# Downcast vs Overcast Podcast App

The clearest difference is price: Overcast Podcast App at Free against Downcast's $2.99. Overcast Podcast App also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (48K vs 2.7K). Downcast's advantage is chart position (#3 vs #42) and iOS requirement (14.7 vs 18.0). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Overcast Podcast App is free to download; Downcast costs $2.99 up front. Downcast sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Overcast Podcast App sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Overcast Podcast App holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Overcast Podcast App has 48K ratings behind it against 2.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of Downcast's written reviews are positive against 65% of Overcast Podcast App's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Downcast ships an update monthly, Overcast Podcast App fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Downcast | Overcast Podcast App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/downcast/id393858566/reviews) | **[4.5 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/overcast-podcast-app/id888422857/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2.7K | **48K** |
| Positive reviews | **70.8% of reviews** | 64.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#3** | #42 |
| Size | 45 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.7** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Jamawkinaw Enterprises LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/393858569) | [Overcast Radio, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/888422860) |

## 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


### Overcast Podcast App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/overcast-podcast-app/id888422857)

**Currently charting:** #42 Top Grossing · News, #84 Top Free · News (US App Store)

This app offers a powerful and intuitive way to listen to podcasts, featuring smart speed adjustments and voice boost for optimal audio quality. Download episodes for offline listening, discover new shows with personalized recommendations, and organize your listening with custom playlists.

**Highlights:** Smart Speed for time saving, Voice Boost for consistent volume, Offline playback, Podcast discovery and recommendations, Customizable playlists, Sleep timer, Apple Watch and CarPlay support

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Overcast Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Overcast Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Overcast Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Overcast Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Overcast Premium | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent audio quality
- 🔒 Respects user privacy
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🚀 Smart Speed feature saves time
- 👍 Customizable playback options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High storage usage
- 👎 Cluttered and unintuitive UI after recent update
- 👎 Removal of useful features like 'play next'
- 👎 Streaming no longer supported

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent episode downloads and playback
- Syncing issues between iPhone and Apple Watch
- Randomly resets playback progress

**Requested features**

- Ability to easily mark episodes as played
- Improved podcast discovery and recommendation system
- More customization options for playlists and episode sorting
- Easier access to sleep timer and other frequently used controls


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Downcast free?

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

### Is Overcast Podcast App free?

Overcast Podcast App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Downcast or Overcast Podcast App?

Overcast Podcast App is rated higher. Downcast averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while Overcast Podcast App averages 4.5 from 48K ratings.

### Do Downcast or Overcast Podcast App have ads?

Neither Downcast nor Overcast Podcast App shows ads.

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

Downcast ships an update monthly, and Overcast Podcast App fortnightly. Most recently, Downcast was updated on November 1, 2026 and Overcast Podcast App on November 1, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Downcast or Overcast Podcast App?

Downcast currently peaks at #3 in the App Store charts, and Overcast Podcast App at #42. 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.*