Software · head to head
Chartable vs Captivate
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Chartable shut down on 12 December 2024. Spotify, which acquired Chartable in February 2022, announced the closure on 27 September 2024 and folded parts of it into Spotify for Podcasters; Captivate tiers are download ceilings and nothing else: 30,000 a month on Personal, 150,000 on Professional and 300,000 on Business
- They diverge on capability: Chartable covers Download analytics, Captivate covers Unlimited hosting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Chartable and Captivate actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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 Chartable
- Download analytics
- Chart rankings
- SmartLinks tracking
- Attribution
- SmartPromos
- Cross-promotion analytics
- Advertising networks
- Marketing tools
Only in Captivate
- Unlimited hosting
- AI analytics
- Smart recommendations
- Distribution
- Monetization
- Audience insights
- Social media
- Email services
Both cover
- All podcast platforms
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Chartable
- Podcast analyticsnot Captivate
- Marketing attributionnot Captivate
- Chart trackingnot Captivate
- Growth measurementnot Captivate
Captivate
- Podcast hosting with unlimited shows on any tiernot Chartable
- Distribution to the major podcast directoriesnot Chartable
- Audience analytics by episode and platformnot Chartable
- Running several podcasts under one subscriptionnot Chartable
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Chartable
- Shut down on 12 December 2024. Spotify, which acquired Chartable in February 2022, announced the closure on 27 September 2024 and folded parts of it into Spotify for Podcasters
- The tracking prefixes no longer function, and shows still carrying one need it removed
- chartable.com now redirects to Spotify's Megaphone site
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Chartable
Free- FreeFree
- Chart tracking
- Basic analytics
- 1 podcast
- Indie$20/month
- Advanced analytics
- SmartLinks
- Attribution
- Team$100/month
- Multiple podcasts
- SmartPromos
- Team access
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Unlimited podcasts
- Custom integrations
- API access
Captivate
Free- FreeFree
- 3 hours storage
- Basic hosting
- Limited analytics
- Professional$19/month
- Unlimited hosting
- AI analytics
- Full distribution
Which should you pick?
Choose Chartable if
- You need download analytics.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want chart rankings.
Choose Captivate if
- You need unlimited hosting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want ai analytics.
Questions people ask
- Is Chartable or Captivate better?
- Neither clearly leads. Chartable starts at Free and Captivate at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Chartable or Captivate?
- Chartable starts at Free and Captivate at Free.
- Does Chartable or Captivate run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Chartable for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Chartable best used for?
- Chartable is most often used for podcast analytics, marketing attribution, chart tracking, growth measurement. Of those, podcast analytics and marketing attribution are not what Captivate is typically brought in for.
- What can Chartable do that Captivate cannot?
- Chartable covers Download analytics, Chart rankings, SmartLinks tracking, Attribution. Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, AI analytics, Smart recommendations, Distribution. Both handle All podcast platforms, Web support.