# Podverse vs Hark Audio

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.

Both are free to download. Podverse sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Hark Audio asks for nothing beyond the download.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Podverse | Hark Audio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/podverse/id1390888454/reviews)** | [4.2 (84 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hark-audio/id1540109137/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.9K** | 84 |
| Positive reviews | **68.1% of reviews** | 64.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 18 MB | 85 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Podverse LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1423995912) | [Hark Audio Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1540044535) |

## What reviewers say

### Podverse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/podverse/id1390888454)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 year of Podverse Premium | $17.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing downloaded episodes
- Inconsistent episode tracking and progress
- Crashes on startup for some users

**Requested features**

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


### Hark Audio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hark-audio/id1540109137)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Slow to update lists
- Slow to search
- App slows down phone
- App crashes when opening
- App freezes and crashes constantly

**Requested features**

- 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


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