Best Podcast Hosting · head-to-head
Libsyn vs Captivate
A sourced, side-by-side comparison for podcast hosting. Libsyn has the lower entry price. Every figure links to the vendor's own page and the date we captured it.
At a glance
- Price: Libsyn $8/mo vs Captivate $19/mo — Libsyn is cheaper to start.
- Free tier: Libsyn No; Captivate No.
- HIPAA: Libsyn —; Captivate —.
Side by side
| Libsyn | Captivate | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $8/mo (Budget) | $19/mo (Personal) |
| Free tier | No | No |
| HIPAA (BAA) | — | — |
| SOC 2 | — | — |
| GDPR | — | — |
| Best for | Established podcasters with large back-catalogs and high download volume | Growth-focused podcasters wanting full feature access without upgrading tiers |
Sources — Libsyn: libsyn.com (verified 2026-06-14). Captivate: captivate.fm (verified 2026-06-14).
Key features
Libsyn: Upload-based billing model (not download-capped) — audience growth never raises costs; IAB-verified analytics across all paid tiers; PodRoll: earn revenue by promoting other podcasts in your feed; Full-service ad sales team for brand partnership deals; One-click distribution to 20+ platforms including Spotify video
Captivate: All features unlocked on every pricing tier — no feature gating by plan; Audio Monetization & Insertion Engine (AMIE) with bulk ad editing; Dynamic show notes builder with episode idea planning tools; Guest booking with calendar integration; Captivate Growth Labs: free community education on podcast marketing and SEO