# Castopod

A podcast you host. Castopod is AGPL-3.0 — Apple Podcasts without the hosted show seat.

**Replaces:** Apple Podcasts / Buzzsprout / Transistor

**Tier:** Medium

## Problem

Apple Podcasts is a hosted directory and a player. Buzzsprout and Transistor are the same hosted show-and-RSS seat. You wanted RSS, episodes, and a public show on hardware you control. Castopod is AGPL-3.0 (ad-aures/castopod is a GitHub mirror of code.castopod.org/adaures/castopod; last push 21 Oct 2026) — ActivityPub podcast hosting. Funkwhale is AGPL-3.0 federated audio (dev.funkwhale.audio/funkwhale/funkwhale; last push 24 Oct 2026) if the job is a library rather than episode RSS — /compare/castopod-vs-funkwhale. AzuraCast is AGPL-3.0 web radio, not an episode RSS feed. Audiobookshelf is the listener library already on /replace/audible — not a show you publish. Owncast is live — /replace/twitch. This is not Apple's every subscription SKU, Buzzsprout's every dynamic-ad SKU, Transistor's every private-podcast SKU, or Spotify exclusive distribution.

## Stack

- [Castopod](https://castopod.org) — AGPL-3.0 podcast host (Codeberg-shaped GitLab origin; GitHub is a mirror) — the published Apple Podcasts path
- [Funkwhale](https://funkwhale.audio) — AGPL-3.0 federated audio library (GitLab origin)
- [AzuraCast](https://www.azuracast.com/) — AGPL-3.0 web radio if the job is a station, not episode RSS

## Estimated SaaS cost saved

| You stop paying | Typical / year | Self-host instead |
|---|---:|---|
| Apple Podcasts / hosted show (small team) | $1,200 | Castopod + an audio volume |

**About $1,200 / year** on a small team, before you count lock-in.

## Deploy on Railway

Placeholder: Castopod (PHP + a database + a volume for audio) as castopod.org documents. The GitHub repo is a read-only mirror of code.castopod.org. No one-click template in this repo yet — Start on Railway. A listener library stays on /stacks/audiobookshelf-books.

[Start on Railway](https://c17.io/go/railway/castopod-podcasts?from=%2Fstacks%2Fcastopod-podcasts.md)

[Audiobookshelf if this is a library you listen to, not a show you publish](https://c17.io/stacks/audiobookshelf-books)

## AGENT_PROMPT

```
Replace Apple Podcasts hosting with Castopod (https://castopod.org).

- Official docs. GitHub ad-aures/castopod mirrors code.castopod.org. Persist the database and audio volume. Publish one episode RSS. Do not claim Apple subscriptions or Spotify exclusives.
- Audiobookshelf if the job is a library you listen to — /stacks/audiobookshelf-books. AzuraCast if the job is live radio.
- Write AGENT_PROMPT.md.
```

## FAQ

### Castopod or Audiobookshelf?

Castopod if you publish a show (the published Apple Podcasts path). Audiobookshelf if you subscribe and listen — /replace/audible.

### Is this AzuraCast?

AzuraCast is a radio station, not episode RSS. Put it on /best/podcast-hosting so a stream is not sold as a podcast.

### Are these free?

Castopod and AzuraCast are AGPL-3.0. You pay hosting and storage. Template users never pay c17.

### Buzzsprout?

Same published show — /replace/buzzsprout. Funkwhale if the job is a federated library — /compare/castopod-vs-funkwhale.

### Transistor?

Same published show — /replace/transistor.

Source: https://c17.io/stacks/castopod-podcasts