Castos is a podcast & audio tool for Creators and Small businesses, offered as paid ($19/mo). Founded in United States in 2017.
About Castos
Castos is a podcast hosting platform for creators, businesses and organizations, founded in 2017 by Craig Hewitt. It grew out of Seriously Simple Podcasting, a free WordPress plugin Hewitt acquired at the end of 2016, which is still active on more than 30,000 sites. Castos hosts audio, distributes shows to podcast apps and is best known for private podcasts used for internal communications and paid content.
Every plan includes unlimited podcasts, episodes and downloads, one-click submission to directories such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music, a podcast website, IAB-compliant analytics and dynamic ad insertion. Public, private and hybrid feeds are available on all plans, with private subscriber caps of 100, 250 and 500. Higher tiers add YouTube republishing, video file hosting, a branded mobile app for private listeners, team seats and SSO. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial.
It suits companies that want internal or members-only podcasts and WordPress publishers who want episodes managed from their dashboard. Transistor offers similar private podcasting with plans based on downloads; Buzzsprout is friendlier for beginners; Captivate leans into marketing and growth tools.
Castos reports more than 42,000 hosted podcasts. Monetization now includes Castos Ads with no minimum audience, Campaigns for inserting sponsor reads into back catalogs and Castos Commerce for paid subscriptions through Stripe. Annual billing gives two months free, and extra private subscribers cost 50 dollars a month per 500.
Key features of Castos
- 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
- Automatic transcripts and chapters, plus an optional AI assistant
- Castos Commerce for paid subscriptions through Stripe
Pros and cons
Pros
- 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
- Monetization tools with no minimum audience size
- Free migration from other hosts
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
- AI assistant costs an extra $10 per month
- Transcript credits are limited on lower tiers
Castos pricing
Castos uses a paid model. A 14-day free trial is available.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $19 / mo | Unlimited shows and downloads, 100 private subscribers |
| Growth | $49 / mo | 250 private subscribers, YouTube republishing; $490/yr |
| Pro | $99 / mo | 500 private subscribers, video hosting, 10 team members |
| Premium | From $499 / mo | SSO, unlimited team, custom contracts; from $4,990/yr |
Source: castos.com · checked on Oct 20, 2026
How Castos 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
Castos ranks #1 of 16 podcast & audio tools by community votes and is priced in line with the category.
Common use cases
- 1Company running an internal podcast for remote employees
- 2Course creator delivering members-only audio lessons
- 3WordPress blog publishing episodes from its dashboard
- 4B2B brand republishing episodes as YouTube videos
- 5Podcaster selling paid subscriptions without a platform fee
- 6Network inserting sponsor reads into older episodes
Best for
Businesses and creators who need private or members-only podcasts, or WordPress publishers who want hosting tied to their site.
Not ideal for
Hobbyists who want free hosting or podcasters focused only on public shows on a budget (Spotify for Creators, Buzzsprout).
Integrations
- WordPress (Seriously Simple Podcasting)
- YouTube
- Stripe
- Kit
- Zapier
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Amazon Music
Our take
Castos is one of the strongest choices when private podcasting matters, because it is included from the $19 plan with unlimited downloads. Choose Growth if you need YouTube republishing or the listener app, and compare Transistor if you run many public shows.
FAQ
- What is Castos?
- Castos is a Podcast & audio tool: Podcast hosting with private feeds and a WordPress plugin.
- How much does Castos cost?
- Castos uses a Paid model; paid plans start at $19 per month.
- Does Castos have a free trial?
- Yes, Castos offers a 14-day free trial.
- What does Castos integrate with?
- Castos integrates with WordPress (Seriously Simple Podcasting), YouTube, Stripe, Kit, Zapier, Apple Podcasts and more.
- Which platforms does Castos support?
- Castos is available on web, ios, android.
- Who is Castos for?
- Businesses and creators who need private or members-only podcasts, or WordPress publishers who want hosting tied to their site.
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