Network vs Pickaxe Player
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Network
A minimalist podcast player designed for simplicity and efficiency. It offers automatic volume leveling, offline episode downloads, and smart storage management. Enjoy features like variable playback speeds, a sleep timer, and easy podcast importing.
- Sound Check for consistent volume
- Automatic offline episode downloads
- Smart storage management
- Variable playback and skip rates
- Sleep Timer
- OPML import and URL subscription
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A simple, clean and efficient podcast app. - Sound Check: Automatically ensures episodes play at a more consistent volume, boosting quieter podcasts. - Offline: Automatically downloads new episodes as they become available. (the app will wait for opportunities to download when connected over Wi-Fi, user initiated downloads within the app can use both cellular/Wi-Fi). - Storage: Automatically deletes episodes from the device when played. - Other Features: Stream older episodes without downloading (cellular/Wi-Fi). Import podcasts from OPML files. Subscribe to podcasts from URL's copied to the clipboard. Variable playback rates. Variable skip rates. Sleep Timer.
Pickaxe Player
This app lets you curate your podcast listening experience with customizable "Listening Blocks" that automatically order episodes based on your set rules. It prioritizes user control and privacy, with no accounts or cloud storage required. Enjoy private RSS feeds and essential playback features.
- Customizable Listening Blocks for episode ordering
- Manual queue management
- Support for private RSS feeds
- Local-first data storage, no account needed
- Background audio and lock-screen controls
- Adjustable playback speed and skip intervals
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You decide what plays next. Pickaxe Player builds your Up Next from Listening Blocks — ordering rules you set once — so every session starts exactly where you want it, not where an algorithm guesses. Stack blocks in the order you want your day to sound: morning news up top, current events next, long serials to finish. Each block arranges its own episodes — grouped by show or interleaved, oldest or newest first — and refreshing brings in new episodes without losing your place. LISTENING BLOCKS Standing rules that keep Up Next arranged your way. Pick the shows, choose the order, drag blocks to rearrange your day. New episodes slot in where your rules say they belong. A QUEUE THAT ALWAYS COMES FIRST Want something specific right now? Add it to the Queue and it plays before everything else. Reorder by hand anytime — the plan works around what you place. PRIVATE FEEDS, FIRST-CLASS Members-only RSS plays like any other show. Feed URLs and tokens stay on your device and are sent only to the feed's own server. LOCAL-FIRST. NO ACCOUNT. There's no sign-up and no cloud. Subscriptions, progress, and rules live on your device, and feed refreshes are built to preserve your progress, queue, and played states. THE ESSENTIALS Background audio, lock-screen and headphone controls, playback speed, and adjustable skip intervals. PRIVACY No accounts, no analytics, no tracking. The app doesn't collect data, so there's nothing for anyone else to see. Full policy: https://player.pickaxe.media/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Pickaxe Player at Free against Network's $2.99. Pickaxe Player also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2). Network's advantage is ratings volume (11 vs 1) and chart position (#32 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases 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
Pickaxe Player is free to download; Network costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Pickaxe Player holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Network has 11 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
| Parameter | Network | Pickaxe Player |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.2 (11 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 72.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 11 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #32 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Andrew Conlan | Tampa Bay Coders |
In-app purchases
Network
No in-app purchases
Pickaxe Player
No in-app purchases
