# Downcast vs Hourly News

The clearest difference is price: Hourly News at Free against Downcast's $2.99. Downcast's advantage is chart position (#5 vs unranked) and ratings volume (2.7K vs 599). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Hourly News is free to download; Downcast costs $2.99 up front. Downcast sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Hourly News sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Downcast against 4.3 for Hourly News. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.7K and 599 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 71% and 70% positive.

Downcast ships an update monthly, Hourly News every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Downcast | Hourly News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/downcast/id393858566/reviews) | **[4.3 (599 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourly-news/id493859859/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | 599 |
| Positive reviews | **70.8% of reviews** | 70.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 45 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.7** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Jamawkinaw Enterprises LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/393858569) | [Urban Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/285538315) |

## What reviewers say

### Downcast

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

**Currently charting:** #5 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


### Hourly News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourly-news/id493859859)

This app automatically plays the latest audio news updates from trusted sources as soon as you open it. It offers a seamless listening experience across multiple Apple devices, allowing you to stay informed without any scrolling or searching.

**Highlights:** Automatic playback of latest news, Plays sources in custom order, Skips previously heard updates, Downloads updates for offline playback, Adjustable playback speed, Customizable source list, Add custom podcast feeds, iCloud sync across devices

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hourly News Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly (Launch Offer) | $4.99 | per month |
| Hourly News Premium | $44.99 | per year |
| Yearly (Launch Offer) | $44.99 | per year |
| Add Custom Sources | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Dependable and reliable
- 🌍 Provides diverse news perspectives
- 🕰️ Convenient hourly news updates
- 🎧 Easy to use while multitasking
- 📚 Helpful for staying informed

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes or stops working
- 🔊 Volume issues with certain sources
- 🔒 Lack of customization options
- 💰 Paid features that were previously free
- 🕰️ Spontaneous playback at inconvenient times

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch or during use
- Issues with specific news sources (DW News, BBC, etc.)
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
- Playback not working when phone is locked

**Requested features**

- Add more news sources, especially international
- Improve playback controls (skip forward/back, scrubbing)
- Implement background playback and lock screen controls
- Provide push notifications for news updates
- Sync custom sources across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Downcast free?

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

### Is Hourly News free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Downcast or Hourly News?

Hourly News is rated higher. Downcast averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while Hourly News averages 4.3 from 599 ratings.

### Do Downcast or Hourly News have ads?

Neither Downcast nor Hourly News shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Downcast or Hourly News?

Downcast ships an update monthly, and Hourly News every 5 weeks. Most recently, Downcast was updated on November 6, 2026 and Hourly News on November 6, 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.*