Captivate

Captivate stores your episodes, sends them to the big listening apps, and gives you a website and player. Audio plans share the core tools and differ by download allowance. Apple HLS video is a separately priced service.

It is built for hosts who are not techies. The company talks in plain language and includes Growth Labs courses with every plan. You can run as many public shows as you want on one plan. Downloads are shared across those shows.

The appeal is bringing publishing, private podcasts and promotional features into the hosting workflow. Check insertion, upload and download rules on the plan you intend to buy. A supported feature does not establish how well it performs on your show.

What bites: you will pay from day one after the trial. If the show grows, the bill can grow with it. The dashboard has a lot of buttons, so some new users feel busy at first. There is no cheap just-park-the-files tier.

Start the trial and pick Personal unless you already have a large audience. Add your show details and art. Upload an episode or import from another host. Follow the on-screen steps to submit to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon. Cancel in the account settings if the trial is not for you. Check any separately billed video or usage features before enabling them.

Stay if you like the support and you actually use the growth tools. If you only need a mailbox for files, a simpler host may feel calmer.