# Podcast App vs Brainerd Dispatch

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Podcast App at 56% against Brainerd Dispatch's 0%. Podcast App also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.4) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). Brainerd Dispatch's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Podcast App sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $36.99 per year. Brainerd Dispatch asks for nothing beyond the download.

Podcast App holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Podcast App has 309K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Podcast App's written reviews are positive against 0% of Brainerd Dispatch's.

Podcast App ships an update weekly, Brainerd Dispatch every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Podcast App | Brainerd Dispatch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (309K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/podcast-app/id1199070742/reviews)** | [3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainerd-dispatch/id1523288607/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **309K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **56.2% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#20** | — |
| Size | 117 MB | 137 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Evolve Global, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1199070741) | [Forum Communications Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/476437936) |

## What reviewers say

### Podcast App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/podcast-app/id1199070742)

**Currently charting:** #20 Top Grossing · News, #25 Top Free · News (US App Store)

Access millions of podcasts on any topic, from news to true crime. Discover new shows with personalized recommendations and powerful search. Manage your listening history and favorite episodes.

**Highlights:** Millions of podcasts, Personalized recommendations, Powerful search and filters, Save for later, Listening history tracking, Ad-free premium option

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock The Podcast App Premium | $36.99 | per year |
| Unlock Podcast App Premium | $36.99 | per year |
| Unlock Podcast App Premium | $36.99 | per year |
| Podcast App for Students | $36.99 | per year |
| The Podcast App Pro | $39.99 | per year |
| The Podcast App PLUS Plan | $39.99 | per year |
| The Podcast App Wellbeing | $49.99 | per year |
| Mastering Communication Course | $24.99 | one-time |
| Product Development Course | $49.99 | one-time |
| Podcast App Lifetime Premium | $199.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to navigate
- 🚀 Intuitive user interface
- 📚 Wide variety of podcast content
- 💾 Offline listening capabilities
- 🔍 Helpful podcast discovery features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific episodes
- 🔋 Drains device battery
- 📤 Issues with downloading/playing podcasts offline
- 🔊 Intrusive ads in free version
- 🔒 Lack of customization options

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes
- Inconsistent podcast playback behavior
- Syncing issues between devices
- Unreliable download/offline functionality

**Requested features**

- Add podcast history/playback tracking
- Implement playlist creation and management
- Allow manual reordering of podcast queue
- Introduce a true ad-free premium version
- Add more podcast discovery and recommendation tools


### Brainerd Dispatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainerd-dispatch/id1523288607)

Access the full digital edition of your local newspaper on your mobile device. Read articles with adjustable text size, search for topics, and enjoy puzzles and comics.

**Highlights:** Read full newspaper editions, Adjustable text size, Searchable articles, Crossword puzzles and comics, Print and share articles

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Podcast App free?

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

### Is Brainerd Dispatch free?

Brainerd Dispatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Podcast App or Brainerd Dispatch?

Podcast App is rated higher. Podcast App averages 4.8 out of 5 from 309K ratings, while Brainerd Dispatch averages 3.4 from 5 ratings.

### Do Podcast App or Brainerd Dispatch have ads?

Podcast App shows ads; Brainerd Dispatch does not.

### Which is updated more often, Podcast App or Brainerd Dispatch?

Podcast App ships an update weekly, and Brainerd Dispatch every 2 months. Most recently, Podcast App was updated on October 12, 2026 and Brainerd Dispatch on October 1, 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.*