Captivate is a podcast & audio tool for Creators and Small businesses, offered as paid ($19/mo). Founded in United Kingdom in 2019. Popular alternatives include Podbean, Libsyn, Castos.
About Captivate
Captivate is a UK-based podcast hosting platform built around growth and monetization rather than storage alone. It hosts audio and distributes episodes to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other directories, but its pitch is the set of marketing tools around the feed: every plan includes unlimited podcasts and unlimited team members, with tiers based on monthly downloads.
Growth features include smart links that route listeners to their preferred app, calls to action on episode pages and an auto-generated podcast website. Private and premium podcasts support paid or internal shows, and dynamic ad insertion lets you swap ads in back-catalog episodes. IAB-certified analytics give advertisers download numbers they can trust. There is no free plan, but a free trial lets you test the workflow before importing a show.
Captivate fits independent podcasters and small networks that are serious about growing an audience and earning from it, and agencies running several client shows under one account. Hobbyists who publish occasionally will find download-based tiers expensive compared with free options such as Spotify for Creators. Buzzsprout is simpler and very beginner-friendly but charges by upload hours; Transistor also offers unlimited shows and is strong for private podcasts; RSS.com and Podbean are cheaper entry points.
Key features of Captivate
- Unlimited podcasts and team members
- Growth tools: smart links, CTAs
- Private and premium podcasts
- Dynamic ad insertion
- IAB-certified analytics
- Podcast websites
Pros and cons
Pros
- Strong growth features
- Unlimited shows
- Good analytics
- Monetization options
Cons
- Download-based tiers
- No free plan
- Smaller brand than Buzzsprout
- Learning curve for features
Captivate pricing
Captivate uses a paid model. A 30-day free trial is available.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | €17 / mo | Billed yearly; 30,000 downloads/mo, unlimited podcasts |
| Professional | €44 / mo | Billed yearly; 150,000 downloads/mo |
| Business | €90 / mo | Billed yearly; 300,000 downloads/mo |
Source: www.captivate.fm · checked on Oct 20, 2026
How Captivate compares in Podcast & audio
- Rank by votes
- #1 / 16
- Starting price
- $19
- Free alternatives
- 1
0 votes from members
9% above the category median ($18/mo)
Free or open-source tools in Podcast & audio
Captivate ranks #1 of 16 podcast & audio tools by community votes and is priced in line with the category.
Common use cases
- 1Growing independent podcast
- 2Network hosting multiple shows
- 3Premium podcast tiers
- 4Agency podcasts
Best for
Podcasters focused on growing and monetizing.
Not ideal for
Casual hobbyists.
Integrations
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- YouTube
- Patreon
- Memberful
- Zapier
- WordPress
Our take
Captivate is the growth-minded podcast host.
FAQ
- What is Captivate?
- Captivate is a Podcast & audio tool: Growth-focused podcast hosting.
- How much does Captivate cost?
- Captivate uses a Paid model; paid plans start at $19 per month.
- What are the best alternatives to Captivate?
- Community-listed alternatives to Captivate include Podbean, Libsyn, Castos, Simplecast.
- Does Captivate have a free trial?
- Yes, Captivate offers a 30-day free trial.
- What does Captivate integrate with?
- Captivate integrates with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Patreon, Memberful, Zapier and more.
- Which platforms does Captivate support?
- Captivate is available on web.
- Who is Captivate for?
- Podcasters focused on growing and monetizing.
Alternatives to Captivate
See all 5Podbean
▲ 0Podcast hosting with ads, fan support and private business podcasts
Freemium · $17CreatorsSmall businessesLibsyn
▲ 0Veteran podcast host with IAB stats, video and ad monetization
Paid · $8CreatorsSmall businessesCastos
▲ 0Podcast hosting with private feeds and a WordPress plugin
Paid · $19CreatorsSmall businessesSimplecast
▲ 0Podcast hosting with IAB-certified analytics and AdsWizz monetization
Paid · $15CreatorsSmall businessesRSS.com
▲ 0Podcast hosting with a free plan, AI transcripts and video publishing
Freemium · $20CreatorsSmall businesses
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