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Captivate vs Transistor

Captivate and Transistor are both podcast & audio tools aimed at creators and small businesses.

Captivate

Growth-focused podcast hosting

Transistor

Podcast hosting for businesses and creators

PricingPaid · $19Paid · $19
Starting price$19/mo$19/mo
Free planNoNo
Free trial30 days14 days
Built forCreators, Small businessesCreators, Small businesses
Platformswebweb
CountryGB · 2019US · 2018
Rating——

Choose Captivate if

Podcasters focused on growing and monetizing.

  • Strong growth features
  • Unlimited shows
  • Good analytics

Look elsewhere if: Casual hobbyists.

Choose Transistor if

Businesses and pros hosting multiple or private podcasts.

  • Unlimited shows
  • Private podcasts for teams
  • Clean analytics

Look elsewhere if: Hobbyists wanting free hosting (Spotify for Creators).

Captivate vs Transistor 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

Transistor

  • Starter$19/mo20k downloads/mo, unlimited shows; 2 months free yearly
  • Professional$49/mo100k downloads, dynamic ads, YouTube auto-post
  • Business$99/mo250k downloads, removes Transistor branding
  • Enterprisefrom $199/mo250k+ downloads, 3k+ private subscribers

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

Transistor · Key features

  • Unlimited shows on every plan
  • Distribution to all major directories
  • Analytics by episode and app
  • Private podcasts with subscriber management
  • Podcast websites and embeddable players
  • Transcripts and dynamic ads

Cons

  • Download-based pricing
  • No free tier
  • Fewer monetization tools than Acast

Captivate vs Transistor: FAQ

Do Captivate and Transistor have a free plan?

Captivate has no free plan, a 30-day free trial. Transistor has no free plan, a 14-day free trial.

Not sure yet?

Captivate vs Transistor (2026): Pricing and Features