# Kernel vs PulsarCast

The clearest difference is update cadence: PulsarCast at every 2 days against Kernel's every 2 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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 2 weeks, PulsarCast every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on August 26, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kernel | PulsarCast |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (223 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kernel/id1452608085/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **223** | — |
| Positive reviews | 62.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 34 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nikias Molina](https://appshunter.io/developer/1684791845) | [Great Heights Systems S.L.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1107386464) |

## What reviewers say

### Kernel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kernel/id1452608085)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $15.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Gorgeous, minimalist design
- 🚀 Simple, clean, beautiful and intuitive design
- 💡 Great app to keep track of movies
- 💡 Fantastic UI, looks great and works smooth

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Missing key features like rating movies/shows
- 🐛 Notifications don't work, app is unresponsive
- 🐛 Inconsistent, buggy, and crashes often
- 🐛 Annoying notifications prompt on every app launch

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### PulsarCast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsarcast/id6775487376)

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PulsarCast Ultra | $6.00 | per month |
| PulsarCast Plus | $9.99 | per year |
| PulsarCast Ultra | $60.00 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kernel free?

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

### Is PulsarCast free?

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

### Do Kernel or PulsarCast have ads?

Neither Kernel nor PulsarCast shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Kernel or PulsarCast?

Kernel ships an update every 2 weeks, and PulsarCast every 2 days. Most recently, Kernel was updated on August 26, 2026 and PulsarCast on September 9, 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.*