Captivate vs RSS.com
Captivate and RSS.com are both podcast & audio tools aimed at creators and small businesses. Captivate costs less, from $19/mo versus $19.99/mo for RSS.com. Only RSS.com has a free plan.
Growth-focused podcast hosting
Podcast hosting with a free plan, AI transcripts and video publishing
| Pricing | Paid · $19 | Freemium · $20 |
| Starting price | $19/mo | $19.99/mo |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | 30 days | — |
| Built for | Creators, Small businesses | Creators, Small businesses, Freelancers |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | GB · 2019 | US · 2018 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Captivate if
Podcasters focused on growing and monetizing.
- Strong growth features
- Unlimited shows
- Good analytics
Look elsewhere if: Casual hobbyists.
Choose RSS.com if
Independent podcasters and small networks who want unlimited hosting, transcripts and simple monetisation at a low price.
- Genuine free plan with unlimited episodes and no expiry date
- Clear, low pricing with 25% off on annual billing
- Strong support for open standards like Podcasting 2.0 and Podping
Look elsewhere if: Companies that need private internal podcasts or advanced enterprise controls (Transistor, Captivate).
Captivate vs RSS.com 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
RSS.com
- Free$01 audio podcast, unlimited episodes; card needed for 2nd episode
- Plus$19.99/mo$15/mo billed annually; AI transcripts, ads, up to 3 team members
- Pro$34.99/mo$26/mo billed annually; up to 10 podcasts, unlimited team
- Max$49.99/mo$37/mo billed annually; unlimited audio and video podcasts, API
- CustomCustomDynamic ad insertion campaigns, video at scale, ad-free options
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
RSS.com · Key features
- Unlimited episodes and storage on every plan, including Free
- Automatic distribution to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube Music
- AI-generated transcripts plus Podcasting 2.0 chapters and soundbites
- PAID programmatic ads with pre, mid and post-roll insertion
- IAB-certified analytics for downloads, apps, devices and locations
- Free podcast website with web player, donations and Listen On buttons
Cons
- Free plan needs a credit card before the second episode
- No private or internal podcast feeds for company use
- Team access and multiple shows require Plus or Pro
Captivate vs RSS.com: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Captivate or RSS.com?
Captivate starts at $19/mo and RSS.com at $19.99/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Captivate and RSS.com have a free plan?
Captivate has no free plan, a 30-day free trial. RSS.com has a free plan.