Kernel vs PulsarCast
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Kernel
This AI-powered app helps you discover, organize, and share movies and TV shows. Describe a title to find it, get recommendations directly from friends, and track upcoming releases. It also shows you where to stream content across various services.
- AI-powered search by description
- Direct friend recommendations
- Create movie/TV show playlists
- Automatic release tracking and notifications
- Streaming service availability
- Widgets and Apple Watch support
Read full descriptionHide full description
Kernel is the movie and TV show tracker that counts down to every release and tells you where to watch it. Add what you want to see to your watchlist, get a countdown and a reminder on release day, find out where it's streaming in your country, and rate it once you've seen it. Can't remember the title? Describe it and Kernel AI finds it. RELEASE COUNTDOWNS Add upcoming movies and shows and Kernel counts down the days on your Home Screen, Lock Screen and Apple Watch, then reminds you when they're out. WHERE TO WATCH See whether a movie or show is streaming, for rent or to buy on Netflix, Apple TV, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max and more, for the country you're in. TOP 10 ON EVERY SERVICE What's most popular right now on Netflix, Apple TV, Disney+, Prime Video and HBO Max. KERNEL AI MOVIE FINDER Forgot the name? Describe the plot, a scene or an actor and Kernel AI finds the movie or show. RATE IT Half-star ratings for movies, shows and every episode, plus the Kernel Rating from everyone else. WATCHLIST AND PLAYLISTS Seen, Upcoming and a playlist for every mood, synced with iCloud. SHARE WITH FRIENDS Send a movie, show or episode. The link opens straight in Kernel and shows a rich preview in Messages. WIDGETS AND APPLE WATCH Countdown, Up Next and Kernel AI widgets, a Control Center button, and an Apple Watch app with complications. ON EVERY SCREEN iPhone, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro, and made for iPhone Duo. Kernel is a tracker and a guide. It doesn't play movies itself; it shows you where you can watch them. Available in English and Spanish. KERNEL PREMIUM Kernel AI includes free searches every month. Kernel Premium unlocks unlimited Kernel AI searches and opens any title in its streaming app with one tap. Kernel Premium is a weekly, monthly or yearly auto-renewing subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. It renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel it any time in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://kernelmovieapp.com/privacy-policy.html Movie and show information, posters and artwork belong to their respective owners. Studio logos and other trademarks belong to their respective owners.
PulsarCast
Read full descriptionHide full description
PulsarCast is the podcast app we always wanted: fast, private and focused on listening. Bring your podcasts with you, organize them your way, and listen without ads, trackers or unnecessary clutter. WHY LISTENERS SWITCH • Follow any podcast by search, RSS, private feed or Spotify show link • Import and export OPML so your library stays yours • Organize shows into colored lists and continuous queues • Download new episodes automatically for offline listening • Use Voice Boost, Smart Speed and pitch-corrected playback speed • Navigate chapters, links, sleep timer and configurable skip buttons • Sync your library, queue and progress with an optional passwordless account • Listen on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and CarPlay • Personalize the app with themes, colors, icons and a calmer home screen PRIVATE BY DESIGN PulsarCast has no ads, no third-party trackers and we never sell your data. The core podcast player works without an account. PULSARCAST ULTRA Ultra is optional. It unlocks AI listening tools, personal audio, advanced smart-list automations, web access and deeper customization. With Ultra you can: • Turn articles, links, PDFs and pasted text into listenable episodes • Ask questions about an episode or your whole library • Get summaries, cited links and skippable-section detection • Upload your own audio and listen everywhere • Automate downloads, alerts, queue rules and cleanup • Use the full PulsarCast experience on the web The core podcast player stays free. Ultra is available as an optional auto-renewable monthly or yearly subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://pulsarcast.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://pulsarcast.com/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: PulsarCast at every 4 days against Kernel's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Kernel sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and PulsarCast sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Kernel ships an update every 3 weeks, PulsarCast every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Kernel | PulsarCast |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (224 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 224 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 38 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nikias Molina | Great Heights Systems S.L. |
Bugs and requests
Kernel
Reported bugs
3 issues- Apple Watch app doesn't work, shows blank screen
- Release dates are sometimes inaccurate
- Can't remove movies from 'Upcoming' playlist after release
Requested features
6 requests- Add ability to rate movies and shows
- Implement a 'mark all as seen' feature for TV shows
- Allow sorting playlists manually
- Add support for more streaming services
- Integrate Rotten Tomatoes ratings
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Develop an iPad version of the app
PulsarCast
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Kernel
- Weekly$0.997 Days
- Monthly$1.991 Month
- Yearly$15.991 Year
PulsarCast
- PulsarCast Ultra$6.001 Month
- PulsarCast Plus7 Days trial$9.991 Year
- PulsarCast Ultra$60.001 Year









