The Comparison · Issue No. 04
Prospecta vs. CaptainU.
Two different products people confuse. CaptainU is a profile/discovery network built around clubs and tournaments. Prospecta is an honest AI recruiting assistant built around your family. Here's the side-by-side.
CaptainU is operated by MLQ Ventures LLC and now markets under the Stack Athlete brand (per its own site footer, © 2012–2026 MLQ Ventures LLC dba CaptainU).
¹ Claims about CaptainU verified against captainu.com and captainu.com/athlete-plans/ on July 28, 2026. Verify current features and pricing directly with CaptainU before signing up.
Or $349/yr. Cancel anytime. Free 6-minute assessment first.
- Honest division verdict
- AI-drafted per-program emails
- Public pricing
- Cancel anytime
Bronze free · Silver $22.50/mo · Gold $39.95/mo · Platinum $199.95/mo. No contract.
- Division recommendation on Platinum tier ($199.95/mo)
- Coach messaging from Silver ($22.50/mo)
- No automated per-program email drafting in published feature list (as of Jul 28, 2026)
- No contract — cancel any time
The Side-by-Side
Eight dimensions. Read every row.
| Dimension | Prospecta | CaptainU |
|---|---|---|
| Core product | AI Reality Report + drafted per-program outreach for the family. | Athlete recruiting profile plus messaging, college-fit search, and coach discovery. Higher tiers add human recruiting counselors.¹ |
| Up-front cost | $0 to start. Free 6-minute assessment, no card. | Bronze profile is free. Paid plans start at $22.50/month.¹ |
| Ongoing cost | $39 / month or $349 / year. Cancel anytime. | Silver $22.50/mo · Gold $39.95/mo · Platinum $199.95/mo. There's never a contract.¹ |
| Honest division verdict | Benchmarked D1 / D2 / D3 / NAIA verdict in the free report (plus JUCO in tennis and wrestling, where we hold JUCO bands) — included on the free tier. | "Athletic Assessment & Division Recommendation" listed on the Platinum tier ($199.95/mo) alongside a dedicated counselor.¹ |
| Outreach | Per-program emails auto-drafted from your metrics; you review and send. | "Message College Coaches" is included from Silver upward. As of July 28, 2026 we found no automated per-program email drafting in CaptainU's published feature list.¹ |
| Who's it built for | Parents and athletes who want the truth and will do the work themselves. | Athletes, clubs, and tournament organizers — CaptainU markets to all three ("3 million high school athletes, colleges, teams, and events").¹ |
| What you walk away with | Reality Score, Reach / Target / Likely list, 30 / 90 / 365 plan, outreach you actually sent. | A recruiting profile, coach-view tracking, coach messaging, and — on Gold/Platinum — scheduled calls with a recruiting counselor.¹ |
| Cancel terms | Cancel in two clicks. Monthly stops at period end; annual runs through the year. | "There's never a contract" — per CaptainU's own plans page.¹ |
The Honest Take
They solve different problems. Buy the one that matches yours.
CaptainU is a real product with real reach — 3 million athletes on their own numbers. If your club already runs on it and your athlete wants a profile coaches can find, use it.
The honest overlap: CaptainU's Platinum tier ($199.95/mo) does include an "Athletic Assessment & Division Recommendation." Ours is in the free 6-minute report. Different price, different form factor — read both and pick.
Where we don't overlap: as of July 28, 2026 we found no automated per-program email drafting in CaptainU's published feature list. That's the piece Prospecta Pro is built around.
Get the honest verdict first. Free.
Six minutes. No card. No sales call. Real division verdict at the end.
Get My Reality Report →Also compare: vs NCSA · vs SportsRecruits