Comparison

Kernel vs Purplecast

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

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

Kernel is your AI-powered companion for movies and shows. Discover, organize, and share what to watch, all in one remarkably simple app. • Describe it, we’ll find it Forgot the name? Just describe the movie or show and Kernel AI will find it for you. • Recommend directly Effortlessly share what you’re watching. Your friends can now receive recommendations right on their Kernel profile. • Create playlists for Movies and TV Shows Save what you’ve seen, what you want to watch, and everything in between. • Track releases automatically Add upcoming titles and get notified as they approach. Stay on top of every release without any effort. • Know where to stream See exactly where to watch across services like Netflix, Apple TV, Prime Video, Disney+, and more. • Built-in widgets & Apple Watch support Keep your most anticipated releases front and center, on your home screen or your wrist. Available in English and Spanish. Photos and artwork used on Kernel are the property of their respective owners. Studio logos and other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. Information about the auto-renewable Subscription: * Subscription terms are 1 week, 1 month or 1 year. The subscription is renewed every week, month or year. * Payments will be collected through your iTunes account after you confirm your purchase. * Auto-renewable Subscriptions will be renewed unless canceled 24 hours before the subscription expires. * You can cancel your subscription at this address: http://support.apple.com/HT202039 * Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Purplecast

This app helps you track TV shows, movies, video games, and podcasts in one place. Organize your media, discover new content with personalized recommendations, and engage with a community of fellow entertainment enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • Track TV shows by season and episode
  • Organize video game playlists
  • Follow podcasts and track episodes
  • Discover personalized recommendations
  • Rate, review, and discuss content
  • Sync library across devices
  • Import and export entertainment data
Features
Read full description

Purplecast is your personal entertainment tracker for TV shows, movies, video games, and podcasts all in one beautifully organized place. Build your library, record what you've watched, played, or listened to, and discover what to enjoy next. Whether you're catching up on a series, exploring new movies, working through your gaming backlog, or following your favorite podcasts, Purplecast makes it easy to stay organized. PERSONALIZED FOR YOU Discover recommendations based on your viewing, gaming, and listening history. Browse personalized suggestions and save the titles that catch your interest. TRACK YOUR ENTERTAINMENT • Track TV shows by season and episode • Save movies and mark them as watched • Organize your video game playlist and record completed games • Follow podcasts and track individual episodes • View upcoming TV episodes, movie releases, and game releases • Mark all existing podcast episodes as listened to when catching up RATE, REVIEW, AND DISCUSS • Rate TV shows, movies, games, podcasts, and individual episodes • Write and share reviews • Explore ratings and reviews from other Purplecast members • Discuss TV episodes, movies, games, podcasts, and podcast episodes • Reply to comments and mention other community members • Report or block users and content when needed DISCOVER WHAT'S NEXT • Explore popular, trending, and top-rated entertainment • Find where movies and TV shows are available to stream • Browse detailed descriptions, genres, release information, and related titles • Receive notifications when new episodes are released • Get personalized suggestions based on the entertainment you already enjoy YOUR PROFILE AND HISTORY • View your recently watched, played, and listened-to history • Explore ratings, favorites, statistics, and top genres • Create a community profile and choose which sections are publicly visible • Visit other members' profiles through reviews and discussions • Sync your library and progress across your devices IMPORT, EXPORT, AND WIDGETS • Import existing entertainment history from supported services • Export your library, history, ratings, reviews, and other account data • Add iOS widgets for quick access to upcoming releases and unwatched totals • Choose light mode, dark mode, or match your device settings PURPLECAST PLUS Purplecast Plus is an optional supporter membership that helps fund servers, data updates, notifications, and continued development. Members receive early access to selected features and a distinctive Plus member badge. Spend less time remembering where you left off, and more time enjoying what comes next. This app is governed by Apple’s Standard End User License Agreement, available at: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Kernel4 screens
Purplecast4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Purplecast at 5.0 against Kernel's 4.0. Purplecast also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). Kernel's advantage is ratings volume (223 vs 1). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Kernel sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Purplecast sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Purplecast holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kernel has 223 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kernel ships an update every 2 weeks, Purplecast weekly. The most recent releases landed on August 26, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Kernel versus Purplecast: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKernelPurplecast
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (223 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings223 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB16 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperNikias MolinaPurple Hat Ventures, LLC

Customer experience

Kernel

All ratings223 ratings
Positive73.1%
Neutral8.1%
Negative18.8%
Written reviews151 reviews
Positive62.9%
Neutral14.6%
Negative22.5%

Purplecast

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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 more
  • Develop an iPad version of the app

Purplecast

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Kernel

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$0.997 Days
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Yearly$15.991 Year
1 purchases

Purplecast

Subscriptions1
  • Purplecast Plus$2.991 Month

Questions

Is Kernel free?
Kernel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Purplecast free?
Purplecast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Kernel or Purplecast?
Purplecast is rated higher. Kernel averages 4.0 out of 5 from 223 ratings, while Purplecast averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Kernel or Purplecast have ads?
Neither Kernel nor Purplecast shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kernel or Purplecast?
Kernel ships an update every 2 weeks, and Purplecast weekly. Most recently, Kernel was updated on August 26, 2026 and Purplecast on September 9, 2026.

Other comparisons