Captivate vs Simplecast Comparison 2026
Both cover audio & podcasting and analytics. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
Podcast hosting priced by downloads
Podcast hosting with analytics worth reading
At a glance
- Simplecast starts cheaper, at $15.
- Neither has a free tier.
Side by side
Captivate | Simplecast | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $17 | From $15 |
| Pricing model | Free trial, then paid | Free trial, then paid |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Billing | Not stated | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial (they differ) | 30 days | 14 days |
| API | Not stated | Yes |
Shaded rows are where the two answers disagree and both listings have answered. A row where one side has not stated a fact is left plain, because silence is not a difference.
Captivate
Podcast hosting priced by downloads
Captivate hosts shows on download bands rather than storage or episode counts, so a back catalogue costs nothing to keep and a viral episode is the thing that moves you up a tier. Every plan carries the full feature set, which is unusual here: analytics, a website, dynamic ad insertion and a listener signup tool are not held back for the dearest band. Unlimited podcasts sit on one account, so a second show does not mean a second bill.
Our note
The thing to check before signing up is your actual monthly download number rather than your subscriber count, because that is the only number the pricing responds to. If a single old episode still pulls traffic, the dynamic ad insertion is what makes this pay for itself.
Simplecast
Podcast hosting with analytics worth reading
Simplecast is hosting for shows that answer to somebody, whether that is a network, a sponsor or a client. Downloads are measured to the IAB standard, listener numbers are broken out by episode and market, and the embeddable player is one of the few that does not look borrowed. Distribution to the directories is handled once at setup. Plans are sold by monthly download allowance rather than by episode count, so a show that publishes often is not penalised for it.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.