Yearly cost by monthly downloads
One audio show, annual billing, the cheapest published plan that covers the downloads. US dollars, checked Oct 29, 2026.
| Downloads a month | Transistor | Captivate | Castos | RSS.com | Buzzsprout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | $190 (Starter) | $204 (Personal) | $190 (Essentials) | $180 (Plus) | $180 (Audio)* |
| 50,000 | $490 (Professional) | $528 (Professional) | $190 (Essentials) | $180 (Plus) | $180 (Audio)* |
| 120,000 | $990 (Business) | $528 (Professional) | $190 (Essentials) | $180 (Plus) | $180 (Audio)* |
| 200,000 | $990 (Business) | $1,080 (Business) | $190 (Essentials) | $180 (Plus) | $180 (Audio)* |
| 300,000 | $1,990 (Enterprise 1) | $1,080 (Business) | $190 (Essentials) | $180 (Plus) | $180 (Audio)* |
*Buzzsprout doesn’t price by downloads. $180 covers 72 hours of uploads a year (for example, a weekly show of up to about 80 minutes). Extra upload time is billed at the plan’s hourly rate. RSS.com also has a free plan with unlimited episodes and downloads, but monetization, YouTube videos, and transcripts start on Plus.
Low prices at high downloads come with trade-offs. Castos Essentials is for one user, and RSS.com Plus is for one show. Check the next table before you pick on price alone.
Features that change the decision
| Transistor | Captivate | Castos | RSS.com | Buzzsprout | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shows per account | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1 on Plus; up to 10 on Pro; unlimited on Max | 1; 5 or 10 on Multi-Podcast |
| Team members | Unlimited | Not stated on the pricing page | Just you on Essentials; 5 on Growth; 10 on Pro | Unlimited on Pro and Max | Unlimited |
| Private subscribers | 50 / 500 / 3,000 | Private podcasting on all plans (limits not stated) | 100 / 250 / 500 | Not listed | Not listed |
| Video | Professional and up | Not covered on the pricing page | YouTube republishing on Growth; video hosting on Pro | Max: one upload goes to Apple Podcasts and YouTube | Audio + Video plan |
| Transcripts | Add-on from $5/mo | Not covered on the pricing page | 10, 25, or 100 a month by plan | AI transcripts on Plus and up | Included on paid plans |
| Trial or guarantee | 14-day trial | 30-day trial | 14-day trial (card required) | Free plan; 30-day money-back on paid plans | Free plan |
Captivate
Captivate charges by downloads, like Transistor, but its tiers are larger: Personal covers 30,000 downloads a month at $17/mo paid yearly, Professional 150,000 at $44, and Business 300,000 at $90. Monthly billing starts at $19. Every plan includes unlimited podcasts and unlimited uploads and storage, and Captivate lists dynamic content insertion, IAB-certified analytics, private podcasting, network features, and a podcast website on all plans. Going over your limit once is fine; if you go over two months in a row, Captivate will ask you to move up a tier. Students, educational organizations, registered charities, and nonprofits get 25% off. Head-to-head: Captivate vs Transistor.
Castos
Castos includes unlimited podcasts, episodes, and downloads on every plan, so you pay for features, not audience size. Essentials is $19/mo or $190/yr with 10 transcripts a month and up to 100 private subscribers. Growth ($49/mo or $490/yr) adds the private podcasting mobile app, YouTube republishing, and up to 5 team members. Pro ($99/mo or $990/yr) adds video file hosting and 500 private subscribers. Extra private subscribers cost $50/mo per 500, and the AI Assistant add-on is $10/mo. You add a card at the start of the 14-day trial. More detail: Castos vs Captivate.
Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout bills by upload hours. Audio is $18/mo with 6 hours a month, or $15/mo billed annually with 72 hours a year. Audio + Video is $30/mo or $25/mo billed annually. Multi-Podcast plans cover 5 or 10 shows. Transcripts are included on paid plans. The free plan gives 2 upload hours a month, with episodes hosted for 90 days. Full breakdown: Transistor vs Buzzsprout.
RSS.com
RSS.com includes unlimited episodes and downloads on every plan. Plus is $19.99/mo, or $15/mo billed annually ($180 a year). It adds ads, Apple Podcasts paid subscriptions, YouTube videos made from audio episodes, AI transcripts, and advanced analytics. Pro ($34.99/mo, or $26/mo billed annually) covers up to 10 podcasts and unlimited team members. Max ($49.99/mo, or $37/mo billed annually) adds unlimited audio and video podcasts and full API access. Paid plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Before you switch
- Check your real download numbers for the last 3 months, not your best month. Download-capped hosts price on your typical month.
- List what you use on Transistor today: extra shows, team seats, private subscribers, dynamic ads, video. Then price those on the new host.
- Keep the feed redirect in place. Use a 301 redirect from your Transistor feed so apps follow you. Steps: how to move a podcast to a new host.
For Transistor’s own tiers, see Transistor pricing.
Sources
- Transistor pricing: https://transistor.fm/pricing/ (checked Oct 29, 2026)
- Captivate pricing: https://www.captivate.fm/pricing (checked Oct 29, 2026)
- Castos pricing: https://castos.com/pricing/ (checked Oct 29, 2026)
- RSS.com pricing: https://rss.com/pricing/ (checked Oct 29, 2026)
- Buzzsprout pricing: https://www.buzzsprout.com/pricing (checked Oct 29, 2026)