# iCatcher! Podcast App vs Wave Reader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Wave Reader at none against iCatcher! Podcast App's 4. Wave Reader also leads on price ($0.99 vs $4.99) and review sentiment (100% vs 89%). iCatcher! Podcast App's advantage is chart position (#16 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

iCatcher! Podcast App costs $4.99 and Wave Reader $0.99 up front. iCatcher! Podcast App sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Wave Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

iCatcher! Podcast App ships an update every 8 days, Wave Reader every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iCatcher! Podcast App | Wave Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **$0.99** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icatcher-podcast-app/id414419105/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.9K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 89.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#16** | — |
| Size | 72 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.5** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joeisanerd.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/284973030) | [Bartos Martin Gwozdz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874400025) |

## What reviewers say

### iCatcher! Podcast App

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

**Currently charting:** #16 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


### Wave Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-reader/id6758680022)

This app provides a focused RSS reading experience without algorithmic feeds or ads. It delivers full articles, customizable reading themes, and offline access, keeping your data private and on your device.

**Highlights:** Ad-free reading experience, Full article delivery, Customizable reading themes and fonts, Offline reading capabilities, Private, local-first data storage, iCloud sync across Apple devices

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iCatcher! Podcast App free?

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

### Is Wave Reader free?

Wave Reader costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do iCatcher! Podcast App or Wave Reader have ads?

Neither iCatcher! Podcast App nor Wave Reader shows ads.

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

iCatcher! Podcast App ships an update every 8 days, and Wave Reader every 4 days. Most recently, iCatcher! Podcast App was updated on October 19, 2026 and Wave Reader on October 17, 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.*