Podbean vs Castos
Two of the top three podcast hosts, compared rule by rule on published facts.
In short
- Podbean and Castos tie on 77 points out of 100; Podbean ranks higher on price.
- Podbean earns more on ads and stats and price; Castos earns more on hosting limits and your data.
- Cheapest paid plan: Podbean $12/mo, Castos $15.83/mo.
- Only Podbean meets: IAB-certified downloads and free plan that publishes.
- Only Castos meets: no monthly upload cap, more than one show and download your files.
Podbean77/100 #1 of 10
Best for: Creators who want a free start, a low paid tier and a clear way to leave.
Points by group
| Group | Podbean | Castos |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting limits of 20 | 10 | 20 |
| Publishing of 28 | 27 | 27 |
| Ads and stats of 13 | 13 | 7 |
| Your data of 21 | 15 | 21 |
| Price of 18 | 12 | 2 |
| Total | 77 | 77 |
Rule by rule
What each vendor publishes, and the points it earns. Sources are on each product page.
| Rule (points) | Podbean | Castos |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited episodes (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| No monthly upload cap (6) | No 0 | Yes 6 |
| No download cap (6) | Yes 6 | Yes 6 |
| More than one show (4) | No 0 | Yes 4 |
| Directory submission guides (4) | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music 3 | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music 3 |
| Private podcasts (6) | Yes 6 | Yes 6 |
| Video podcasts (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Automatic transcripts (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| Team members (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Public API (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| Show website and player (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Dynamic ad insertion (7) | Yes 7 | Yes 7 |
| IAB-certified downloads (6) | Yes 6 | No 0 |
| Import from another host (7) | Yes 7 | Yes 7 |
| Redirect when you leave (8) | Yes 8 | Yes 8 |
| Download your files (6) | Not published 0 | Yes 6 |
| Free plan that publishes (8) | Yes 8 | No 0 |
| Cheapest paid plan (10) | $12/mo 4 | $15.83/mo 2 |
Podbean
Podbean suits creators who want a free start and a low-cost paid plan with unmetered bandwidth. It documents importing a show, a 301 redirect out and API access. The catch: the cheapest paid plan covers one channel and caps uploads at 16 hours of audio a month, and private podcasts need the $99 Business plan.
Castos
Castos suits creators who want no limits on shows, episodes or downloads and plan to leave or arrive without losing listeners, since it documents import, a 301 redirect and file download. Transcripts and private feeds come with the entry plan, and paid plans can request dynamic ad insertion. The catch: there is no free plan, and video hosting and larger teams cost more.
Both products are scored by the same rules: how we score podcast hosts.