Captivate vs Podbean: which costs less?
For a new show (1,000 downloads), Podbean is cheaper (Captivate Personal $19 vs Podbean Unlimited Audio $17 a month). Across the 7 needs below, Captivate is cheaper in 1 and Podbean in 6.
Last checked 2026-10-18 on the official pages.
Monthly cost for each need
Cheapest fitting plan of each, monthly billing, add-ons included.
| Need | Captivate | Podbean | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| a new show (1,000 downloads) | Personal $19 | Unlimited Audio $17 | Podbean by $2 |
| 10,000 downloads a month | Personal $19 | Unlimited Audio $17 | Podbean by $2 |
| 50,000 downloads a month | Professional $49 | Unlimited Audio $17 | Podbean by $32 |
| 150,000 downloads a month | Professional $49 | Unlimited Audio $17 | Podbean by $32 |
| 3 podcasts, 10,000 downloads | Personal $19 | Network $99 | Captivate by $80 |
| a video podcast, 5,000 downloads | no plan fits | Unlimited Plus $39 | Podbean (only one fits) |
| a daily show (12 upload hours a month) | Personal $19 | Unlimited Audio $17 | Podbean by $2 |
Your own numbers · Captivate pricing · Podbean pricing
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Disclosure: Links marked “affiliate link” (Castos, Captivate) earn PodHostCost a commission if you sign up, at no cost to you. Prices, totals and rankings are calculated the same way for every host and never depend on affiliate status.
Captivate plans
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually (per month) | Podcasts | Downloads / month | Upload hours / month | Video podcast | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal | $19/mo | $17/mo | unlimited / no cap stated | 30,000 | no cap stated | not stated | |
| Professional | $49/mo | $44/mo | unlimited / no cap stated | 150,000 | no cap stated | not stated | |
| Business | $99/mo | $90/mo | unlimited / no cap stated | 300,000 | no cap stated | not stated |
Podbean plans
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually (per month) | Podcasts | Downloads / month | Upload hours / month | Video podcast | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Audio | $17/mo | $12/mo | 1 | no cap stated | 16 | not stated | 1GB uploads a month (16 hrs audio); unmetered bandwidth |
| Unlimited Plus | $39/mo | $29/mo | 2 | no cap stated | 160 | yes | 2 audio or video podcasts; 10GB a month (160 hrs audio or 10 hrs video) |
| Network | $99/mo | $79/mo | unlimited / no cap stated | 3TB bandwidth a month (not converted to downloads) | 660 | yes | Unlimited podcasts; 40GB a month (660 hrs audio or 40 hrs video); 3TB bandwidth |
| Business | $129/mo | $99/mo | 2 | no cap stated | 660 | yes | Unlimited private + 2 public podcasts; 40GB a month |
Total = plan price + any paid extra podcasts. Download and upload caps are the plan limits each host states; 'no cap stated' means the pricing page sets none (most call it unlimited or unmetered); Fireside and Podbean Network cap bandwidth in GB/TB, which is shown but not converted to downloads. Upload hours are audio hours (video uses more storage). 'Video podcast' = the host lists video podcast hosting on that plan. monthly price = no annual price is published as a number, so the monthly price is used. Ties are broken by name. Affiliate status is never used.
Frequently asked questions
Is Captivate cheaper than Podbean?
For a new show (1,000 downloads), Podbean is cheaper (Captivate Personal $19 vs Podbean Unlimited Audio $17 a month). Across the 7 needs below, Captivate is cheaper in 1 and Podbean in 6.
What do Captivate and Podbean cost per month?
Captivate: Personal $19; Professional $49; Business $99. Podbean: Unlimited Audio $17; Unlimited Plus $39; Network $99; Business $129 (monthly billing where published).
Do Captivate or Podbean have a free trial?
Captivate: 30-day free trial. Podbean: free account to start.