# Downcast vs Network

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Network at none against Downcast's 4. Downcast's advantage is ratings volume (2.7K vs 11) and chart position (#1 vs #32). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Downcast against 4.2 for Network. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Downcast has 2.7K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of Downcast's written reviews are positive against 72% of Network's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Downcast | Network |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.3 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/downcast/id393858566/reviews)** | [4.2 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/network-podcast-app/id723422355/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 70.8% of reviews | **72.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | #32 |
| Size | 45 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.7 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Jamawkinaw Enterprises LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/393858569) | [Andrew Conlan](https://appshunter.io/developer/588213097) |

## 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


### Network

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/network-podcast-app/id723422355)

**Currently charting:** #32 Top Paid · News (US App Store)

A minimalist podcast player designed for simplicity and efficiency. It offers automatic volume leveling, offline episode downloads, and smart storage management. Enjoy features like variable playback speeds, a sleep timer, and easy podcast importing.

**Highlights:** Sound Check for consistent volume, Automatic offline episode downloads, Smart storage management, Variable playback and skip rates, Sleep Timer, OPML import and URL subscription

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Downcast free?

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

### Is Network free?

Network costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Downcast is rated higher. Downcast averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while Network averages 4.2 from 11 ratings.

### Do Downcast or Network have ads?

Neither Downcast nor Network shows ads.

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

Downcast ships an update monthly, and Network monthly. Most recently, Downcast was updated on October 17, 2026 and Network on October 17, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Downcast or Network?

Downcast currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and Network at #32. 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.*