# IceStream vs Owncasts

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Owncasts at none against IceStream's 1. Owncasts also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 14 months). IceStream's advantage is iOS requirement (7.1 vs 17.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

IceStream ships an update every 14 months, Owncasts weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | IceStream | Owncasts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/owncasts/id6451178968/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **8** |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.1** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [TinkaTinka](https://appshunter.io/developer/505803809) | [Gabe Kangas](https://appshunter.io/developer/395148234) |

## What reviewers say

### IceStream

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icestream/id505803646)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version | $4.99 | one-time |


### Owncasts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/owncasts/id6451178968)

Discover and watch independent live streams from various sources. Receive instant notifications when your favorite streamers go live, ensuring you never miss an update. This app aggregates content from Owncast-powered platforms.

**Highlights:** Watch independent live streams, Get notified when streamers go live, Aggregate Owncast-powered content, On-the-go viewing

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is IceStream free?

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

### Is Owncasts free?

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

### Do IceStream or Owncasts have ads?

Neither IceStream nor Owncasts shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, IceStream or Owncasts?

IceStream ships an update every 14 months, and Owncasts weekly. Most recently, IceStream was updated on November 1, 2026 and Owncasts on November 3, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*