Captivate vs Castos
Captivate and Castos are both podcast & audio tools aimed at creators and small businesses.
Captivate
Growth-focused podcast hosting
Castos
Podcast hosting with private feeds and a WordPress plugin
| Pricing | Paid · $19 | Paid · $19 |
| Starting price | $19/mo | $19/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | 30 days | 14 days |
| Built for | Creators, Small businesses | Creators, Small businesses, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web | web, ios, android |
| Country | GB · 2019 | US · 2017 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Captivate if
Podcasters focused on growing and monetizing.
- Strong growth features
- Unlimited shows
- Good analytics
Look elsewhere if: Casual hobbyists.
Choose Castos if
Businesses and creators who need private or members-only podcasts, or WordPress publishers who want hosting tied to their site.
- Private podcasting is included on every plan, not an add-on
- No download caps or per-show fees
- Deep WordPress integration through a well-used plugin
Look elsewhere if: Hobbyists who want free hosting or podcasters focused only on public shows on a budget (Spotify for Creators, Buzzsprout).
Captivate vs Castos pricing
Captivate
- Personal€17/moBilled yearly; 30,000 downloads/mo, unlimited podcasts
- Professional€44/moBilled yearly; 150,000 downloads/mo
- Business€90/moBilled yearly; 300,000 downloads/mo
Castos
- Essentials$19/moUnlimited shows and downloads, 100 private subscribers
- Growth$49/mo250 private subscribers, YouTube republishing; $490/yr
- Pro$99/mo500 private subscribers, video hosting, 10 team members
- PremiumFrom $499/moSSO, unlimited team, custom contracts; from $4,990/yr
Captivate · Key features
- Unlimited podcasts and team members
- Growth tools: smart links, CTAs
- Private and premium podcasts
- Dynamic ad insertion
- IAB-certified analytics
- Podcast websites
Cons
- Download-based tiers
- No free plan
- Smaller brand than Buzzsprout
Castos · Key features
- Unlimited podcasts, episodes and downloads on every plan
- Private and hybrid feeds with revocable per-listener access
- Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin to publish from WordPress
- YouTube republishing and video podcast hosting on higher tiers
- IAB-compliant analytics for listens, apps, locations and followers
- Dynamic ad insertion, Castos Ads and sponsor Campaigns on old episodes
Cons
- No free plan, unlike Spotify for Creators
- Private subscriber caps rise only with plan or $50 per 500 add-on
- Video hosting requires the $99 Pro plan
Captivate vs Castos: FAQ
Do Captivate and Castos have a free plan?
Captivate has no free plan, a 30-day free trial. Castos has no free plan, a 14-day free trial.