Castos vs RSS.com
Two of the top three podcast hosts, compared rule by rule on published facts.
In short
- Castos has 77 points and RSS.com 72, 5 apart on our podcast hosting platforms rules.
- Castos earns more on hosting limits, publishing and your data; RSS.com earns more on ads and stats and price.
- Cheapest paid plan: Castos $15.83/mo, RSS.com $15/mo.
- Only Castos meets: more than one show, private podcasts, public API and download your files.
- Only RSS.com meets: IAB-certified downloads and free plan that publishes.
Points by group
| Group | Castos | RSS.com |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting limits of 20 | 20 | 16 |
| Publishing of 28 | 27 | 18 |
| Ads and stats of 13 | 7 | 13 |
| Your data of 21 | 21 | 15 |
| Price of 18 | 2 | 10 |
| Total | 77 | 72 |
Rule by rule
What each vendor publishes, and the points it earns. Sources are on each product page.
| Rule (points) | Castos | RSS.com |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited episodes (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| No monthly upload cap (6) | Yes 6 | Yes 6 |
| No download cap (6) | Yes 6 | Yes 6 |
| More than one show (4) | Yes 4 | No 0 |
| Directory submission guides (4) | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music 3 | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music 3 |
| Private podcasts (6) | Yes 6 | Not published 0 |
| Video podcasts (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Automatic transcripts (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| Team members (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Public API (3) | Yes 3 | No 0 |
| Show website and player (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Dynamic ad insertion (7) | Yes 7 | Yes 7 |
| IAB-certified downloads (6) | No 0 | Yes 6 |
| Import from another host (7) | Yes 7 | Yes 7 |
| Redirect when you leave (8) | Yes 8 | Yes 8 |
| Download your files (6) | Yes 6 | Not published 0 |
| Free plan that publishes (8) | No 0 | Yes 8 |
| Cheapest paid plan (10) | $15.83/mo 2 | $15/mo 2 |
Castos
Castos suits creators who want no limits on shows, episodes or downloads and plan to leave or arrive without losing listeners, since it documents import, a 301 redirect and file download. Transcripts and private feeds come with the entry plan, and paid plans can request dynamic ad insertion. The catch: there is no free plan, and video hosting and larger teams cost more.
RSS.com
RSS.com suits creators who want to start free and move to a low-priced paid plan with AI transcripts and a podcast website. Ad insertion (PAID) is listed on Plus, and video sits on Max. The catch: its API is still in beta, and its privacy page does not mention private podcasts.
Both products are scored by the same rules: how we score podcast hosts.