{
    "products": [
        {
            "slug": "castro",
            "name": "Castro",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://castro.fm/",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/castro",
            "tagline": "iPhone podcast player with a queue, auto-queue and custom speeds",
            "summary": "Castro is a podcast app for iPhone that manages subscriptions with one shared queue, auto-queue for favorite shows and episode limits for frequent publishers. It is free to download, and the Castro Plus subscription at $24.99 a year adds advanced playback features.",
            "platforms": [
                "ios"
            ],
            "pricing": "freemium",
            "price_note": "Free app; Castro Plus subscription at $24.99 a year",
            "free_to_use": true,
            "open_source": false,
            "strengths": [
                "Queue and auto-queue for favorite shows",
                "Episode limits for frequent publishers"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "iPhone only, per the site",
                "Advanced playback needs Castro Plus"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Castro organizes a listener's podcasts around a single queue, so new and chosen episodes sit in one place. Favorite shows can be set to add new episodes to the queue automatically, and shows that publish often can be limited to a set number of episodes. The player supports custom playback speeds, and the app offers 18 icon choices.\n\nCastro is an iPhone app, and the site describes it as the iPhone podcast player. Castro Plus costs $24.99 a year and adds advanced playback features. For iPhone users who want hands-on queue control, Castro is the more detailed option. Apple Podcasts in this list is the built-in choice."
        },
        {
            "slug": "overcast",
            "name": "Overcast",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://overcast.fm/",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/overcast",
            "tagline": "Podcast player for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch with Smart Speed",
            "summary": "Overcast is a podcast player for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Most features are free and supported by small ads for podcasts, and an annual subscription adds bonus features and can hide the ads. Its site lists Smart Speed for shortening silences.",
            "platforms": [
                "ios",
                "ipados"
            ],
            "pricing": "freemium",
            "price_note": "Free with small ads; annual subscription removes ads and adds features",
            "free_to_use": true,
            "open_source": false,
            "strengths": [
                "Smart Speed shortens quiet passages",
                "Free with most features included",
                "Works on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Free version shows ads for podcasts",
                "Works only on Apple devices"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Overcast plays podcasts on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Its site describes it as a free, simple and award-winning podcast player, and it lists Smart Speed for shortening quiet passages. Most of its features are free, and the site says the free version shows small visual ads to promote podcasts.\n\nAn annual subscription adds bonus features and can hide the ads, according to the site. Overcast is closed source and works only on Apple devices. It suits iPhone listeners who want a focused player with playback controls. AntennaPod is the open-source choice for Android."
        }
    ],
    "differences": [],
    "shared_rankings": [
        {
            "list": "podcast-apps",
            "name": "Podcast apps",
            "page": "https://listme.name/best/podcast-apps",
            "of": 10,
            "results": [
                {
                    "product": "castro",
                    "rank": 6,
                    "score": 81,
                    "verdict": "An iPhone podcast app with one shared queue, auto-queue for favorite shows, episode limits for frequent publishers and custom playback speeds. Castro Plus at $24.99 a year adds advanced playback, and the app is iPhone-only.",
                    "best_for": "iPhone listeners who manage many shows with a queue",
                    "spec": {
                        "platforms": "iOS",
                        "rss": true,
                        "open_source": false,
                        "cost": "Free app; Castro Plus $24.99 a year"
                    }
                },
                {
                    "product": "overcast",
                    "rank": 4,
                    "score": 84,
                    "verdict": "A focused iPhone and Apple Watch player with Smart Speed and a free core. The free version shows small ads, and the annual subscription removes them, so it is a narrower choice than Apple Podcasts.",
                    "best_for": "A focused podcast player on iPhone",
                    "spec": {
                        "platforms": "iOS, iPadOS",
                        "rss": false,
                        "open_source": false,
                        "cost": "Free with ads, annual subscription"
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "ranks_higher_in_closest_shared_list": "overcast",
    "page": "https://listme.name/compare/castro-vs-overcast",
    "json": "https://listme.name/api/v1/compare/castro-vs-overcast.json",
    "notes": [
        "Scores are editorial and only comparable inside one list. Products with connected_to_publisher true receive a disclosed ranking lift: https://listme.name/methodology"
    ],
    "source": "https://listme.name",
    "license": "Free to read and cite with attribution to listme.name.",
    "docs": "https://listme.name/developers"
}