Downcast

Downcast used to be a fast favorite, but development seems to have since fallen behind.

Let’s talk about the good first. Downcast lets you customize smart playlists so you can choose how you manage your subscriptions. You can download podcasts automatically, or pick and choose which episodes you want to grab. There are lots of options in the settings app for you to run Downcast the way you want to.

There’s even a setting to geo-fence a location for Wi-Fi downloads, although we’re not sure how useful that is. There’s also a Downcast Mac app with which you can sync your podcasts to, but it’s an additional US$7.99.

Unfortunately, there’s not much else. Downcast lacks Overcast and Pocket Casts’ best features; silence trimming and volume normalizing. The interface is also clunky and cluttered. An upcoming v3.0 update is supposed to ship with a modern UI but there’s no news on when it’ll be launching.

Downcast lets you create multiple smart playlists, with customizable filters.

The interface, however, is cluttered and dated.