As of 12 October 2026 Apple Podcasts is free, built into iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch, syncs through your Apple ID, and shows transcripts that Apple provides for supported shows and languages, with a share button for a moment from the transcript. Macdio is 14.99 US dollars once: it makes a transcript for any episode on your own device in a language the device supports, searches across every transcript, sends a marked moment with its sentence to Apple Notes, Notion, Obsidian, Bear, Craft or Readwise, lists the songs an episode plays, and keeps 60,000+ live radio stations in the same app.
Where Apple Podcasts wins
Price, obviously. Video podcasts, channel subscriptions, and the catalog and reviews that come with being the default. Transcripts for the shows Apple covers appear without any work on your device. If you follow a handful of big shows and never need the words outside the app, there is no reason to pay for anything.
Where Macdio wins
Any episode, any show
Macdio's transcript is made on the device from the audio, so a small show in a supported language gets one too, not only the shows a catalog has processed. How it works
The words leave the app
A highlight is the second plus the sentence, sent to the notes app you already use. Apple Podcasts shares a moment; it does not file it. How it works
Radio and podcasts together
60,000+ stations, Song ID, recording and synced lyrics in the same app, and a queue that runs an episode, then a station, then the next episode.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Macdio | Apple Podcasts |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 14.99 USD once | Free |
| Transcripts | Any episode, made on your device | Provided by Apple for supported shows and languages |
| Search across every transcript | Yes | Not stated |
| Highlights sent to a notes app | Apple Notes, Notion, Obsidian, Bear, Craft, Readwise | Share a moment from the transcript |
| Generated chapters and summary | Yes | Publisher chapters |
| Songs identified inside episodes | Yes | Not stated |
| Live radio, Song ID, recording, lyrics | Yes | No |
| Video podcasts | No | Yes |
| Channel subscriptions | No | Yes |
| iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, CarPlay | Yes | Yes |
| Episode downloads | Yes | Yes |
| Sync | iCloud, no account | Apple ID |
| Ads | No | No |
Based on Apple's own site and US App Store listing and on Macdio's code, read on 12 October 2026. "Not stated" means the page did not say, not that the feature is missing. Features and prices change; check the App Store for current details.
Using both
Many people do. Apple Podcasts has no OPML export, so shows are added to Macdio by search or from another app's OPML; after that the two apps do not need to know about each other. Macdio is the one to open when you want the words, the notes or the radio.
Common questions
Is Macdio better than Apple Podcasts?
Does Apple Podcasts have transcripts?
Can I move my Apple Podcasts subscriptions to Macdio?
Does Macdio need an account?
How much does Macdio cost?
Try it
Macdio is on the App Store as a one-time purchase. The podcasts page has everything the podcast side does.