# Hark Audio vs SquareCast

The clearest difference is ads: SquareCast at none against Hark Audio's shown. Hark Audio's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Hark Audio ships an update every 6 weeks, SquareCast every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hark Audio | SquareCast |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (84 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hark-audio/id1540109137/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **84** | — |
| Positive reviews | 64.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 85 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Hark Audio Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1540044535) | [Raidan Shugaa Addin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1776283515) |

## What reviewers say

### Hark Audio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hark-audio/id1540109137)

Discover curated podcast moments and "mixtapes" from expert editors and podcast hosts. Enjoy personalized weekly playlists and a full-featured player for all your favorite shows. Create your own clips and share them.

**Highlights:** Curated podcast moments ('Harklists'), Personalized weekly playlists, Full-featured podcast player, Create custom clips and Harklists, Import subscriptions from other apps, Listen on mobile, car, and smart speakers

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Innovative podcast discovery
- ✨ Aesthetic and cute design
- 🎧 Great curated clips
- 🧠 Learns user preferences
- 🎵 Easy to discover new shows

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 Slow and unusable
- 📱 Slows down phone
- 👎 Mediocre execution
- 🐢 Clunky and unenjoyable navigation
- 🗑️ Garbage app

**Reported bugs**

- Slow to update lists
- Slow to search
- App slows down phone
- App crashes when opening
- App freezes and crashes constantly

**Requested features**

- Add shorten silences playback option
- Make queuing, organizing, and playing easier
- Automatically move to the next episode
- Add more features for primary app use
- Improve navigation to desired curation


### SquareCast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/squarecast/id6741344222)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hark Audio free?

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

### Is SquareCast free?

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

### Do Hark Audio or SquareCast have ads?

Hark Audio shows ads; SquareCast does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hark Audio or SquareCast?

Hark Audio ships an update every 6 weeks, and SquareCast every 2 months. Most recently, Hark Audio was updated on October 20, 2026 and SquareCast on October 13, 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.*