Comparison

Peapod vs Wave Reader

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Peapod

A podcast player designed for simplicity and reliability, focusing on your subscribed content. It offers a clean interface and automatic queue updates, with optional premium features for enhanced listening.

Highlights
  • Streamlined library
  • Smart queue updates
  • Clean interface
  • Listening statistics
  • Customization options
  • Custom playback speeds
Read full description

Peapod is a tiny podcast app with no algorithms, no social graph, and no features powered by AI. - New episodes are automatically added to the queue - All data is automatically synced across devices using the same Apple ID - Built for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and CarPlay For a small fee you can unlock some extras - Listening activity - Custom app icons Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Wave Reader

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
Read full description

Wave – Reading, the way it should be. Wave is an RSS reader for people who want to read with intention again. No infinite feed, no ads, no algorithm deciding for you. You follow the sources that matter to you – Wave delivers them calmly, quickly, and beautifully. Reading comes first The reading mode is the heart of Wave. Full articles instead of truncated previews – even when a feed only offers a teaser, Wave fetches the complete text and formats it cleanly. Images, tables, videos, and quotes appear exactly where they belong. A full-bleed, distraction-free reading space puts the words front and center. Tuned to you Six reading themes (from light through sepia to night mode) and six font families let you shape the page the way your eyes like it. Dynamic Type and VoiceOver are fully supported. Your data stays yours Wave is built local-first. Your articles and reading progress stay on your device – never uploaded to someone else's cloud. Your feeds and folders sync privately across your Apple devices via iCloud. No selling accounts, no tracking, no profiles. Organization that keeps up Sort your subscriptions into folders, keep an eye on what's unread, and keep reading offline – once loaded, an article is always there for you. Native to Apple Wave feels like a real part of your iPhone: modern system design, fluid gestures, sign in with Apple or just start as a guest. Download Wave and give reading its place back.

Screenshots

Peapod4 screens
Wave Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Peapod at Free against Wave Reader's $0.99. Wave Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Peapod is free to download; Wave Reader costs $0.99 up front. Peapod sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Wave Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Peapod ships an update every 2 weeks, Wave Reader every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Peapod versus Wave Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPeapodWave Reader
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.418.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrady ValentinoBartos Martin Gwozdz

Customer experience

Peapod

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Wave Reader

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Peapod

Subscriptions1
  • Peapod+ Monthly$2.991 Month
One-time1
  • Peapod+ Lifetime$99.99
None

Wave Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Peapod free?
Peapod is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Wave Reader free?
Wave Reader costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Peapod or Wave Reader have ads?
Neither Peapod nor Wave Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Peapod or Wave Reader?
Peapod ships an update every 2 weeks, and Wave Reader every 4 days. Most recently, Peapod was updated on October 6, 2026 and Wave Reader on October 17, 2026.

Other comparisons