Castos vs Podbean
Castos and Podbean are both podcast & audio tools aimed at creators and small businesses. Podbean costs less, from $17/mo versus $19/mo for Castos. Only Podbean has a free plan.
Podcast hosting with private feeds and a WordPress plugin
Podcast hosting with ads, fan support and private business podcasts
| Pricing | Paid · $19 | Freemium · $17 |
| Starting price | $19/mo | $17/mo |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| Built for | Creators, Small businesses, Enterprise | Creators, Small businesses, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2017 | US · 2006 |
| Rating | — | — |
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).
Choose Podbean if
Independent podcasters and small networks that want hosting, distribution and several monetization paths in one plan.
- Many monetization options under one hosting fee
- Unlimited storage removes worry about back catalog size
- Free plan lets you test publishing before paying
Look elsewhere if: Brands that want the cleanest analytics and multi-show management or free Spotify-native hosting (Transistor, Captivate, Spotify for Creators).
Castos vs Podbean pricing
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
Podbean
- Basic$05 hours total storage, 100 GB bandwidth per month
- Unlimited Audio$17/mo$12/mo billed annually; 1 audio show, 1 GB uploads/mo
- Unlimited Plus$39/mo$29/mo billed annually; 2 shows incl. video, 10 GB/mo
- Network$99/mo$79/mo billed annually; unlimited shows, 50 team members
- Business$129/mo$99/mo billed annually; unlimited private podcasts
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
Podbean · Key features
- Unlimited storage and unmetered bandwidth on most paid plans
- Distribution to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and more
- PodAds dynamic ad insertion and a sponsorship ads marketplace
- Patron fan support, premium episodes and Apple Podcasts Subscriptions
- AI audio cleanup, transcripts, show notes and chapter markers
- Mobile app for recording, remote guests and live streaming
Cons
- Dashboard and editor feel dated next to newer hosts
- Monthly upload caps still limit long or frequent episodes
- Free plan's 5 hours of total storage fill quickly
Castos vs Podbean: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Castos or Podbean?
Podbean starts at $17/mo and Castos at $19/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Castos and Podbean have a free plan?
Castos has no free plan, a 14-day free trial. Podbean has a free plan.