I downloaded Neuecast at the start of the year, and my first impression was that it had one of the cleanest and most minimalist designs I’ve seen in an app.

As a casual podcast listener, Neuecast felt perfect because it's not cluttered with features I won't use.

Neuecast episode screen and podcast screen

However, for power users or frequent listeners, it may not yet be the ideal choice, especially if you rely on features like silence removal, voice boost found in Overcast and Pocket Casts, or content clipping offered by apps like Snipd.

Playback customization in Pocket Casts

After some time using Neuecast, I decided to check out Apple Podcasts to compare the “default” experience.

Apple's apps are known for their simple and polished design, and unsurprisingly, I found it just as clean especially the beautifully implemented transcripts feature.

Apple Podcasts episode screen and transcript feature

This raises the question whether you really need to download a new podcast app?

Personally, I enjoy using Neuecast on most days and only switch to Apple Podcasts when I need to reference transcripts, read content, or listen in noisier environments.

The text-based episode screen is really what won me over.

Text-based episode screen in Neuecast

I must commend Neuecast's developer Rishi Mody for designing such an elegant, modern podcast interface.