs on Web.
Can I use Zencastr for free?
Yes. Zencastr 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 Zencastr is typically brought in for.
What can Castos do that Zencastr cannot?
Castos covers Unlimited hosting, WordPress integration, Distribution, Analytics. Zencastr covers Browser-based recording, Separate tracks, Automatic postproduction, Video recording. Both handle Web support.
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