# Podverse vs Pinepods

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pinepods at none against Podverse's 1. Podverse's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 10 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Podverse holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Podverse has 1.9K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 68% and 67% positive.

Podverse ships an update every 10 days, Pinepods every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Podverse | Pinepods |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/podverse/id1390888454/reviews)** | [4.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinepods/id6751441116/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.9K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **67.6% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 18 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Podverse LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1423995912) | [Collin Pendleton](https://appshunter.io/developer/1835133006) |

## 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


### Pinepods

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinepods/id6751441116)

Manage and listen to your podcasts with a self-hosted server. Enjoy a beautiful interface, offline downloads, and advanced playback controls. Offers complete control and a private listening experience.

**Highlights:** Self-hosted server synchronization, Intuitive mobile interface with themes, Offline episode downloads, Chapter support, Playlist management, Multi-device synchronization, Background audio playback

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Podverse free?

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

### Is Pinepods free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Podverse or Pinepods?

Podverse is rated higher. Podverse averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Pinepods averages 4.3 from 7 ratings.

### Do Podverse or Pinepods have ads?

Neither Podverse nor Pinepods shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Podverse or Pinepods?

Podverse ships an update every 10 days, and Pinepods every 10 months. Most recently, Podverse was updated on October 29, 2026 and Pinepods on October 22, 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.*