Free vs. Paid Features
Benecaster has two distinct versions: a free plugin available at WordPress.org, and a licensed version (with a free-entry tier) that adds subscriber authentication and private podcast delivery.
Free Plugin (WordPress.org)
The WordPress.org version is a standalone podcast feed manager. It gives you:
- Episode management with full iTunes-spec metadata
- A single public RSS feed — no token, no authentication
- Scheduled publish dates and times
- Episode types (full, trailer, bonus)
- Season support
- Basic episode templates with theme file overrides
- Guest fields per episode
- Listener Support — one-time donations via your own Stripe account; no Benecaster account required
- No license key, no remote calls
This version is genuinely useful as a podcast feed manager if you don’t need subscriber access control — for example, a public free podcast where you want more control over your RSS output than your hosting provider gives you.
Subscriber authentication is not available in the WordPress.org version. To gate episodes by membership tier, you need a license.
Licensed Version — Plan Tiers
All licensed plans include the full feature set. What differs between plans is subscriber limits and the number of shows. There is no limit on WordPress site installations — you can install and activate Benecaster on any number of sites.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Paying subscribers | Shows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | $0 | $0 | Up to 10 | 1 |
| Starter | $9 | $79 | Up to 50 | 1 |
| Growth | $15 | $149 | Up to 250 | 1 |
| Pro | $25 | $249 | Unlimited | 1 |
| Multi-Show | $35 | $349 | Unlimited | Up to 3 |
| Studio | $149 | $1,199 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Annual billing saves approximately 30% versus monthly.
Launch plan note: No credit card is required to use Launch. You only provide payment details when you choose to upgrade to a paid plan. The Launch plan is a genuine zero-cost starting point, not a trial.
Studio includes everything in Multi-Show plus all current and future add-ons, priority support, early beta access, and Migration + Setup Service at no extra cost.
What Any Licensed Plan Adds
Over the WordPress.org version, any licensed plan adds:
- Token generation — each subscriber gets a unique private RSS feed URL
- Membership plugin integration — MemberPress, WooCommerce Subscriptions, Paid Memberships Pro, Restrict Content Pro
- Per-tier availability — control which episodes each membership tier can access and when
- Multiple RSS feeds — one feed per tier per show, automatically compiled
- Subscriber dashboard — see who has access, last feed activity, token status
- Subscriber self-service — account page with feed URL, QR code, podcast app deep links, token reset
- Welcome emails — automatic delivery of the subscriber’s private feed URL on signup
- Notification system — license alerts, milestone notices, and remote announcements in the admin bell panel
- Add-on management — install and manage Benecaster add-ons
Subscriber Count Rules
Two separate limits apply:
Paying subscriber limit — only active subscribers on paid tiers count toward this limit. Free-tier listeners (if your membership plugin supports a free-access tier) do not count. Caps: Launch 10, Starter 50, Growth 250, Pro/Multi-Show/Studio unlimited.
Total token cap — all active tokens combined, regardless of tier (paying + free). This secondary limit exists to prevent free-tier accounts from being used at industrial scale without a proportionate plan. Caps: Launch 250, Starter 500, Growth 2,500, Pro/Multi-Show/Studio unlimited.
Both limits are based on currently active tokens — cancellation removes a subscriber from the count immediately. The count is not based on a historical high watermark.
What happens at the limit depends on your enforcement preference, set during the setup wizard. You can choose to have Benecaster schedule an automatic upgrade (the default for the paying-subscriber limit), or cap access at the limit (the default for the token cap). See Upgrading Your Plan → for the full explanation of both modes, including Launch plan rules.
What Happens When You Hit Your Limit
When subscribers exceed your plan limit, over-limit tokens silently receive your public episode feed instead of their private tier feed. Their podcast app URL continues to work — apps receive episodes, just not the private ones their tier includes. There is no error and no notification to the subscriber.
This is distinct from a license lapse (see below). The cause is different — you’re over your subscriber count, not missing a valid license — but the symptom for the subscriber is the same: public feed content.
A persistent yellow warning banner appears in your WordPress admin when any token is flagged over-limit. Over-limit subscribers are amber-highlighted in Benecaster → Subscribers. Upgrading your plan clears the flags at the next daily validation check and restores private feed access — no RSS URL change, no subscriber action needed.
See Upgrading Your Plan → for the full detail on warnings, enforcement preferences, and restoring access.
What Happens When a License Lapses
If your license expires, is cancelled, or is suspended, Benecaster enters a grace period rather than switching off abruptly:
- Existing subscribers keep their feed URLs. Their podcast apps continue working. Subscriber feeds silently degrade to the public feed content — private tier episodes are not served, but apps don’t show an error.
- New token generation stops. New subscribers who sign up won’t receive a feed URL until the license is restored.
- All data is preserved. Subscriber tokens, episodes, settings, and tier mappings are untouched. Restoring the license immediately returns full private feed access.
Add-ons
Add-ons are available separately on Launch, Starter, Growth, Pro, and Multi-Show. Studio includes all add-ons automatically.
Notable add-ons:
- Migration Wizard — import subscribers from Patreon or Supercast (included free with Growth and above)
- Analytics Dashboard — deeper download tracking and subscriber analytics
- Email Editor — visual editor for all Benecaster email templates
- Blocks & Widgets Library — Gutenberg blocks and Elementor widgets (free)
- Guest Manager — full guest profile CPT with episode credits and archive pages
Phase 2
Phase 2 (planned 3–6 months after launch) adds a built-in membership system with Stripe payment processing, removing the requirement for a separate subscription plugin. All current plans and add-ons carry forward. External subscription plugin bridges remain available for Phase 2 users who prefer to keep their existing membership setup.
