# ZDF vs Podium

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ZDF at none against Podium's 1. ZDF also leads on ads (none vs shown) and device support (3 vs 1). Podium's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On price and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Podium sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ZDF asks for nothing beyond the download.

ZDF ships an update every 3 weeks, Podium every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ZDF | Podium |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (9.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zdf/id437025413/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **9.8K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 67.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 101 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV** | iPhone |
| Age rating | +12 | 4+ |
| Developer | [ZDF](https://appshunter.io/developer/437025416) | [Minded Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/1867257009) |

## What reviewers say

### ZDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zdf/id437025413)

Stream your favorite German TV shows, series, documentaries, and live events on demand or offline. Discover a wide range of public broadcasting content and personalize your viewing experience with a watchlist and notifications.

**Highlights:** On-demand streaming of series and documentaries, Offline viewing of downloaded content, Content available before TV broadcast, Live TV and livestreams of sports and shows, Access to content from ARTE, funk, 3sat, phoenix, and ARD, Personalized watchlist and notifications, Smart recommendations

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌍 Access to German TV content abroad
- 🎥 Wide variety of programs (movies, series, news, documentaries)
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🇩🇪 Allows keeping up with German language and culture

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Many programs geo-blocked and not available outside Germany/Austria/Switzerland
- 🐛 Occasional crashes, bugs, and playback issues
- 🔇 Lack of subtitles/closed captions
- 🔄 Difficulty resuming previously watched content

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes or failure to open videos
- Playback issues like audio-video desync, videos freezing or going black
- Sync issues between devices, inability to resume watching

**Requested features**

- Offline viewing/download options
- Personalized recommendations and watchlists
- Improved Chromecast/AirPlay support
- Compatibility with older devices/iOS versions


### Podium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/podium-game-score-keeper/id6803518100)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ZDF free?

ZDF is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Podium free?

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

### Do ZDF or Podium have ads?

Podium shows ads; ZDF does not.

### Which is updated more often, ZDF or Podium?

ZDF ships an update every 3 weeks, and Podium every 9 days. Most recently, ZDF was updated on November 7, 2026 and Podium on October 31, 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.*