Castos vs Hello Audio: listener caps or feed caps

Castos vs Hello Audio: the short answer

Hello Audio counts private feeds and not listeners, and Castos counts private subscribers. As read on October 18, 2026, Hello Audio Starter is $17 a month, billed monthly, for one private feed with unlimited listeners, and Castos Essentials is $19 a month, billed monthly, for up to 100 private subscribers. Castos adds a listener app from Growth; Hello Audio has none of its own.

Feeds or listeners: how each host counts private access

Hello Audio plans carry 1, 3 or unlimited private feeds, each a podcast feed hidden from directories and opened with a unique link, and every plan lists unlimited listeners. Castos counts private subscribers, the people who each get their own private feed: up to 100, 250 or 500 by plan. Above 500 on Pro, Castos lists an add-on of $50 a month per extra 500; Castos pricing explains how its pages differ on the route.

A company with one show fits Hello Audio Starter at any headcount, but Hello Audio's pages read name no single sign-on or company controls. Both hosts document removing one person. Castos revokes an individual feed. Hello Audio switches a listener off, but only a listener added with a personal link, because its shared link cannot remove an individual.

Apps, Spotify and expiring feeds

Hello Audio delivers through the listener's own podcast player and says it has no proprietary app. Its expiring feeds start on Pro. Castos offers its mobile app from Growth, where a private subscriber signs in with an email and a one-time code.

Hello Audio is on Spotify's list of Open Access platforms, Spotify's way of connecting a host's private feeds, and its help says the audio stays private on Spotify while the titles, description, author name and show notes are public. Castos says Spotify does not support private feeds.

Trials, refunds and billing

Hello Audio offers a 7-day trial with Powerhouse features and no credit card, and refunds on request within 30 days of the first payment. Castos's 14-day trial takes a card at the start and does not charge it until the 14 days are up; it gives no refund for unused time, per Castos's terms.

Billed annually, Hello Audio Starter is $14 a month. Hello Audio prints no year total. Castos Essentials is $190 a year, billed annually, and Castos prints no per-month rate.

Who Hello Audio fits, and who Castos fits

Hello Audio writes for creators with protected content, while Castos names leadership updates, onboarding and training as uses for a private podcast. A training lead who wants onboarding audio on new hires' phones, without a listening portal or a single sign-on request to IT, can use either host: Hello Audio Starter covers the whole class on one feed, and Castos Growth, $49 a month, billed monthly, adds an app and a revocable feed per hire.

Pick Hello Audio for unlimited listeners, a 7-day trial with no card and a 30-day refund window. Read Hello Audio alternatives, Castos private podcast and private podcast hosting cost for the next step.