Comparison

Podverse vs Hark Audio

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

Head to head
About

Podverse

This app allows users to discover, subscribe to, and play podcasts, including video and live streams. It offers advanced features like V4V support, chapter integration, and cross-app commenting. Premium features enable seamless syncing across devices and content creation tools.

Highlights
  • CarPlay support
  • Subscribe and auto-download episodes
  • Video and livestream playback
  • Podcasting 2.0 features (chapters, transcripts, comments)
  • Value-for-value (V4V) support
  • Create and share podcast clips
  • Cross-device sync for subscriptions and queues
Features
Read full description

Free features: * CarPlay * Subscribe to podcasts * Auto-download episodes * Video playback * Livestream playback * Drag-and-drop queue * Boostagrams (V4V) * Streaming Value (V4V) * Podcasting 2.0 chapters * Podcasting 2.0 transcripts * Podcasting 2.0 cross-app comments * Screen-reader accessibility Premium features: * Sync your subscriptions across devices * Sync your queue across devices * Sync your history across devices * New episode notifications * Livestream notifications * Create clips * Create playlists * Create a profile All Podverse software is provided under a free and open source license (AGPLv3).

About

Hark Audio

Discover curated podcast moments and "mixtapes" from expert editors and podcast hosts. Enjoy personalized weekly playlists and a full-featured player for all your favorite shows. Create your own clips and share them.

Highlights
  • Curated podcast moments ('Harklists')
  • Personalized weekly playlists
  • Full-featured podcast player
  • Create custom clips and Harklists
  • Import subscriptions from other apps
  • Listen on mobile, car, and smart speakers
Read full description

Hark is a new way to experience the best of podcasts. Time Magazine included it in its "Best Inventions of 2021" list and Hark won the "Vision Award" from American Public Media for being the experience "most likely to reinvent journalism and media." Here’s how it works: Hark editors curate genius podcast moments into ‘Harklists’ - podcast mixtapes - that let you discover new voices, stories, perspectives… and new podcasts! We create Harklists on everything from “History’s Most Audacious Heists,” to “Unleash Your Inner Optimist,” “NBA Weekly,” “Little Known New York Food History,” “Celebrating Joan Didion” and so much more. Every week, you’ll receive “Your Weekly Hark” - a Harklist of podcast moments curated just for you. And of course, you can use Hark to listen to all of your favorite podcasts too. Hark is an easy-to-use, full-featured podcast player that lets you choose your listening speed, create a queue, pick up where you left off and listen on CarPlay or smart speakers. WHAT YOU CAN DO ON HARK Tune in to Hark Daily and tap into the most zeitgeisty podcast conversations of the day. Explore the expanding array of Harklists on everything from Books, Comedy and Science to Tech, Food, Sports, History and more. Experience “Curated by Podcasters” Harklists, created by the hosts of favorite podcasts like Song Exploder, Nice Try and Rough Translation. When you love a clip, tap “Play Full Episode” to continue listening. Bookmark episodes, Harklists and clips into your queue to listen to later. Import your current podcast subscriptions from Spotify and Apple Podcasts with the click of a button. Make your own podcast clips and Harklists. Enjoy a weekly playlist of podcast moments, chosen just for you. Listen on your mobile device, in your car and voice-controlled speakers. All in a beautiful free app curated by people who love podcasts too. Let your ears wander with Hark!

Screenshots

Podverse4 screens
Hark Audio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Podverse at 4.8 against Hark Audio's 4.2. Podverse also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 6 weeks). Hark Audio's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, review sentiment, monetization model 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. Podverse sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Hark Audio asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Podverse holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Podverse has 1.9K ratings behind it against 84, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Podverse's written reviews are positive against 65% of Hark Audio's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Podverse ships an update every 10 days, Hark Audio every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Podverse versus Hark Audio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPodverseHark Audio
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.9K ratings) — better4.2 (84 ratings)
Positive reviews68.1% of reviews — better64.9% of reviews
Number of ratings1.9K — better84
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB85 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperPodverse LLCHark Audio Inc

Customer experience

Podverse

All ratings1,763 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral2.4%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews135 reviews
Positive68.1%
Neutral14.1%
Negative17.8%

Hark Audio

All ratings85 ratings
Positive76.5%
Neutral2.4%
Negative21.2%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive64.9%
Neutral5.4%
Negative29.7%

User reviews

Podverse

From 1.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent app with great features
  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • 🔒 Supports Podcasting 2.0 protocol
  • 💡 Innovative features like clipping and sharing
  • 🎨 Beautiful and modern design

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • ⏱️ Slow to load or update episodes
  • 🔍 Search function not working well
  • 🤔 Some features locked behind paywall

Hark Audio

From 84 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💡 Innovative podcast discovery
  • ✨ Aesthetic and cute design
  • 🎧 Great curated clips
  • 🧠 Learns user preferences
  • 🎵 Easy to discover new shows

Room to improve

  • 🐌 Slow and unusable
  • 📱 Slows down phone
  • 👎 Mediocre execution
  • 🐢 Clunky and unenjoyable navigation
  • 🗑️ Garbage app

Bugs and requests

Podverse

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Disappearing downloaded episodes
  • Inconsistent episode tracking and progress
  • Crashes on startup for some users

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to sync playback progress across devices
  • Automatic episode deletion after listening
  • More customization options
  • Improved Bluetooth/CarPlay integration

Hark Audio

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Slow to update lists
  • Slow to search
  • App slows down phone
  • App crashes when opening
  • App freezes and crashes constantly
Show 5 more
  • App crashes after selecting podcast
  • Clips don't work
  • Profile section crashes on history/activity tab
  • Podcasts quit abruptly before the end
  • No way to play remaining content

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add shorten silences playback option
  • Make queuing, organizing, and playing easier
  • Automatically move to the next episode
  • Add more features for primary app use
  • Improve navigation to desired curation
Show 2 more
  • Keep place in last podcast listened to
  • Add Hark original content

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Podverse

One-time1
  • 1 year of Podverse Premium$17.99
None

Hark Audio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Podverse free?
Podverse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hark Audio free?
Hark Audio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Podverse or Hark Audio?
Podverse is rated higher. Podverse averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Hark Audio averages 4.2 from 84 ratings.
Do Podverse or Hark Audio have ads?
Hark Audio shows ads; Podverse does not.
Which is updated more often, Podverse or Hark Audio?
Podverse ships an update every 10 days, and Hark Audio every 6 weeks. Most recently, Podverse was updated on October 21, 2026 and Hark Audio on October 20, 2026.

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