The Castr Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Castr in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Castr
The Insider’s Guide
Multistreaming, video hosting and 24/7 playout in one service
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among webinar and live streaming tools, read from Castr’s own pages.
Made by Castr Live Streaming, Inc. · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Castr’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Castr’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 10 of the 14 other webinar and live streaming tools we grade
Castr is a live streaming service for multistreaming one encoder feed to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, LinkedIn and custom RTMP or SRT destinations, and for hosting the video on your own site. Every plan also includes cloud recording, an embeddable player, 24/7 TV-style playout of pre-recorded video and a paywall. It is aimed at broadcasters, churches, schools and event producers rather than webinar hosts, and takes its feed from encoders or cameras, with a browser switcher for mixing them.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Castr, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You set up an encoder such as OBS or a camera, add each destination and embed the player, which takes some know-how.
- 1
Best for multistreaming plus hosting your own video
It's for broadcasters, though: you bring the encoder, since the browser switcher is turned on only if you ask.
- 2
Paid plans start at $16.67 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $16.67 per month, billed annually ($19.99 billed monthly).
- 3
You can try it first
7-day free trial of the Starter plan, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Multistreaming
One RTMP or SRT feed goes out to up to 30 destinations, including YouTube, Facebook pages and groups, Twitch and LinkedIn; TikTok and Instagram connect through custom RTMP.
- 6
Video hosting and player
An embeddable player with analytics, video storage from 100 GB, and unlimited viewers within each plan's bandwidth allowance.
- 7
Cloud recording and live-to-VOD
Records streams of up to 72 hours, keeps the recordings for up to three days, and turns live streams into on-demand videos.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 10 of 14
That is against the other webinar and live streaming tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Castr you would be making one live stream sent to several platforms at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Castr at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $16.67 per month, billed annually ($19.99 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial of the Starter plan, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Castr Live Streaming, Inc., since 2018
- Category
- Webinars & Live Streaming
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for multistreaming plus hosting your own video
Castr takes one feed from your encoder or camera and sends it to up to 30 destinations, and it also hosts the video on your own site with a player, a paywall and 24/7 TV-style playout. Starter is $16.67 a month billed yearly. It's for broadcasters, though: you bring the encoder, since the browser switcher is turned on only if you ask.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Starter is $16.67 a month billed annually ($199.99 a year, $19.99 by the month) and streams to 6 destinations, enough for three platforms. That's level with Restream and Ecamm, well under StreamYard's Core, and it includes hosting and a paywall. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan, but a 7-day free trial of Starter with no credit card. The other plans go straight to checkout. |
| Features | C | Multistreaming to 30 destinations, hosting, a player, cloud recording, 24/7 playout and a paywall on every plan. The gaps: you bring the encoder, as the browser Cloud Production switcher is enabled by Castr on request, and recordings are kept up to three days. |
| Ease of use | C | No App Store rating on record. You set up an encoder such as OBS or a camera, add each destination and embed the player, which takes some know-how. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web service with no desktop or phone app listed. It sends to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch and LinkedIn, takes RTMP, SRT, RTSP and HLS input from OBS or cameras, and has an API on Premium. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Castr is for
- Great if a church or school streams services or events to several platforms
- Handy when you want to run a 24/7 channel from pre-recorded video
- Good for selling access to live streams behind a paywall
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a studio in the browser without asking Castr to switch it on
- Not for you if you've never used an encoder and don't want to learn
- Tight if you stream a lot to your own player, since each plan has a bandwidth allowance
Good to know
Good for
- Churches and schools streaming services or events to several platforms
- Broadcasters running a 24/7 channel from pre-recorded video
- Selling access to live streams behind a paywall
Worth knowing
- Streams come in from encoder software, hardware or IP cameras; the browser-based Cloud Production switcher is enabled by Castr on request.
- Each plan has a player-bandwidth allowance, and monthly plans get less upfront bandwidth and fewer concurrent streams than annual ones.
- Only Starter has the 7-day trial; the other plans go straight to checkout.
- DRM and native iOS, Android and TV apps for the Events plan are add-ons arranged with sales.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$16.67
A month to start
Castr is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $16.67 per month, billed annually ($19.99 billed monthly).
That's level with Restream and Ecamm, well under StreamYard's Core, and it includes hosting and a paywall.
Starter
$16.67
per month, billed annually ($19.99 billed monthly)
2 concurrent streams (3 on annual), 6 destinations, 200 GB of player bandwidth a month and 100 GB of video storage.
Standard
$41.67
per month, billed annually ($49.99 billed monthly)
10 destinations, 500 GB of bandwidth a month and 200 GB of storage, plus SRT and RTMP pull links and in-stream ads.
Premium
$166.67
per month, billed annually ($199.99 billed monthly)
5 streams (10 on annual), 20 destinations, 3 TB of bandwidth, 2 TB of storage, adaptive bitrate, API access and 3 team members.
Ultra
$291.67
per month, billed annually ($349.99 billed monthly)
10 streams (15 on annual), 30 destinations, 5 TB of bandwidth, 3 TB of storage, failover ingest and low-latency playback.
Events
$624.99
per month, billed annually ($749.99 billed monthly)
A branded OTT web app with a CMS, subscriptions and pay-per-view sales, 15 streams, 30 destinations and 10 TB of bandwidth a month.
Enterprise
Custom
Custom stream, bandwidth and storage allocations, enterprise controls and migration help, arranged with sales.
Trying it first
7-day free trial of the Starter plan, no credit card required
Read from castr.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Two months free with annual billing
Castr's pricing page says annual billing gives 2 months free plus a larger upfront bandwidth pool: Starter is $199.99 a year against $19.99 a month.
Stated on castr.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Multistreaming, video hosting and 24/7 playout in one service. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, multistreaming.
A web service with no desktop or phone app listed.
- Multistreaming
- One RTMP or SRT feed goes out to up to 30 destinations, including YouTube, Facebook pages and groups, Twitch and LinkedIn; TikTok and Instagram connect through custom RTMP.
- Video hosting and player
- An embeddable player with analytics, video storage from 100 GB, and unlimited viewers within each plan's bandwidth allowance.
- Cloud recording and live-to-VOD
- Records streams of up to 72 hours, keeps the recordings for up to three days, and turns live streams into on-demand videos.
- 24/7 playout
- Runs pre-recorded videos as an always-on live channel, like a TV station, on every plan.
- Paywall and monetization
- A paywall comes with every plan, in-stream ads start on Standard, and Events adds subscriptions, pay-per-view and more than 30 payment gateways.
- Ingest protocols and API
- Takes RTSP, RTMP, HLS, MPEG-TS and SRT input, offers pull links from Standard, and adds API access and HLS URLs on Premium.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- YouTube
- Twitch
- OBS Studio
Castr is made by Castr Live Streaming, Inc., and has been around since 2018.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
10/14
Other webinar and live streaming tools it is graded above
Castr's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 10 of the 14 other webinar and live streaming tools we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 11 of 14) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $16.67 a month, against a middle price of $47 for the category: 1 of the 13 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 15 webinar and live streaming tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Castr’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 11 of 14
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 14
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 14
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 14
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 3 of 14
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 14 webinar and live streaming tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Castr is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Castr you would be making one live stream sent to several platforms at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.4 is higher than 10 of the 14 other webinar and live streaming tools we grade. It costs $200.04 a year.
What you could not
- One live stream sent to several platforms at once.
- It plugs into other products, YouTube, Facebook and Twitch among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Castr’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Restream, Switcher Studio, StreamYard, Vimeo and OBS Studio
The 5 tools Castr is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Restream
Free plan · from $19/mo
Multistream one live video to YouTube, Twitch, LinkedIn and more.
- Restream has a free plan. Castr does not, though it has a free trial.
- Restream also covers transcription and webinars.
- 1.8GPA
Switcher Studio
Free trial · from $45/mo
Multicamera live streaming from iPhone, iPad and Mac.
- Only Castr lists a web app.
- Only Switcher Studio lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Switcher Studio also covers video editing.
- 2.0GPA
StreamYard
Free plan · from $35.99/mo
Browser-based studio for live streaming and recording with guests.
- StreamYard has a free plan. Castr does not, though it has a free trial.
- Castr also covers multistreaming.
- StreamYard also covers transcription and video editing.
- 2.6GPA
Vimeo
Free plan · from $12/mo
Ad-free video hosting with a customizable player and review tools.
- Vimeo has a free plan. Castr does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Vimeo lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- Castr also covers multistreaming.
- 2.8GPA
OBS Studio
Free
Free, open-source software for video recording and live streaming.
- OBS Studio has a free plan. Castr does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Castr lists a web app.
- Only OBS Studio lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Castr free?
No, Castr is a paid product, but you can try it first. 7-day free trial of the Starter plan, no credit card required.
How much does Castr cost?
Castr lists 6 plans. Starter: $16.67 per month, billed annually ($19.99 billed monthly).
What platforms does Castr work on?
Castr is available on Web.
Does Castr offer any discounts?
Castr publicly lists the following: Two months free with annual billing.
Does Castr have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Castr is listed for Web.
Does Castr have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Castr is listed for Web.
Is Castr open source?
Castr is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Castr have an API?
Yes. Castr offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Castr integrate with?
Castr's listing names YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, LinkedIn and OBS Studio.
Who makes Castr?
Castr is made by Castr Live Streaming, Inc. It dates from 2018.
What are the alternatives to Castr?
The closest alternatives to Castr in our directory are Restream, Switcher Studio, StreamYard, Vimeo and OBS Studio.
How does Castr compare with other webinar and live streaming tools?
Castr's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 10 of the 14 other webinar and live streaming tools we grade, and level with 3.
Is Castr good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Castr B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $16.67 a month, against a middle price of $47 for the category: 1 of the 13 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Castr?
To replace Castr you would be making one live stream sent to several platforms at once.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Castr’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Castr's own pages on 18 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Castr Live Streaming, Inc. Prices change, so check castr.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,281
Tools graded, in 73 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,281
tools graded
73
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Castr, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/castr
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Castr: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/castr
Know someone choosing between webinar and live streaming tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/castr/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded webinar and live streaming tools after Castr, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Webinars & Live Streaming Insider's GuideEvery one of the 15 webinar and live streaming tools we grade, compared
- ClickMeeting Insider's GuideWebinars and online meetings with paid events and automation2.6 GPA
- GoTo Webinar Insider's GuideLong-running webinar platform for trainings, town halls and marketing2.4 GPA
- Restream Insider's GuideMultistream one live video to YouTube, Twitch, LinkedIn and more2.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Castr’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Castr is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Castr Live Streaming, Inc. Prices and plans change: check castr.com before you buy.