Softwr

Podcasting · head to head

Captivate vs Transistor

Captivate logo

Captivate

Podcasting

Smart podcast hosting with AI insights

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Transistor logo

Transistor

Podcasting

Professional podcast hosting for businesses and creators

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Captivate tiers are download ceilings and nothing else: 30,000 a month on Personal, 150,000 on Professional and 300,000 on Business; Transistor starter plan at $19 per month caps monthly downloads at 20,000
  • They diverge on capability: Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Captivate and Transistor actually diverge.

Attributes where Captivate and Transistor differ
AttributeCaptivateTransistor
Founded20162018

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Podcasting).

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 Captivate

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

Only in Transistor

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Captivate

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

Transistor

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Captivate

Free
  • Personal$17/month
    • up to 30,000 downloads/month
  • Professional$44/month
    • up to 150,000 downloads/month
  • Business$90/month
    • up to 300,000 downloads/month

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 Captivate if

  • You need unlimited hosting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want ai analytics.
Captivate 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 Captivate or Transistor better?
Neither clearly leads. Captivate starts at Free and Transistor at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Captivate or Transistor?
Captivate starts at Free and Transistor at Free.
Does Captivate or Transistor run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Captivate for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Captivate best used for?
Captivate is most often used for podcast hosting with unlimited shows on any tier, distribution to the major podcast directories, audience analytics by episode and platform, running several podcasts under one subscription. Of those, podcast hosting with unlimited shows on any tier and distribution to the major podcast directories are not what Transistor is typically brought in for.
What can Captivate do that Transistor cannot?
Captivate covers Unlimited hosting, AI analytics, Smart recommendations, Distribution. Transistor covers Unlimited podcasts, Private podcasting, Advanced analytics, Team collaboration. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Captivate: How much does Captivate cost?

Captivate pricing starts at EUR 17/month for the Personal plan (annual billing). Professional is EUR 44/month and Business is EUR 90/month, with higher monthly rates on monthly billing plans.

Source
Transistor: Does Transistor offer a free trial?

Yes, Transistor offers a 14-day free trial.

Source
Captivate: Is there a free trial for Captivate?

Yes, all Captivate plans include a 30-day free trial with access to all features; no credit card required to start.

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
Captivate: What happens if I exceed my Captivate download limit?

Captivate will notify you after a second consecutive month over your limit; no overage fees apply if you temporarily exceed the monthly allowance.

Source
Captivate: Are podcasts and storage unlimited on all Captivate plans?

Yes, unlimited podcasts and storage are included across the Personal, Professional, and Business tiers; limits are only on monthly downloads.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Captivate

More on Transistor

Keep looking

Other head to heads