--- title: Castos canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/castos/ category: Podcast Hosting Platforms points: 77 rank: 2 of 10 facts_checked: 2026-10-09 --- # Castos Podcast host with unlimited shows, episodes and downloads on every paid plan, from $19 a month. 77 points out of 100. #2 of 10 podcast hosts. Vendor: Castos. Website: https://castos.com/ - Essentials costs $19 a month, or $190 a year ($15.83 a month), with a 14-day trial and no free plan [1]. - Every plan includes unlimited podcasts, episodes and downloads [1]. - Essentials includes 10 transcripts a month and up to 100 private subscribers [1]. - Video episodes need the Pro plan at $99 a month ($990 a year) [1][11]. - Castos says it follows IAB guidelines but is not yet certified [10]. Verdict: 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 [1][6][7][8]. Transcripts and private feeds come with the entry plan, and paid plans can request dynamic ad insertion [1][12]. The catch: there is no free plan, and video hosting and larger teams cost more [1][11]. Best for: Creators who want no caps and a WordPress-friendly host. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Hosting limits | Unlimited episodes | Yes | 4/4 | Essentials page says all plans include unlimited podcasts and episodes; no storage figure is shown [1]. | | Hosting limits | No monthly upload cap | Yes | 6/6 | Pricing page says of episodes: "you'll never hit an upload limit"; no monthly allowance is listed [1]. | | Hosting limits | No download cap | Yes | 6/6 | Pricing page lists unlimited downloads on Essentials and says there is no cap on audience growth [1]. | | Hosting limits | More than one show | Yes | 4/4 | Essentials lists unlimited podcasts under one account [1]. | | Publishing | Directory submission guides | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music | 3/4 | Help articles cover Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music; none covers YouTube Music [3][4][5]. | | Publishing | Private podcasts | Yes | 6/6 | Essentials includes up to 100 private subscribers [1]. | | Publishing | Video podcasts | Yes | 4/4 | Pro plan uploads MP4 video episodes, available on Apple Podcasts and other video directories; Castos can republish them to YouTube [11][15]. | | Publishing | Automatic transcripts | Yes | 3/3 | Essentials includes 10 AI transcripts a month in the plan price [1]. | | Publishing | Team members | Yes | 4/4 | Growth allows up to 5 team members, Pro up to 10 [1]. | | Publishing | Public API | Yes | 3/3 | REST API documentation covers creating and managing podcasts and episodes [9]. | | Publishing | Show website and player | Yes | 4/4 | Every plan includes a podcast website with a page per episode; episodes have an embeddable player [1][13][14]. | | Ads and stats | Dynamic ad insertion | Yes | 7/7 | Castos Ads FAQ says it uses dynamic ad insertion; you request access from a paid plan, and only MP3 episodes qualify [12]. | | Ads and stats | IAB-certified downloads | No | 0/6 | Castos says it follows IAB guidelines but is "not yet certified" [10]. | | Your data | Import from another host | Yes | 7/7 | Import tool takes your current RSS feed URL and shows the episode count [6]; the features page also offers free migration [2]. | | Your data | Redirect when you leave | Yes | 8/8 | Help article on redirecting the RSS feed lists moving to a new host and says 301 redirects are permanent [7]. | | Your data | Download your files | Yes | 6/6 | Help article shows how to download an episode's audio file from the dashboard, one episode at a time [8]. | | Price | Free plan that publishes | No | 0/8 | Every plan starts with a 14-day trial; no free plan is listed [1]. | | Price | Cheapest paid plan | $15.83/mo | 2/10 | Essentials, $190 a year billed yearly, the cheapest plan [1]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | Essentials | $190/year ($19/month billed monthly) [1] | $15.83 | | Growth | $490/year ($49/month billed monthly) [1] | $40.83 | | Pro | $990/year ($99/month billed monthly) [1] | $82.50 | The yearly price equals 10 months, which the page calls 2 months free. Premium starts at $499 a month and is not counted [1]. ## Strengths - Unlimited podcasts, episodes and downloads on every plan, with no upload limit stated [1]. - A help article describes importing an existing show from its RSS feed [6]. - A help article describes a permanent 301 redirect for moving to a new host [7]. - Public REST API can create and manage podcasts, episodes and private subscribers [9]. - Dynamic ad insertion can be requested on paid plans, for MP3 episodes [1][12]. ## Limits - No free plan; every plan starts with a 14-day trial that needs a card [1]. - Castos says its analytics follow IAB guidelines but are not yet certified [10]. - Hosted video episodes need the Pro plan, and Spotify does not accept them from third-party hosts [11]. - The Essentials plan has one user; five need Growth at $49 a month [1]. - The help pages show no YouTube Music submission guide [3][4][5]. ## Vendor claims (not scored) - Castos says its analytics follow IAB guidelines [10]. ## Sources 1. [Castos pricing](https://castos.com/pricing/), Castos, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [Castos features](https://castos.com/features/), Castos, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [Submit your podcast to Apple Podcasts](https://support.castos.com/article/189-submit-your-podcast-rss-feed-to-apple-podcasts), Castos, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [Submit your podcast to Spotify](https://support.castos.com/article/191-submit-your-podcast-to-spotify), Castos, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [Submit your podcast to Amazon Music](https://support.castos.com/article/190-submitting-your-podcast-to-amazon-music), Castos, accessed 2026-10-08 6. [Migrate your podcast from another host to Castos](https://support.castos.com/article/97-migrate-your-podcast-from-another-host-to-castos), Castos, accessed 2026-10-08 7. [Redirect your podcast's RSS feed](https://support.castos.com/article/76-redirect-your-podcasts-rss-feed), Castos, accessed 2026-10-08 8. [Download a Podcast Episode from Castos](https://support.castos.com/article/182-download-a-podcast-episode-from-castos), Castos, accessed 2026-10-08 9. [REST API Technical Documentation](https://support.castos.com/article/127-rest-api-technical-documentation), Castos, accessed 2026-10-08 10. [How Castos Analytics Work](https://support.castos.com/article/259-how-castos-analytics-work), Castos, accessed 2026-10-08 11. [Add video episodes to your podcast](https://support.castos.com/article/180-add-video-episodes-to-your-podcast), Castos, accessed 2026-10-08 12. [Castos Ads FAQ](https://support.castos.com/article/303-castos-ads-faq), Castos, accessed 2026-10-08 13. [Sharing Your Castos Episode Page URL](https://support.castos.com/article/471-sharing-your-castos-episode-page-url), Castos, accessed 2026-10-08 14. [Add an episode to your website](https://support.castos.com/article/181-add-an-episode-to-your-website), Castos, accessed 2026-10-08 15. [Submit your video podcast to podcast directories](https://support.castos.com/article/429-submit-your-video-podcast-to-podcast-directories), Castos, accessed 2026-10-09