Is Castro or Starz better?

Neither clearly leads. Castro starts at Free and Starz at $6.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Castro or Starz?

Castro has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Castro and $6.99/month for Starz.

Does Castro or Starz run on more platforms?

Castro runs on iOS, Apple Watch, iPad. Starz runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.

Can I use Castro for free?

Yes. Castro has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Starz starts at $6.99/month.

What is Castro best used for?

Castro is most often used for podcast management, listening. Of those, podcast management and listening are not what Starz is typically brought in for.

What can Castro do that Starz cannot?

Castro covers Podcast app, Inbox system, Triage view, Playback. Starz covers Streaming, Original series, Movies, Exclusive content. Both handle Account security, Ios support, Web support.

Software · head to head

Castro vs Starz

Castro

Software

Podcast app with episode inbox

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Starz

Software

Premium originals and hit series

From: $6.99/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Castro has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Castro iOS/Apple-only, no Android support; Starz advertised introductory rate of 4 USD per month applies only for the first 3 months as a limited time offer
They diverge on capability: Castro covers Podcast app, Starz covers Streaming.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Castro and Starz actually diverge.

Attributes where Castro and Starz differ
Attribute	Castro	Starz
Starting price	Free	$6.99/month
Pricing model	Unknown	subscription
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	iOS, Apple Watch, iPad	Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv
Founded	2013	1994

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 Castro

Podcast app
Inbox system
Triage view
Playback
Discovery
Podcast services
Apple services
Privacy controls

Only in Starz

Streaming
Original series
Movies
Exclusive content
Downloads
Smart TVs
Streaming devices
Parental controls

Both cover

Account security
Ios support
Web support

What people use each for

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

Castro

Podcast managementnot Starz
Listeningnot Starz

Starz

Drama streamingnot Castro
Original series watchingnot Castro

Where each one falls short

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

Castro

iOS/Apple-only, no Android support
No unified inbox for managing multiple podcast accounts
Recent ownership change (2024) may affect long-term development

Starz

Advertised introductory rate of 4 USD per month applies only for the first 3 months as a limited time offer

Pricing, plan by plan

Castro

Free

FreeFree
- Core podcast management
- Inbox/queue/archive
- CarPlay support
Castro Plus$24.99/year
- Custom per-podcast settings
- Trim Silence
- Enhance Voices

Starz

$6.99/month

Standard$6.99/month
- HD
- Ad-supported
Premium$12.99/month
- 4K
- Ad-free
- Downloads

Which should you pick?

Choose Castro if

You need podcast app.
You want to start without paying.
You work on iOS, Apple Watch, iPad.
You also want inbox system.

Castro review

Choose Starz if

You need streaming.
You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
You also want original series.

Starz review

Questions people ask

Is Castro or Starz better?: Neither clearly leads. Castro starts at Free and Starz at $6.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Castro or Starz?: Castro has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Castro and $6.99/month for Starz.
Does Castro or Starz run on more platforms?: Castro runs on iOS, Apple Watch, iPad. Starz runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
Can I use Castro for free?: Yes. Castro has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Starz starts at $6.99/month.
What is Castro best used for?: Castro is most often used for podcast management, listening. Of those, podcast management and listening are not what Starz is typically brought in for.
What can Castro do that Starz cannot?: Castro covers Podcast app, Inbox system, Triage view, Playback. Starz covers Streaming, Original series, Movies, Exclusive content. Both handle Account security, Ios support, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Castro: How much does Castro cost?

Castro 3 is free to download with optional Castro Plus subscription at $24.99/year (includes one-week free trial).

Source

Castro: What platforms does Castro support?

Castro is available on iPhone with an Apple Watch app and is expanding to iPad (launched August 4, 2025). There is no Android version.

Source

Castro: What are the key features of Castro Plus premium subscription?

Castro Plus adds custom per-podcast settings including Episode Limit, Trim Silence, Enhance Voices, Mono Mix, Skip Intros, and variable playback speed.

Source

Castro: How does Castro organize podcasts?

Castro uses an inbox/queue/archive split system where the inbox contains notifications of new episodes and the queue serves as an active playlist.

Source

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Castro vs Starz

Castro

Starz

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Castro

Only in Starz

Both cover

What people use each for

Castro

Starz

Where each one falls short

Castro

Starz

Pricing, plan by plan

Castro

Starz

Which should you pick?

Choose Castro if

Choose Starz if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Castro

More on Starz

Keep looking

Other head to heads