Software · head to head
Headliner vs Simplecast
The short version
- Only Headliner has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Headliner free plan allows only one unwatermarked audiogram per month; everything else carries a Headliner watermark; Simplecast basic plan at $15 per month includes only 20,000 monthly downloads and 2 team seats
- They diverge on capability: Headliner covers Audio to video conversion, Simplecast covers Unlimited hosting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Headliner and Simplecast actually diverge.
| Attribute | Headliner | Simplecast |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $15/month |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2017 | 2014 |
Identical on both: 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 Headliner
- Audio to video conversion
- Animated waveforms
- Automatic captions
- Brand customization
- Social media optimization
- Batch processing
- Podcast platforms
- Social media
Only in Simplecast
- Unlimited hosting
- Analytics
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Distribution
- Team collaboration
- API access
- All podcast platforms
- Advertising networks
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Headliner
- Turning podcast audio into captioned audiogram videos for social medianot Simplecast
- Auto transcribing episodes and burning captions into video clipsnot Simplecast
- Producing branded promotional clips from full length episodesnot Simplecast
Simplecast
- Hosting podcasts with per-episode analytics and audience metricsnot Headliner
- Distributing shows to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other directoriesnot Headliner
- Monetising podcasts through dynamic ad insertion at the Professional tiernot Headliner
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Headliner
- Free plan allows only one unwatermarked audiogram per month; everything else carries a Headliner watermark
- Basic plan at $9.99 per month caps unwatermarked audiograms at 10 per month
- Free and Basic plans cap video length at 10 minutes at 1080p; 2 hour videos require the Pro plan
- Custom watermarks and unlimited unwatermarked exports require the $25.99 per month Pro plan
- Video upload storage is capped at 10GB on every plan including Pro
Simplecast
- Basic plan at $15 per month includes only 20,000 monthly downloads and 2 team seats
- Essential plan at $35 per month includes 50,000 monthly downloads and 4 team seats
- Dynamic ad insertion and campaign management are only on the Professional plan, which is quoted by sales with no published rate
- API access for publishing and campaign management is Enterprise only
- Annual prepayment is required to get the 10 percent discount
Pricing, plan by plan
Headliner
Free- FreeFree
- Create clips
- Watermarked videos
- Limited exports
- Creator$15/month
- Unlimited exports
- No watermarks
- Captions
Simplecast
$15/month- Creator$15/month
- Unlimited hosting
- Analytics
- Distribution
- Studio$49/month
- All Creator features
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Team access
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Custom features
- API access
- Dedicated manager
Which should you pick?
Choose Headliner if
- You need audio to video conversion.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want animated waveforms.
Questions people ask
- Is Headliner or Simplecast better?
- Neither clearly leads. Headliner starts at Free and Simplecast at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Headliner or Simplecast?
- Headliner has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Headliner and $15/month for Simplecast.
- Does Headliner or Simplecast run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Headliner for free?
- Yes. Headliner has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Simplecast starts at $15/month.
- What is Headliner best used for?
- Headliner is most often used for turning podcast audio into captioned audiogram videos for social media, auto transcribing episodes and burning captions into video clips, producing branded promotional clips from full length episodes. Of those, turning podcast audio into captioned audiogram videos for social media and auto transcribing episodes and burning captions into video clips are not what Simplecast is typically brought in for.
- What can Headliner do that Simplecast cannot?
- Headliner covers Audio to video conversion, Animated waveforms, Automatic captions, Brand customization. Simplecast covers Unlimited hosting, Analytics, Dynamic ad insertion, Distribution. Both handle Web support.
Related pages
Keep looking
Other head to heads
- Headliner vs Pocketcasts
- Headliner vs Buzzsprout
- Headliner vs Transistor.fm
- Headliner vs Adobe Podcast
- Headliner vs Apple Podcasts Connect
- Headliner vs Libsyn
- Headliner vs Patreon
- Headliner vs Podbean
- Headliner vs Transistor
- Headliner vs Acast
- Headliner vs Alitu
- Headliner vs Audioboom
- Headliner vs Auphonic
- Headliner vs Blubrry
- Headliner vs Captivate
- Headliner vs Castmagic
- Headliner vs Castos
- Headliner vs Chartable
- Simplecast vs Pocketcasts
- Simplecast vs Buzzsprout
- Simplecast vs Transistor.fm
- Simplecast vs Adobe Podcast
- Simplecast vs Apple Podcasts Connect
- Simplecast vs Libsyn
- Simplecast vs Patreon
- Simplecast vs Podbean
- Simplecast vs Transistor
- Simplecast vs Acast
- Simplecast vs Alitu
- Simplecast vs Audioboom
- Simplecast vs Auphonic
- Simplecast vs Blubrry
- Simplecast vs Captivate
- Simplecast vs Castmagic
- Simplecast vs Castos
- Simplecast vs Chartable

