# Podbean vs Castos for podcast hosting platforms

Podbean and Castos are closely matched for core workflows. Both support advanced analytics, dynamic ad insertion, paid subscriptions, private podcasts, and video podcasts. Podbean has confirmed free plan and API access. Castos has confirmed free trial. Monthly price is $12 for Podbean and $19 for Castos.

## Key decision points

- Podbean has confirmed free plan; free plan is not yet confirmed for Castos.
- Castos has confirmed free trial; free trial is not yet confirmed for Podbean.
- Monthly price is $12 for Podbean and $19 for Castos.
- Podbean has confirmed API access; API access is not yet confirmed for Castos.

## Choose Podbean if…

- Choose Podbean if confirmed free plan matters to you; this detail is not yet confirmed for Castos.
- Choose Podbean if the lower monthly price is the deciding factor.
- Choose Podbean if confirmed API access matters to you; this detail is not yet confirmed for Castos.

## Choose Castos if…

- Choose Castos if confirmed free trial matters to you; this detail is not yet confirmed for Podbean.

## Capacity

| Feature | Podbean | Castos |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Number of podcasts | 1 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing)) | -1 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/pricing/)) |
| Monthly upload limit | 1 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing)) | -1 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/pricing/)) |
| Storage limit | 0 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing)) | Not confirmed |
| Download limits | Not confirmed | -1 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/pricing/)) |
| Team members | 50 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing)) | 5 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/pricing/)) |

## Features

| Feature | Podbean | Castos |
| --- | --- | --- |
| IAB-certified analytics | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/)) | Not confirmed |
| Advanced analytics | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/pricing/)) |
| Dynamic ad insertion | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/)) |
| Paid subscriptions | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/apple-podcasts-subscriptions)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/)) |
| Listener donations | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/)) |
| Private podcasts | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/)) |
| Video podcasts | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/pricing/)) |
| Automatic transcription | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/)) |
| Podcast website | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/)) |
| Custom domain | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/pricing/)) |
| Episode scheduling | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/)) | Not confirmed |
| Migration assistance | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/pricing/)) |

## Integrations

| Feature | Podbean | Castos |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Podcast advertising marketplace | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/)) | Not confirmed |
| Distribution to Spotify | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/)) |
| Distribution to Apple Podcasts | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/)) |
| YouTube distribution | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/)) |
| WordPress integration | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/)) |

## Technical

| Feature | Podbean | Castos |
| --- | --- | --- |
| API | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://help.podbean.com/support/home)) | Not confirmed |

## Pricing

| Feature | Podbean | Castos |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free plan | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/)) | Not confirmed |
| Free trial | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/pricing/)) |
| Monthly price | $12 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing)) | $19 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/pricing/)) |

## Commercial

| Feature | Podbean | Castos |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Affiliate programme | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.podbean.com/)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://castos.com/)) |

## Evidence

- **Podbean — Number of podcasts:** 1. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing. Evidence: “Audio podcast”
- **Castos — Number of podcasts:** -1. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Unlimited Podcasts and Episodes included included included included”
- **Podbean — Monthly upload limit:** 1. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing. Evidence: “1GB uploads/mo.”
- **Castos — Monthly upload limit:** -1. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Unlimited Episodes Publish daily, create 4-hour-long episodes, or migrate hundreds of episodes from your back catalog — you'll never hit an upload limit.”
- **Podbean — Storage limit:** 0. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing. Evidence: “Unlimited total storage”
- **Castos — Download limits:** -1. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Unlimited Downloads There's no cap on how large your audience can grow.”
- **Podbean — IAB-certified analytics:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/. Evidence: “Podbean provides IAB-certified podcast analytics and intuitive charts to help you grow your podcast.”
- **Podbean — Advanced analytics:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing. Evidence: “Advanced podcast stats Get deeper insights into your audience with detailed analytics, including listener locations, devices, sources, and trends.”
- **Castos — Advanced analytics:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Advanced Analytics — not included included included included”
- **Podbean — Dynamic ad insertion:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/. Evidence: “Podbean offers a variety of monetization tools, including Ads Marketplace, dynamic ad insertion technology, and Apple Podcasts Subscriptions Integration”
- **Castos — Dynamic ad insertion:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/. Evidence: “dynamic ad insertion into every episode”
- **Podbean — Podcast advertising marketplace:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/. Evidence: “Podbean offers a variety of monetization tools, including Ads Marketplace, dynamic ad insertion technology, and Apple Podcasts Subscriptions Integration”
- **Podbean — Paid subscriptions:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/apple-podcasts-subscriptions. Evidence: “With Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, you can build a recurring source of income by offering exclusive premium content to your dedicated fans”
- **Castos — Paid subscriptions:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/. Evidence: “Take listener donations and unlock the seventh wonder of business, recurring revenue, with paid subscriptions.”
- **Castos — Listener donations:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/. Evidence: “Take listener donations and unlock the seventh wonder of business, recurring revenue, with paid subscriptions.”
- **Podbean — Private podcasts:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing. Evidence: “Private podcasting Private podcast hosting, private groups, private members, content protection, SSO login, and more.”
- **Castos — Private podcasts:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/. Evidence: “Share bonus episodes, ad-free content, and behind-the-scenes clips with private podcast subscribers.”
- **Podbean — Video podcasts:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing. Evidence: “Unlimited Plus Ideal for creators who work with both Audio and Video”
- **Castos — Video podcasts:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Video File Hosting — not included — not included included included”
- **Podbean — Automatic transcription:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/. Evidence: “AI Content Assistant Generate automated titles and show notes, well-structured chapter markers, and AI-enhanced transcripts that deliver accurate, engaging, and polished text for every episode.”
- **Castos — Automatic transcription:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/. Evidence: “Transcripts in 19 languages”
- **Podbean — Podcast website:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/. Evidence: “Every Podbean podcast hosting account comes with a free podcast website.”
- **Castos — Podcast website:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/. Evidence: “Every Castos podcast gets a fully customizable website out of the box”
- **Podbean — Custom domain:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing. Evidence: “Map your own domain Use your own custom domain as the URL for your podcast site to build a stronger brand identity.”
- **Castos — Custom domain:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Custom Website Domain included included included included”
- **Podbean — Distribution to Spotify:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/. Evidence: “As an Apple-recommended hosting provider and Spotify partner, Podbean makes it easy to distribute your podcast to top listening apps like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more”
- **Castos — Distribution to Spotify:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/. Evidence: “Hit publish and Castos pushes your episode to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere else your audience listens”
- **Podbean — Distribution to Apple Podcasts:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/. Evidence: “As an Apple-recommended hosting provider and Spotify partner, Podbean makes it easy to distribute your podcast to top listening apps like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more”
- **Castos — Distribution to Apple Podcasts:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/. Evidence: “Hit publish and Castos pushes your episode to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere else your audience listens”
- **Podbean — YouTube distribution:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing. Evidence: “Auto-share to social media Auto-share to Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Tumblr, and WordPress.”
- **Castos — YouTube distribution:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/. Evidence: “Castos automatically converts and publishes your audio to YouTube”
- **Podbean — Team members:** 50. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing. Evidence: “50 team members”
- **Castos — Team members:** 5. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Multiple team members Just you Up to 5 Up to 10 Unlimited”
- **Podbean — WordPress integration:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing. Evidence: “Auto-share to social media Auto-share to Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Tumblr, and WordPress.”
- **Castos — WordPress integration:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/. Evidence: “manage your show directly from your WordPress dashboard with our Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin”
- **Podbean — Episode scheduling:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/. Evidence: “Easily publish your content with AI optimization, schedule episodes, and effortlessly track listener demographics and engagement metrics.”
- **Podbean — Migration assistance:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/. Evidence: “Migrating your podcast is easy and free. First, you import your current content using our free importing tool.”
- **Castos — Migration assistance:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Personalized Migration Assistance From Your Current Host included included included included”
- **Podbean — API:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://help.podbean.com/support/home. Evidence: “Publishing a New Podcast Episode via Podbean API”
- **Podbean — Free plan:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/. Evidence: “Can I really start a podcast for free? Yes. With Podbean you can start a podcast for free. Podbean offers a free podcast hosting service.”
- **Castos — Free trial:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Start with a 14-day free trial, no credit card required.”
- **Podbean — Monthly price:** $12. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-hosting-pricing. Evidence: “$ 12 /mo.”
- **Castos — Monthly price:** $19. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/pricing/. Evidence: “$19 / month”
- **Podbean — Affiliate programme:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.podbean.com/. Evidence: “Affiliate Program”
- **Castos — Affiliate programme:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://castos.com/. Evidence: “Affiliates”