# iPodcasts vs Cat Meal Guide

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cat Meal Guide at none against iPodcasts's 1. iPodcasts's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 13.0). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. iPodcasts sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Cat Meal Guide asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iPodcasts | Cat Meal Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.3** | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Katsuhiko Noda](https://appshunter.io/developer/1530173859) | [BANANA (Japan)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1810622303) |

## What reviewers say

### iPodcasts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipodcasts/id1530457798)

This app offers a programmable podcast player with flexible, rule-based smart playlists and an alarm function. Create custom playlists with unlimited channels and define rules for episode selection. It also prevents device auto-lock while playing.

**Highlights:** Rule-based smart playlists, Unlimited channels per playlist, Custom episode selection rules, Scheduled playlist playback (alarm), Prevents device auto-lock, Direct RSS feed URL support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Multiple Playlist Enabler | $2.99 | one-time |


### Cat Meal Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cat-meal-guide/id6760386399)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iPodcasts free?

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

### Is Cat Meal Guide free?

Cat Meal Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do iPodcasts or Cat Meal Guide have ads?

Cat Meal Guide shows ads; iPodcasts does not.

### Which is updated more often, iPodcasts or Cat Meal Guide?

iPodcasts ships an update every 2 months, and Cat Meal Guide every 2 months. Most recently, iPodcasts was updated on October 2, 2026 and Cat Meal Guide on October 6, 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.*