Software · head to head
Megaphone vs Simplecast
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Megaphone there is no free tier; the entry Professional plan starts at $99 per month; Simplecast basic plan at $15 per month includes only 20,000 monthly downloads and 2 team seats
- They diverge on capability: Megaphone covers Enterprise hosting, Simplecast covers Unlimited hosting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Megaphone and Simplecast actually diverge.
| Attribute | Megaphone | Simplecast |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | $15/month |
| Pricing model | quote | subscription |
| Founded | 2015 | 2014 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Megaphone
- Enterprise hosting
- Targeted advertising
- Advanced analytics
- Network management
- Spotify
- Analytics platforms
Only in Simplecast
- Unlimited hosting
- Analytics
- Distribution
- Team collaboration
- All podcast platforms
Both cover
- Dynamic ad insertion
- API access
- Advertising networks
- CMS systems
- Enterprise security
- SOC 2 compliant
- Access controls
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Megaphone
- Enterprise podcast hosting and distribution for publishers and networksnot Simplecast
- Dynamic ad insertion and campaign management across a back cataloguenot Simplecast
- Podcast measurement and reporting for large teamsnot Simplecast
Simplecast
- Hosting podcasts with per-episode analytics and audience metricsnot Megaphone
- Distributing shows to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other directoriesnot Megaphone
- Monetising podcasts through dynamic ad insertion at the Professional tiernot Megaphone
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Megaphone
- There is no free tier; the entry Professional plan starts at $99 per month
- The Enterprise plan is custom priced and requires requesting a quote
- Access to the Megaphone API and the Metrics Export Service is Enterprise only
- Live chat support on the Professional plan is limited to 4am to 9pm Monday to Friday Eastern Time
- Monetisation runs through the Spotify Audience Network rather than an open marketplace
Simplecast
- Basic plan at $15 per month includes only 20,000 monthly downloads and 2 team seats
- Essential plan at $35 per month includes 50,000 monthly downloads and 4 team seats
- Dynamic ad insertion and campaign management are only on the Professional plan, which is quoted by sales with no published rate
- API access for publishing and campaign management is Enterprise only
- Annual prepayment is required to get the 10 percent discount
Pricing, plan by plan
Megaphone
On request- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Unlimited hosting
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Advanced analytics
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?
Questions people ask
- Is Megaphone or Simplecast better?
- Neither clearly leads. Megaphone starts at On request and Simplecast at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Megaphone or Simplecast?
- Megaphone starts at On request and Simplecast at $15/month.
- Does Megaphone or Simplecast run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Megaphone best used for?
- Megaphone is most often used for enterprise podcast hosting and distribution for publishers and networks, dynamic ad insertion and campaign management across a back catalogue, podcast measurement and reporting for large teams. Of those, enterprise podcast hosting and distribution for publishers and networks and dynamic ad insertion and campaign management across a back catalogue are not what Simplecast is typically brought in for.
- What can Megaphone do that Simplecast cannot?
- Megaphone covers Enterprise hosting, Targeted advertising, Advanced analytics, Network management. Simplecast covers Unlimited hosting, Analytics, Distribution, Team collaboration. Both handle Dynamic ad insertion, API access, Advertising networks, CMS systems.