specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Captivate
providerId: captivate-fm
created: '2026-07-05'
modified: '2026-07-05'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Podcasting
- Podcast Hosting
- Analytics
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Captivate spend. Captivate is billed as a flat monthly (or
  discounted annual) SaaS subscription in one of three tiers - Personal ($19/mo),
  Professional ($49/mo), or Business ($99/mo) - each including a fixed monthly
  download allowance (30,000 / 150,000 / 300,000). There is no metered per-call
  API charge and no separate API fee; the API is included with any active
  subscription. The dominant cost driver is audience size (downloads), which
  determines the tier a podcaster must sit on. This is a predictable,
  subscription-based cost rather than usage-metered cloud spend.
notes: >-
  Prices confirmed 2026-07-05 from Captivate's pricing FAQ; verify current
  numbers on the pricing page. Overage behavior when a plan's download allowance
  is exceeded (upgrade prompt vs. per-download overage) is not precisely
  documented and is left unreconciled.
sources:
- https://www.captivate.fm/pricing
- https://help.captivate.fm/en/articles/4575980-plans-pricing-faq
- https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: Captivate
serviceCategory: Media and Podcast Hosting
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Subscription
  billingFrequency: Monthly or Annual
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Purchase
meters:
- name: subscription
  description: Flat monthly or annual subscription fee for the chosen plan tier.
  unit: subscription
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - plan
- name: downloads
  description: Episode downloads served in the billing month; determines which plan tier is required.
  unit: downloads
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - show
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Track monthly downloads per account against the plan allowance to anticipate a required tier upgrade.
- name: Allocation
  description: Attribute the single subscription across the multiple shows hosted under one account when charging back to teams.
- name: Optimization
  description: Choose the lowest tier whose download allowance covers audience size; prefer annual billing for the built-in discount.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign an owner for the Captivate subscription and review downloads-vs-allowance monthly before renewal.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com