Comparison

Podcast Player vs Wave Reader

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

Head to head
About

Podcast Player

This app offers advanced podcast playback with features like silence removal, audio enhancement, and cross-device syncing. It helps organize listening, discover new shows, and provides flexible playback options for both audio and video podcasts.

Highlights
  • Silence remover for audio
  • Audio enhancement with DSP effects
  • Cross-device syncing with iCloud
  • Organize by categories
  • Discover new shows via user patterns
  • Password protected podcast support
  • Built-in sleep timer
Features
Read full description

Podcast Player is an advanced Podcast playback app. Podcast Player has pioneered many features that are commonplace today and continues to evolve. ADVANCED • Silence remover for audio podcasts, saves hours per week for the average listener without affecting sound quality • Clearer audio with equalizer, compressor / limiter and volume boosting DSP effects (on video, streaming and downloads) • Keep multiple devices in Sync with iCloud EFFICIENT • Organize your listening by categories • Server side refreshing and push notifications • Podcast Player is carefully developed and tuned to be nice to your battery FLEXIBLE • Download or stream any size show over WiFi or 3G • Fully supports password protected podcasts, including 1Password support • Built in sleep timer • Light / Dark UI themes • Play only the audio part of videos, if you like SMART • Extensive directory of Podcasts, search for shows by keyword, category, view the top podcasts or enter a URL manually • Find new shows from Podcast Player users listening patterns. Podcast Player can suggest shows you might like based on your existing subscriptions. Podcast Player is free, with ads. Try it now. PEOPLE SAY: "Podcast Player mobile is a very solid offering in the podcast app space. The app is very stable and offers some nice features" - AppAdvice.com "I have found that Podcast Player is one of the fastest podcasting apps when it comes to managing feeds and downloading episodes. At the moment, no other app has been able to match it when it comes to managing those basic tasks." - Geoffrey Goetz "Podcasting 101" "Podcast Player is the perfect option for a beginning podcaster." - Emily. C. Gardener / gretchenlouise.com CONTACT & SUPPORT Learn more: https://maplemedia.io/ Get in touch: support@rssrad.io LEGAL Terms of Service: https://maplemedia.io/terms-of-service/ Privacy Policy: https://maplemedia.io/privacy/ Subscription Terms: Payment for subscriptions will be charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication.

About

Wave Reader

This app provides a focused RSS reading experience without algorithmic feeds or ads. It delivers full articles, customizable reading themes, and offline access, keeping your data private and on your device.

Highlights
  • Ad-free reading experience
  • Full article delivery
  • Customizable reading themes and fonts
  • Offline reading capabilities
  • Private, local-first data storage
  • iCloud sync across Apple devices
Read full description

Wave – Reading, the way it should be. Wave is an RSS reader for people who want to read with intention again. No infinite feed, no ads, no algorithm deciding for you. You follow the sources that matter to you – Wave delivers them calmly, quickly, and beautifully. Reading comes first The reading mode is the heart of Wave. Full articles instead of truncated previews – even when a feed only offers a teaser, Wave fetches the complete text and formats it cleanly. Images, tables, videos, and quotes appear exactly where they belong. A full-bleed, distraction-free reading space puts the words front and center. Tuned to you Six reading themes (from light through sepia to night mode) and six font families let you shape the page the way your eyes like it. Dynamic Type and VoiceOver are fully supported. Your data stays yours Wave is built local-first. Your articles and reading progress stay on your device – never uploaded to someone else's cloud. Your feeds and folders sync privately across your Apple devices via iCloud. No selling accounts, no tracking, no profiles. Organization that keeps up Sort your subscriptions into folders, keep an eye on what's unread, and keep reading offline – once loaded, an article is always there for you. Native to Apple Wave feels like a real part of your iPhone: modern system design, fluid gestures, sign in with Apple or just start as a guest. Download Wave and give reading its place back.

Screenshots

Podcast Player4 screens
Wave Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Podcast Player at Free against Wave Reader's $0.99. Podcast Player also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). Wave Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On 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

Podcast Player is free to download; Wave Reader costs $0.99 up front. Podcast Player sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year. Wave Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Podcast Player ships an update monthly, Wave Reader every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Podcast Player versus Wave Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPodcast PlayerWave Reader
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.7 (2.2K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews77.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.2K — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size162 MB21 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperMaple Media Apps, LLCBartos Martin Gwozdz

Customer experience

Podcast Player

All ratings2,198 ratings
Positive92.7%
Neutral2.8%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews791 reviews
Positive77.9%
Neutral7.2%
Negative14.9%

Wave Reader

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Podcast Player

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Playback issues after device lock or switching apps
  • Podcast downloads not working as expected
  • Incorrect podcast artwork displayed
  • Podcast queue not saving properly
  • App crashing on launch or during use

Requested features

6 requests
  • Bulk delete/archive for episodes
  • Separate playlists for individual podcasts
  • Apple Watch app integration
  • Improved podcast discovery
  • Customizable playback speed increments
Show 1 more
  • Ability to lock screen orientation

Wave Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Podcast Player

Subscriptions3
  • RSS Radio$2.991 Year
  • RSS Radio - Annual MP$11.991 Year
  • Podcast Player - Annual$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • RSSRadio Full Version Upgrade$3.99
None

Wave Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Podcast Player free?
Podcast Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Wave Reader free?
Wave Reader costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Podcast Player or Wave Reader have ads?
Podcast Player shows ads; Wave Reader does not.
Which is updated more often, Podcast Player or Wave Reader?
Podcast Player ships an update monthly, and Wave Reader every 4 days. Most recently, Podcast Player was updated on October 19, 2026 and Wave Reader on October 17, 2026.

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