# Downcast vs USA Headlines

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: USA Headlines at none against Downcast's 4. Downcast's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 19 months) and price ($2.99 vs $7.99). On ads there is nothing between them.

Downcast costs $2.99 and USA Headlines $7.99 up front. Downcast sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. USA Headlines asks for nothing beyond the download.

Downcast ships an update monthly, USA Headlines every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Downcast | USA Headlines |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $7.99 |
| Rating | **[4.3 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/downcast/id393858566/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 70.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 19 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | #111 |
| Size | 45 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.7** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jamawkinaw Enterprises LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/393858569) | [Jose Leal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441468562) |

## What reviewers say

### Downcast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/downcast/id393858566)

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Paid · News (US App Store)

Manage and listen to podcasts with a powerful, feature-rich player. Offers extensive download and playback options, including variable speed and CarPlay support. Syncs across devices via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Search, subscribe, and download podcasts, Manual subscription via URL, Automatic downloads and background downloading, Variable playback speed, AirPlay and Google Cast support, iCloud syncing for subscriptions and settings, Smart playlist creation

**Features:** Siri integration, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Encouraging Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Motivating Tip | $5.99 | one-time |
| Galvanizing Tip | $8.99 | one-time |
| Inspiring Tip | $11.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful features
- 👍 Highly customizable
- 💡 Granular podcast management
- 🚀 Reliable performance
- 👍 Great organization and playlists

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🔍 Subpar search functionality
- 👎 Outdated user interface
- 👎 Syncing problems

**Reported bugs**

- Podcast downloads failing
- Playback position not saved correctly
- Podcast artwork and information mix-ups
- Continuous play issues
- Crashing on startup

**Requested features**

- Bookmark feature
- Playback speed of 1.75x
- Podcast triage/management tools
- Improved CarPlay integration
- Apple Watch app with volume control


### USA Headlines

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/usa-headlines/id1479540317)

**Currently charting:** #111 Top Paid · News (US App Store)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Downcast free?

Downcast costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is USA Headlines free?

USA Headlines costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Downcast or USA Headlines have ads?

Neither Downcast nor USA Headlines shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Downcast or USA Headlines?

Downcast ships an update monthly, and USA Headlines every 19 months. Most recently, Downcast was updated on October 17, 2026 and USA Headlines on October 13, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Downcast or USA Headlines?

Downcast currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and USA Headlines at #111. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*