Softwr

Marketing · head to head

Lucky Orange vs Simplecast

Lucky Orange logo

Lucky Orange

Marketing

All-in-one conversion optimization

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Simplecast logo

Simplecast

Podcasting

Hosting for professional podcast networks

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Lucky Orange has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Lucky Orange session-based pricing scales poorly during traffic spikes or successful campaigns; Simplecast basic plan at $15 per month includes only 20,000 monthly downloads and 2 team seats
  • They diverge on capability: Lucky Orange covers Heatmaps, Simplecast covers Unlimited hosting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lucky Orange and Simplecast actually diverge.

Attributes where Lucky Orange and Simplecast differ
AttributeLucky OrangeSimplecast
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
CategoryMarketingPodcasting
Founded20122014

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 Lucky Orange

  • Heatmaps
  • Session Recordings
  • Live Chat
  • Surveys
  • Form Analytics
  • Shopify
  • WordPress
  • BigCommerce

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.

Lucky Orange

  • User experience analysisnot Simplecast
  • Bug reproductionnot Simplecast
  • Conversion optimizationnot Simplecast
  • Customer journey mappingnot Simplecast
  • Usability testingnot Simplecast

Simplecast

  • Hosting podcasts with per-episode analytics and audience metricsnot Lucky Orange
  • Distributing shows to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other directoriesnot Lucky Orange
  • Monetising podcasts through dynamic ad insertion at the Professional tiernot Lucky Orange

Where each one falls short

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

Lucky Orange

  • Session-based pricing scales poorly during traffic spikes or successful campaigns
  • Lacks A/B testing capabilities that competitors like Crazy Egg offer
  • Less privacy-focused than Hotjar for session recording data

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

Lucky Orange

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100 monthly sessions
    • 30 days data retention
    • Basic features
  • Build$32/month
    • 5,000 monthly sessions
    • Live chat
    • Heatmaps
  • Grow$72/month
    • 15,000 monthly sessions
    • All Build features
  • Expand$184/month
    • 50,000 monthly sessions
    • All features

Simplecast

$15/month
  • Basic$15/month
    • Annual option: $13.50/month when prepaid
    • 2 team seats
    • Unlimited storage
  • Essential$35/month
    • Annual option: $31.50/month when prepaid
    • 4 team seats
    • Everything in Basic plus additional web players
  • Professional$null/custom
    • Contact sales for custom pricing
    • Dynamic ad insertion
    • Campaign management
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Contact sales for custom features
    • Everything in Professional plus API integration
    • White-labeled RSS

Which should you pick?

Choose Lucky Orange if

  • You need heatmaps.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want session recordings.
Lucky Orange review

Choose Simplecast if

  • You need unlimited hosting.
  • You also want analytics.
Simplecast review

Questions people ask

Is Lucky Orange or Simplecast better?
Neither clearly leads. Lucky Orange 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, Lucky Orange or Simplecast?
Lucky Orange has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lucky Orange and $15/month for Simplecast.
Does Lucky Orange or Simplecast run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Lucky Orange for free?
Yes. Lucky Orange has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Simplecast starts at $15/month.
What is Lucky Orange best used for?
Lucky Orange is most often used for user experience analysis, bug reproduction, conversion optimization, customer journey mapping. Of those, user experience analysis and bug reproduction are not what Simplecast is typically brought in for.
What can Lucky Orange do that Simplecast cannot?
Lucky Orange covers Heatmaps, Session Recordings, Live Chat, Surveys. Simplecast covers Unlimited hosting, Analytics, Dynamic ad insertion, Distribution. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lucky Orange: What is Lucky Orange's pricing based on?

Lucky Orange uses session-based pricing tiers. The Free plan tracks 100 monthly sessions; Build plan ($32/mo) tracks 5,000 sessions; Grow ($72/mo) tracks 15,000 sessions, up to Scale ($839/mo) for 300,000 sessions.

Source
Simplecast: How much does Simplecast cost?

Simplecast offers a 14-day free trial (no credit card required) followed by paid plans starting at $15/month for Basic ($13.50/month annual) and $35/month for Essential ($31.50/month annual). Professional and Enterprise plans require contacting sales for custom pricing.

Source
Lucky Orange: Does Lucky Orange include live chat?

Yes, unlike pure heatmap tools, Lucky Orange includes live chat with canned responses, operator transfers, co-browsing, and typing preview in all paid plans.

Source
Simplecast: Can I change my Simplecast plan anytime?

Yes. Plan changes are allowed anytime with prorated adjustments. You can cancel anytime with no long-term contracts or penalties.

Source
Lucky Orange: Can I get a 7-day free trial?

Yes, Lucky Orange offers a 7-day free trial with all features on every plan and no credit card required to start.

Source
Simplecast: What is included in the Basic plan?

The Basic plan ($15/month or $13.50/month annually) includes 2 team seats, unlimited storage, distribution to all platforms, basic analytics, custom domain website, and 20,000 downloads per month.

Source
Lucky Orange: Does Lucky Orange track session recordings?

Yes, Lucky Orange provides dynamic heatmaps and visitor session recordings showing customer behavior, including drop-offs in conversion funnels.

Source
Simplecast: What makes the Essential plan different from Basic?

The Essential plan ($35/month or $31.50/month annually) adds 2 more team seats (4 total), comparative analytics, location analytics, unique listener reports, and increases the monthly download allowance to 50,000.

Source
Lucky Orange: How is Lucky Orange different from Hotjar?

Lucky Orange combines heatmaps with integrated live chat for real-time support, while Hotjar focuses more on feedback collection and UX research with better privacy defaults.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Lucky Orange

More on Simplecast

Keep looking

Other head to heads