Captivate vs Libsyn:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Libsyn had more branded searches than Captivate among podcast hosting platforms worldwide. Libsyn had about 14,800 branded searches, while Captivate had 1,050. Libsyn made up 4.3% of all podcast hosting platform searches we track, and Captivate accounted for 0.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about podcast hosting platforms, Captivate appeared in all five answers and Libsyn in none.
Who do people search for more?
Libsyn, about 14 searches for every 1 for Captivate
Who does AI mention more?
Captivate, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Captivate, the only one of the two named
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Top podcast hosting platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Captivate appeared in all five answers. Libsyn did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Buzzsprout1st
Spotify for Creators2nd
Transistor3rd- RSS.com4th
- Captivate5th
Riverside6th
Podbean7th
RedCircle–
Acast–- Libsyn–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Spotify for Creators5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Buzzsprout5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Captivate5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- RSS.com4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Transistor3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Podbean2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Riverside2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- RedCircle0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Acast0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Libsyn0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about podcast hosting platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which podcast hosting platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best podcast hosting platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best podcast hosting platform for publishing and distribution?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“podcast hosting platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“podcast hosting service”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Captivate or Libsyn more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Captivate and Libsyn by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten podcast hosting platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Libsyn, Captivate. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Spotify for Creators | RedCircle | Buzzsprout | Podbean | Acast | Libsyn | Transistor | RSS.com | Captivate | Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 24.9% | 30.7% | 15.1% | 13.9% | 9.1% | 5% | 0.46% | 0.44% | 0.35% | 0.13% |
| Nov 2025 | 27.3% | 27.7% | 13.9% | 15.2% | 10% | 4.5% | 0.51% | 0.48% | 0.38% | 0.14% |
| Dec 2025 | 28.6% | 28.9% | 14.5% | 13.1% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 0.51% | 0.51% | 0.38% | 0.12% |
| Jan 2026 | 29.7% | 30.1% | 15.2% | 11.2% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 0.54% | 0.51% | 0.46% | 0.16% |
| Feb 2026 | 30.6% | 30.9% | 12.8% | 11.5% | 7.5% | 5% | 0.5% | 0.53% | 0.44% | 0.13% |
| Mar 2026 | 33.4% | 27.5% | 13.9% | 12.5% | 8.2% | 3% | 0.51% | 0.47% | 0.43% | 0.15% |
| Apr 2026 | 35.7% | 29.5% | 11.9% | 11% | 7.2% | 3.2% | 0.55% | 0.5% | 0.37% | 0.16% |
| May 2026 | 36.1% | 29.7% | 11.6% | 11.1% | 7.2% | 2.6% | 0.62% | 0.51% | 0.37% | 0.16% |
| Jun 2026 | 38.8% | 26.3% | 12.9% | 9.6% | 7.8% | 2.8% | 0.71% | 0.55% | 0.33% | 0.17% |
| Jul 2026 | 40.1% | 27.2% | 11.4% | 10% | 6.6% | 2.9% | 0.69% | 0.56% | 0.32% | 0.18% |
| Aug 2026 | 39.7% | 26.9% | 11% | 9.8% | 8% | 2.9% | 0.68% | 0.56% | 0.32% | 0.17% |
| Sep 2026 | 39.2% | 26.6% | 10.1% | 9.7% | 7.9% | 4.3% | 1.4% | 0.55% | 0.3% | 0.17% |
How has the Captivate and Libsyn comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Libsyn was ahead of Captivate in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Captivate’s share of searches among podcast hosting platforms worldwide moved from 0.35% to 0.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.3K to 1.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Libsyn’s share of searches among podcast hosting platforms worldwide moved from 5% to 4.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 18.1K to 14.8K.
How did search popularity change for podcast hosting platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Libsyn gained share of searches among podcast hosting platforms worldwide, from 2.9% to 4.3%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Captivate worldwide fell 16.7% over 12 measured months, from 1.3K to 1.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Captivate’s and Libsyn’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among podcast hosting platforms
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