As of 12 October 2026 Macdio is a one-time purchase: 14.99 US dollars in the United States, priced in local currency in 175 App Store territories. That single purchase covers iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch and CarPlay through Apple's Universal Purchase, so buying it once on the phone puts it on the Mac and the TV too. There is no subscription, no in-app purchase, no ads and no account to create.
What the price includes
The app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch and CarPlay, 60,000+ radio stations, 4.7 million podcasts, recording, Song ID, synced lyrics, on-device transcripts and highlights, and every update. 1.0 to 3.0 cost existing owners nothing.
What it does not include
Android, Windows or a web player: Macdio is written for Apple platforms only. There is no free tier and no trial; Apple's refund process applies if it is not for you.
Why there is no subscription
Radio has been free on the air for a century. A monthly fee for something that should just work never made sense to me, so the price is the price, and the stations stay yours.
What the same money buys elsewhere
Most radio and podcast apps on the App Store are free to install and sell a subscription inside. Here is what each one charges, from its own App Store listing, next to Macdio's single price. If TuneIn is the subscription you are weighing, the TuneIn alternative page compares the two feature by feature.
| App | Price on the US App Store |
|---|---|
| Macdio | 14.99 USD once, every Apple device, no subscription |
| TuneIn | Free with ads; Premium 9.99 USD a month or 79.99 USD a year |
| myTuner Radio | Free with ads; 9.99 USD a month, 34.99 USD a year, Radio Pro 79.99 USD |
| Broadcasts | Free with a few stations; 1.99 USD a month or 11.99 USD a year |
| Eter | Free; Premium 8.99 USD once |
| Triode | Free; 0.99 USD a month, 9.99 USD a year or 29.99 USD forever |
| radio.net | Free with ads; PRIME 2.99 USD a month or 25.99 USD a year |
| Pocket Casts | Free with ads; Plus 3.99 USD a month or 39.99 USD a year |
| Overcast | Free with ads; Premium 19.99 USD a year |
| Castro | Free; Plus 24.99 USD a year |
| Snipd | Free; Premium 6.99 USD a month |
Prices as listed on each app's US App Store page, in-app purchase section, on 12 October 2026. Periods are the ones the listing states; where a listing shows several prices for one product, the lowest monthly and yearly figures are given. Prices change and vary by country; check the App Store for current details.
Local prices
Apple sets a price tier per country, so a listener in India or Brazil pays the price that fits that market, not a US dollar conversion. The home page shows the price for the country your Mac or iPhone is set to, and the App Store shows the final figure before you buy.
Refunds
Purchases go through Apple, so refunds do too: Apple's reportaproblem.apple.com handles them, usually within a few days. I never see your payment details, which is also why there is no account.
Updates
Every update since 1.0 has been free for existing owners, including the 3.0 release that added podcasts, transcripts and highlights. A paid upgrade is not planned. If that ever changes it will be a new app, not a lock on the one you bought.
Common questions
Is there a free version or a trial?
Do I pay again on the Mac or the Apple TV?
Will the next big version cost extra?
Why is the price different in my country?
Is there an Android or web version?
Get it
Macdio is on the App Store as a one-time purchase. The feature list has the long version of what that buys.