Apple Podcasts vs Podverse

Apple Podcasts is a podcast app and service for finding, following, and listening to shows across Apple devices, the web, Windows via iTunes, CarPlay, HomePod, smart speakers, and supported car systems. Millions of shows are free, and episodes can be downloaded for offline listening; new episodes from followed shows can download automatically. It supports video podcasts and private feeds, with listening synced across devices. Transcripts in select languages can be read and searched, navigated by chapter, or used to jump to a point in an episode. Premium shows, episodes, and channels may have monthly or annual subscriptions, with prices set by creators. Subscriber benefits can include ad-free listening, bonus or unreleased content, and other subscriber-only material. Subscriptions can be shared with up to five people through Family Sharing. Creators have production, analytics, audience connection, and subscription tools. They receive 70% initially and 85% after one year of paid service, excluding applicable taxes; other podcast revenue, including advertising, goes to the creator.

Podverse is an open-source podcast manager for the web, iOS, Android, and F-Droid. It supports audio and video podcasts, livestream playback, offline downloads, private feeds, and custom RSS feeds, with OPML import and export. Podcasting 2.0 features include chapters, cross-app comments, and episode transcripts, while Value-for-Value listening supports Boostagrams. Apple CarPlay is available in Free and Premium. Free costs nothing and includes podcast subscriptions, video and livestream playback, CarPlay, Podcasting 2.0 features, and screen-reader accessibility. Premium costs $18 a year after three months free and adds cross-device sync, notifications, clips, playlists, listener-profile subscriptions, and episode history. Podverse software is provided under the AGPLv3 license. The project states official support for iOS 14–16 and Android 11–13. Podcast audio and video load from podcasters’ public servers rather than being hosted by Podverse. Clips can be any length, but dynamic ads may make their timestamps inaccurate.