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Software · head to head

Glow.fm vs Captivate

Glow.fm logo

Glow.fm

Software

Premium podcast subscriptions made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Captivate logo

Captivate

Software

Smart podcast hosting with AI insights

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Glow.fm the Internet Archive's capture of Glow's pricing page on 6 December 2021 listed Basic starting at $0/month plus $0.55 per listener per month or $2 per one-time purchase, and Professional starting at $300/month for unlimited listeners with podcast hosting capped at 150,000 downloads per month; card processing adds $0.30 plus 2.9% per transaction on both tiers.; 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: Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds, Captivate covers Unlimited hosting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Glow.fm and Captivate actually diverge.

Attributes where Glow.fm and Captivate differ
AttributeGlow.fmCaptivate
Pricing modeltransactionfreemium
Founded20192016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Glow.fm

  • Private RSS feeds
  • Any app support
  • Tiered subscriptions
  • Subscriber management
  • Payment processing
  • Analytics
  • All podcast apps
  • Stripe

Only in Captivate

  • Unlimited hosting
  • AI analytics
  • Smart recommendations
  • Distribution
  • Monetization
  • Audience insights
  • All podcast platforms
  • Social media

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Glow.fm

  • Premium podcastsnot Captivate
  • Subscriber contentnot Captivate
  • Membership tiersnot Captivate
  • Direct monetizationnot Captivate

Captivate

  • Podcast hosting with unlimited shows on any tiernot Glow.fm
  • Distribution to the major podcast directoriesnot Glow.fm
  • Audience analytics by episode and platformnot Glow.fm
  • Running several podcasts under one subscriptionnot Glow.fm

Where each one falls short

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

Glow.fm

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Glow's pricing page on 6 December 2021 listed Basic starting at $0/month plus $0.55 per listener per month or $2 per one-time purchase, and Professional starting at $300/month for unlimited listeners with podcast hosting capped at 150,000 downloads per month; card processing adds $0.30 plus 2.9% per transaction on both tiers.

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

Glow.fm

Free
  • StandardFree
    • Private RSS feeds
    • Any podcast app support
    • Subscription management

Captivate

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 hours storage
    • Basic hosting
    • Limited analytics
  • Professional$19/month
    • Unlimited hosting
    • AI analytics
    • Full distribution

Which should you pick?

Choose Glow.fm if

  • You need private rss feeds.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want any app support.
Glow.fm review

Choose Captivate if

  • You need unlimited hosting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want ai analytics.
Captivate review

Questions people ask

Is Glow.fm or Captivate better?
Neither clearly leads. Glow.fm 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, Glow.fm or Captivate?
Glow.fm starts at Free and Captivate at Free.
Does Glow.fm or Captivate run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Glow.fm for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Glow.fm best used for?
Glow.fm is most often used for premium podcasts, subscriber content, membership tiers, direct monetization. Of those, premium podcasts and subscriber content are not what Captivate is typically brought in for.
What can Glow.fm do that Captivate cannot?
Glow.fm covers Private RSS feeds, Any app support, Tiered subscriptions, Subscriber management. Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, AI analytics, Smart recommendations, Distribution. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

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