# Castle Player vs InstacastPlus

The clearest difference is rating: Castle Player at 4.5 against InstacastPlus's 4.0. Castle Player also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months). InstacastPlus's advantage is review sentiment (63% vs 25%) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. InstacastPlus sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Castle Player asks for nothing beyond the download.

Castle Player holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Castle Player has 15 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 25% of Castle Player's written reviews are positive against 63% of InstacastPlus's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Castle Player ships an update every 4 weeks, InstacastPlus every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Castle Player | InstacastPlus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castle-player/id1634415369/reviews)** | [4.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instacastplus/id6472283494/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **15** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **62.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 76 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tinybits](https://appshunter.io/developer/1553820489) | [IT Economy GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/432227916) |

## What reviewers say

### Castle Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castle-player/id1634415369)

This app enhances podcast listening by providing automatic on-device transcripts. Easily mark, save, and share specific sections of transcribed audio to recall information later. It fosters a collaborative approach to engaging with podcast content.

**Highlights:** On-device podcast transcription, Mark and save audio sections, Share transcribed text, Search and subscribe to podcasts, Create custom playlists, Smooth listening experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### InstacastPlus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instacastplus/id6472283494)

This podcast player offers advanced features like automatic skipping of intros and ads, a smart sleep timer, and CarPlay support. Enjoy personalized playback, offline listening, and easy episode management for a superior podcast experience.

**Highlights:** Auto-skip chapters and ads, Smart sleep timer, CarPlay support, Offline listening and storage control, Personalized playback speeds and app icons, Episode recovery

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Donate to Developer | $1.00 | one-time |
| Donate to Developer | $5.00 | one-time |
| Donate to Developer | $15.00 | one-time |
| Donate to Developer | $20.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Castle Player free?

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

### Is InstacastPlus free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Castle Player or InstacastPlus?

Castle Player is rated higher. Castle Player averages 4.5 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while InstacastPlus averages 4.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Castle Player or InstacastPlus have ads?

Castle Player shows ads; InstacastPlus does not.

### Which is updated more often, Castle Player or InstacastPlus?

Castle Player ships an update every 4 weeks, and InstacastPlus every 3 months. Most recently, Castle Player was updated on October 12, 2026 and InstacastPlus on October 2, 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.*