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CrowdTangle vs Transistor

C

CrowdTangle

News

Social media insights and content monitoring platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Transistor logo

Transistor

Podcasting

Professional podcast hosting for businesses and creators

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Transistor has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CrowdTangle crowdTangle was retired by Meta on 14 August 2024, per Meta's own transparency page (Internet Archive capture, 12 December 2024), with Meta Content Library and Content Library API offered as replacements; Transistor starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
  • They diverge on capability: CrowdTangle covers Social listening, Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CrowdTangle and Transistor actually diverge.

Attributes where CrowdTangle and Transistor differ
AttributeCrowdTangleTransistor
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
CategoryNewsPodcasting
Founded20112018

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 CrowdTangle

  • Social listening
  • Viral content tracking
  • Competitor monitoring
  • Brand mention tracking
  • Trending alerts
  • Custom dashboards
  • Report generation
  • Facebook

Only in Transistor

  • Unlimited podcasts
  • Private podcasting
  • Advanced analytics
  • Custom branding
  • API access
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify
  • Google Podcasts

Both cover

  • Team collaboration
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

CrowdTangle

  • Viral content trackingnot Transistor
  • Social listeningnot Transistor
  • Competitor analysisnot Transistor
  • Trend identificationnot Transistor

Transistor

  • Podcast hosting and distributionnot CrowdTangle
  • Audio content publishingnot CrowdTangle
  • Private subscriber managementnot CrowdTangle

Where each one falls short

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

CrowdTangle

  • CrowdTangle was retired by Meta on 14 August 2024, per Meta's own transparency page (Internet Archive capture, 12 December 2024), with Meta Content Library and Content Library API offered as replacements

Transistor

  • Starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
  • Private podcast subscribers are capped at 50 on Starter and 500 on Professional
  • Dynamic ad insertion and auto-posting to YouTube require the $49 per month Professional plan or higher
  • Removing Transistor branding requires the $99 per month Business plan
  • Enterprise plans above 250,000 monthly downloads start at $199 per month and require contacting the vendor

Pricing, plan by plan

CrowdTangle

On request
  • Custom Plan$undefined/custom
    • Social monitoring
    • Competitor analysis
    • Trending content tracking

Transistor

Free
  • Starter$19/month
    • 20K monthly downloads
    • 50 private subscribers
    • Unlimited podcasts
  • Professional$49/month
    • 100K monthly downloads
    • 500 private subscribers
    • Dynamic ads
  • Business$99/month
    • 250K monthly downloads
    • 3K private subscribers
    • Branded removal
  • Enterprise$199/month
    • Custom limits exceeding 250K downloads or 3K private subscribers

Which should you pick?

Choose CrowdTangle if

  • You need social listening.
  • You also want viral content tracking.
CrowdTangle review

Choose Transistor if

  • You need unlimited podcasts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want private podcasting.
Transistor review

Questions people ask

Is CrowdTangle or Transistor better?
Neither clearly leads. CrowdTangle starts at On request and Transistor at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CrowdTangle or Transistor?
Transistor has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for CrowdTangle and Free for Transistor.
Does CrowdTangle or Transistor run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Transistor for free?
Yes. Transistor has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CrowdTangle starts at On request.
What is CrowdTangle best used for?
CrowdTangle is most often used for viral content tracking, social listening, competitor analysis, trend identification. Of those, viral content tracking and social listening are not what Transistor is typically brought in for.
What can CrowdTangle do that Transistor cannot?
CrowdTangle covers Social listening, Viral content tracking, Competitor monitoring, Brand mention tracking. Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts, Private podcasting, Advanced analytics, Custom branding. Both handle Team collaboration, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Transistor: Does Transistor offer a free trial?

Yes, Transistor offers a 14-day free trial.

Source
Transistor: Can I save money by paying annually?

Yes, Transistor offers 12 months for the price of 10 when you pay yearly, representing a 17% discount.

Source
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