# Downcast vs TheWkly

The clearest difference is price: TheWkly at Free against Downcast's $2.99. TheWkly also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly). Downcast's advantage is ratings volume (2.7K vs 4) and chart position (#2 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

TheWkly is free to download; Downcast costs $2.99 up front. Downcast sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and TheWkly sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

TheWkly holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Downcast has 2.7K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Downcast's written reviews are positive against 100% of TheWkly's.

Downcast ships an update monthly, TheWkly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Downcast | TheWkly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/downcast/id393858566/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thewkly/id6758051166/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 70.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | — |
| Size | 45 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.7** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jamawkinaw Enterprises LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/393858569) | [DAVIT AVAGYAN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1870587685) |

## What reviewers say

### Downcast

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

**Currently charting:** #2 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


### TheWkly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thewkly/id6758051166)

This news app decodes headlines with personalized insights, explaining how stories impact your life and wallet. It features AI-driven investigations, misinformation analysis, and stock predictions, offering multiple perspectives on current events.

**Highlights:** Personalized news digest, AI investigative journalism, Misinformation analysis, AI stock predictions, Political spectrum indicators, Mood-based filtering, Gamified reading experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TheWkly Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| TheWkly Premium | $79.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Downcast free?

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

### Is TheWkly free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Downcast or TheWkly?

TheWkly is rated higher. Downcast averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while TheWkly averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Downcast or TheWkly have ads?

Neither Downcast nor TheWkly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Downcast or TheWkly?

Downcast ships an update monthly, and TheWkly every 3 days. Most recently, Downcast was updated on October 24, 2026 and TheWkly on October 23, 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.*