Comparison

ARD Sounds vs CampfireFM

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head

ARD Sounds

Free

🎬 Entertainment

★ 4.7348 ratingsView app →

CampfireFM

Your Podcast Community

Free

🎬 Entertainment

★ 5.03 ratingsView app →

About

ARD Sounds

Discover a world of audio content with this free app, offering exclusive podcasts, captivating audio dramas, free audiobooks, and live radio. Enjoy news, sports, and a wide range of genres for entertainment and information on the go.

Highlights

Exclusive ARD podcasts
Free audiobooks and dramas
Live radio streaming
News and live sports updates
Offline listening
Custom playlists and watchlists
Cross-device synchronization

Features

Read full description

ARD Sounds. Der Playbutton für deinen Tag. Die kostenlose Podcast App für Deutschland: exklusive ARD Podcasts, spannende Hörspiele, Hörbücher kostenlos, Live-Radio und verlässliche Nachrichten – alles in einer Audio-App. Für unterwegs, zu Hause oder auf Reisen. Hier bist du verbunden mit den Stimmen, die du liebst – aus deiner Region und aus der ganzen ARD-Welt und dem Deutschlandradio. Entdecke eine neue Art des Hörens: emotional, informativ, inspirierend. Ob Krimi für die Autofahrt, True-Crime-Podcast, Fußball-Live-Reportage oder Kinderpodcast zum Einschlafen – die ARD Sounds App bringt dir Audio auf höchstem Niveau, wann und wo du willst. Deine kostenlose Podcast & Radio App • Podcasts auf Deutsch: Politik, Kultur, Wissen, True Crime, Dokus, Comedy, Sport und mehr – alle wichtigen ARD Podcasts in einer App. • Hörbücher & Hörspiele: Fantasy, Klassiker, Romane und Kinderhörspiele – viele Inhalte kannst du kostenlos streamen und zum später Hören merken. • Live Radio: Höre deine Lieblingssender wie NDR 1 Niedersachsen, WDR 2, SWR3, BR-Programme oder Deutschlandradio jederzeit live – Digitalradio in bester Qualität. • Nachrichten & Live-Sport: Von NDR Info über BR24 bis zu großen Sportereignissen – bleib mit aktuellen News, Hintergründen und Reportagen immer auf dem Laufenden. Mehr Komfort beim Podcast Hören • Podcasts offline hören: Lade Folgen herunter und nutze die App als Podcast Player – perfekt für Bahn, Flugzeug oder unterwegs ohne Empfang. • Eigene Playlists & Merkliste: Erstelle persönliche Playlists mit deinen liebsten Podcasts, Hörbüchern und Radiosendungen. • Weiterhören auf allen Geräten: Mit deinem ARD-Konto synchronisierst du Favoriten und Verlauf zwischen Smartphone, Web und anderen Geräten. • Intuitive Bedienung: Finde schnell neue Podcasts kostenlos auf Deutsch – nach Thema, Sender oder Stimmung. Radio & Podcasts in einer App ARD Sounds bündelt das Beste aus Podcast, Hörspiel, Hörbuch und Radio: die Programme von BR, HR, MDR, NDR, RBB, Radio Bremen, SR, SWR, WDR und dem Deutschlandradio in einer modernen Radio App. Für alle, die Audio lieben ARD Sounds ist deine App für Podcasts, Hörbücher, Hörspiele, Live-Radio, Nachrichten und Wissen – mit Tiefe, Herz und Haltung. Für alle, die Qualität schätzen. Für alle, die gern hören. Für alle, die verbunden bleiben wollen – mit den Stimmen, die sie lieben. Jetzt kostenlos herunterladen und eintauchen.

About

CampfireFM

Experience podcasts together with a community and hosts. Access bonus content like photos and links directly within episodes. Engage with hosts through voice messages and comments between episodes.

Highlights

Listen and discuss podcasts together
Bonus content linked to episodes
Host interaction via voice messages and comments
Community discussions
Direct host engagement

Features

Read full description

CampfireFM is the podcast community you’ve been waiting for: here, you don’t just listen to podcasts – you experience and discuss them together with the community, often even with the hosts themselves. The podcasts on our platform also come with bonus content: photos, links, and everything mentioned in the episodes can be found right at the relevant point in the app. Plus, there’s even more between episodes – like voice messages, photos, and comments from the hosts. If you have questions, find a bug or just want to leave us some feedback, write us at support@joincampfire.fm Terms of use: https://www.joincampfire.fm/legal/terms

Screenshots

ARD Sounds4 screens

CampfireFM4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ARD Sounds at none against CampfireFM's 9. ARD Sounds also leads on ratings volume (348 vs 3) and review sentiment (70% vs 54%). CampfireFM's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. CampfireFM sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. ARD Sounds asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CampfireFM holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ARD Sounds has 348 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of ARD Sounds's written reviews are positive against 54% of CampfireFM's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ARD Sounds ships an update every 3 weeks, CampfireFM every 10 days. Both last shipped on September 27, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level

ARD Sounds versus CampfireFM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter	ARD Sounds	CampfireFM
Price	Free	Free
Rating	4.7 (348 ratings)	5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews	70.1% of reviews — better	54.1% of reviews
Number of ratings	348 — better	3
Update frequency	Every 3 weeks	Every 10 days — better
Ads	No	No
In-app purchases	No — better	Yes
Monetization	Free — better	Free with in-app purchases
Devices	iPhone, iPad — better	iPhone
Requires iOS	18.0	18.0
Further details — not scored
Size	272 MB	68 MB
Age rating	12+	12+
Developer	Sudwestrundfunk, Anstalt des offentlichen Rechts	CampfireFM GmbH

Customer experience

ARD Sounds

All ratings348 ratings

Positive94.0%

Neutral1.1%

Negative4.9%

Written reviews87 reviews

Positive70.1%

Neutral9.2%

Negative20.7%

CampfireFM

All ratings3 ratings

Positive100.0%

Neutral0.0%

Negative0.0%

Written reviews37 reviews

Positive54.1%

Neutral16.2%

Negative29.7%

In-app purchases

None

ARD Sounds

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

CampfireFM

Subscriptions4

Dark Secrets Premium$2.991 Month
Campfire Premium$2.991 Month
Peter und der Wald Premium$3.991 Month

Show 1 more

Machtwechsel Premium Monthly$7.991 Month

One-time4

Hilial - All Episodes$3.99
Der Untergang der Sea Story2 variants$4.99
Spiegel Investigativ - All Episodes$4.99

Show 1 more

The UFF! World Cup Special$4.99

Questions

Is ARD Sounds free?

ARD Sounds is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

Is CampfireFM free?

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

Which has better reviews, ARD Sounds or CampfireFM?

CampfireFM is rated higher. ARD Sounds averages 4.7 out of 5 from 348 ratings, while CampfireFM averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

Do ARD Sounds or CampfireFM have ads?

Neither ARD Sounds nor CampfireFM shows ads.

Which is updated more often, ARD Sounds or CampfireFM?

ARD Sounds ships an update every 3 weeks, and CampfireFM every 10 days. Most recently, ARD Sounds was updated on September 27, 2026 and CampfireFM on September 27, 2026.