Acast vs Captivate: Podcast Hosting Comparison (2026)

Acast offers a free tier and tiered features, while Captivate provides all features across its paid plans with monthly download caps.

AI Citation Scorecard

How often each is cited by major AI engines when buyers ask podcast hosting questions. Last 90 days across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot.

Captivate leads overall — 100% cited vs Acast 20% across 10 probes.

ChatGPT

Acast

0 / 1 probes

Invisible

CaptivateLeads

1 / 1 probes

100%

Excellent

Perplexity

Acast

0 / 1 probes

Invisible

CaptivateLeads

1 / 1 probes

100%

Excellent

Gemini

Acast

0 / 1 probes

Invisible

CaptivateLeads

1 / 1 probes

100%

Excellent

Claude

Acast

0 / 1 probes

Invisible

CaptivateLeads

1 / 1 probes

100%

Excellent

Copilot

Acast

1 / 1 probes

100%

Excellent

Captivate

1 / 1 probes

100%

Excellent

Scale:NoneLowFairStrongExcellent

Probes run hourly; each (engine × query) combo retests every ~3 days.

Pricing

Acast

Starting price

€25/month

Free tier

Yes

acast.com ↗

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Captivate

Starting price

$17/user/month

Free tier

—

captivate.fm ↗

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Key Features

Acast

✓1 Show
✓5 Episodes
✓Monetize with ads
✓Multiple shows
✓Unlimited episodes
✓Monetize with ads + sponsorships
✓Everything in Influencer
✓Team management

Captivate

✓Unlimited Podcasts
✓Unlimited Uploads/Storage
✓Extensive Distribution List
✓IAB certified analytics
✓Podcast Promotion
✓Dynamic content insertion
✓Private podcasting
✓Podcast Website

When to choose Acast

Choose Acast if you require a free tier for a single show with limited episodes, or if advanced monetization options and team management are priorities on higher tiers.

When to choose Captivate

Choose Captivate if you need unlimited podcasts and uploads, extensive distribution, IAB certified analytics, and dynamic content insertion across all paid plans, and do not require a free tier.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key differences in pricing and free offerings?

Acast offers a free tier with limitations and paid plans starting at €25/month. Captivate does not offer a free tier, with paid plans starting at $17/user/month.

What are the core feature differences between Acast and Captivate?

Acast's key features include tiered options for shows, episodes, and monetization, with team management available on higher tiers. Captivate's key features, available across all plans, include unlimited podcasts, unlimited uploads/storage, extensive distribution, IAB certified analytics, podcast promotion, dynamic content insertion, and private podcasting.

How do monetization and promotional features compare?

Acast offers monetization through ads and sponsorships, with varying levels depending on the tier. Captivate includes podcast promotion as a key feature across all plans and dynamic content insertion, but specific monetization details are not provided.

What are the limitations or cons for each platform?

Acast has limitations on shows in its free plan, can be expensive at higher tiers, and lacks information on custom pricing. Captivate has no free plan, and its plans include monthly download caps.