Captivate vs Simplecast
Captivate and Simplecast are both podcast & audio tools aimed at creators and small businesses. Simplecast costs less, from $15/mo versus $19/mo for Captivate.
Growth-focused podcast hosting
Podcast hosting with IAB-certified analytics and AdsWizz monetization
| Pricing | Paid · $19 | Paid · $15 |
| Starting price | $19/mo | $15/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | 30 days | 14 days |
| Built for | Creators, Small businesses | Creators, Small businesses, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | GB · 2019 | US · 2013 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Captivate if
Podcasters focused on growing and monetizing.
- Strong growth features
- Unlimited shows
- Good analytics
Look elsewhere if: Casual hobbyists.
Choose Simplecast if
Growing podcasts and networks that want IAB-certified analytics and a path to ad revenue through SiriusXM's AdsWizz.
- Certified analytics that advertisers and networks trust
- Direct path to programmatic ad revenue through AdsWizz
- Unlimited storage, no per-hour upload limits
Look elsewhere if: Hobby podcasters or beginners on a tight budget (Buzzsprout, Transistor, Captivate).
Captivate vs Simplecast 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
Simplecast
- Basic$15/mo$13.50/mo prepaid annually; 20K downloads/mo, 2 seats
- Essential$35/mo$31.50/mo prepaid annually; 50K downloads/mo, 4 seats
- ProfessionalCustomDynamic ad insertion, AdsWizz marketplace, ad-free feeds
- EnterpriseCustomAPI, white-label RSS, high bitrate audio, success manager
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
Simplecast · Key features
- Unlimited audio storage and uploads on every plan
- Multiple shows under one account with per-show team permissions
- IAB Tech Lab certified download and listener analytics
- Location, app, browser and unique listener reports on Essential
- Automatic show website with themes and custom domain
- Embeddable episode and show players with drop-off analytics
Cons
- Download caps make costs rise quickly as a show grows
- Dynamic ad insertion requires a sales-led plan
- Only two team seats on the Basic plan
Captivate vs Simplecast: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Captivate or Simplecast?
Simplecast starts at $15/mo and Captivate at $19/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Captivate and Simplecast have a free plan?
Captivate has no free plan, a 30-day free trial. Simplecast has no free plan, a 14-day free trial.