# Downcast vs iCatcher! Podcast App

The clearest difference is rating: iCatcher! Podcast App at 4.7 against Downcast's 4.3. iCatcher! Podcast App also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly) and review sentiment (87% vs 71%). Downcast's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (14.7 vs 18.5). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Downcast costs $2.99 and iCatcher! Podcast App $4.99 up front. Downcast sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and iCatcher! Podcast App sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

iCatcher! Podcast App holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.7K and 1.9K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Downcast's written reviews are positive against 87% of iCatcher! Podcast App's.

Downcast ships an update monthly, iCatcher! Podcast App every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Downcast | iCatcher! Podcast App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.3 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/downcast/id393858566/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icatcher-podcast-app/id414419105/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | 1.9K |
| Positive reviews | 70.6% of reviews | **87.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#3** | #8 |
| Size | 45 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.7** | 18.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Jamawkinaw Enterprises LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/393858569) | [Joeisanerd.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/284973030) |

## What reviewers say

### Downcast

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

**Currently charting:** #3 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


### iCatcher! Podcast App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icatcher-podcast-app/id414419105)

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Paid · News (US App Store)

Download, listen to, and manage your favorite podcasts with this comprehensive player. Features include background downloads, iCloud sync, customizable playback speed, and robust search capabilities. Discover new shows and organize your listening experience seamlessly.

**Highlights:** Download episodes over WiFi or Cellular, iCloud sync for subscriptions and playback, Variable playback speed per podcast, Background refresh and downloads, Customizable playlists with filtering, Search across all podcasts and episodes, Support for password-protected feeds

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Thank You Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Big Thank You Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Really Big Thank You Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Enormous Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent podcast app
- 👍 Highly customizable
- 🔒 Doesn't collect user data
- ⏱️ Great playback controls
- 💾 Reliable offline listening

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔀 Confusing playlist management
- 🔍 Cluttered or unintuitive UI
- 🔌 Syncing issues across devices

**Reported bugs**

- Unreliable episode downloads
- Inconsistent playlist sorting
- Playback issues on Apple Watch

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved CarPlay support
- Sleep timer for Apple Watch
- Bookmark playback from specific points


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Downcast free?

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

### Is iCatcher! Podcast App free?

iCatcher! Podcast App costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Downcast or iCatcher! Podcast App?

iCatcher! Podcast App is rated higher. Downcast averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while iCatcher! Podcast App averages 4.7 from 1.9K ratings.

### Do Downcast or iCatcher! Podcast App have ads?

Neither Downcast nor iCatcher! Podcast App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Downcast or iCatcher! Podcast App?

Downcast ships an update monthly, and iCatcher! Podcast App every 8 days. Most recently, Downcast was updated on September 22, 2026 and iCatcher! Podcast App on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Downcast or iCatcher! Podcast App?

Downcast currently peaks at #3 in the App Store charts, and iCatcher! Podcast App at #8. 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.*