# Castro vs Crew

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Castro at 9.2K against Crew's 65. Castro also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.4) and chart position (#196 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Castro sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Crew sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Castro holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Castro has 9.2K ratings behind it against 65, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Castro's written reviews are positive against 68% of Crew's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Castro ships an update weekly, Crew every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Castro | Crew |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (9.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castro-podcast-app-and-player/id1080840241/reviews)** | [4.4 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crew-stack-overflow-code-q-and-a/id1547171709/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.2K** | 65 |
| Positive reviews | 63.8% of reviews | **67.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#196** | — |
| Size | 167 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bluck Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1734049168) | [Daniel James Tronca](https://appshunter.io/developer/1534445542) |

## What reviewers say

### Castro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castro-podcast-app-and-player/id1080840241)

**Currently charting:** #196 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Manage and listen to your favorite podcasts with a smart queue system. Organize episodes, skip unwanted content, and enjoy features like CarPlay and chapter support. Unlock advanced tools with an optional subscription.

**Highlights:** Smart episode queue, CarPlay compatibility, Trim silence, Enhance voices, Chapter support, Sideloading audio files, Dark mode and sleep timer

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Castro Plus Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Castro Plus Quarterly | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| Castro Plus Annual | $24.99 | per year |
| Early Supporter Special | $24.99 | per year |
| Castro Plus Family Plan | $39.99 | per year |
| Early Supporter Family Plan | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Intuitive workflow
- 👍 Elegant and polished UI
- 📚 Effective podcast management
- 🎨 Customizable playback options
- 💯 Best podcast app for heavy listeners

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy behavior (freezing, crashes, playback issues)
- 🔍 Lacking podcast discovery features
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔌 Poor Apple Watch integration
- 📱 No iPad app

**Reported bugs**

- Podcasts not updating properly
- Playback not resuming after interruptions
- Inconsistent behavior when switching audio sources
- Podcast artwork not loading consistently

**Requested features**

- Add chapter support
- Implement silence trimming
- Provide per-podcast playback settings
- Introduce podcast transcript display
- Add cloud sync between devices


### Crew

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crew-stack-overflow-code-q-and-a/id1547171709)

This app provides a native iOS experience for browsing Stack Overflow content. It offers a clean, ad-free interface with powerful navigation and filtering tools for questions, answers, and comments. Enjoy a streamlined way to engage with the developer community.

**Highlights:** Native iOS design, Ad-free browsing, Powerful question filters, Dark mode, Real-time question previews, Gesture navigation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Smoothie-sized Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sandwich-sized tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Buffet-sized Tip | $7.99 | one-time |
| Deluxe-sized tip | $16.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Subscritpion | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Castro free?

Castro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Crew free?

Crew is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Castro or Crew?

Castro is rated higher. Castro averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9.2K ratings, while Crew averages 4.4 from 65 ratings.

### Do Castro or Crew have ads?

Neither Castro nor Crew shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Castro or Crew?

Castro ships an update weekly, and Crew every 10 days. Most recently, Castro was updated on October 27, 2026 and Crew on October 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*