Is Once Upon a Pod free?
The website is completely free to browse and listen. The app is $14.99 a year (about $1.25 a month) or $1.99 month to month, and every plan starts with a 7-day free trial. It gives your child their own safe space to explore, with a bedtime mode and sleep timer, offline listening, parental controls, personalized recommendations, separate profiles for each child in the family, and a fun companion character along for the ride. The app is coming soon to the App Store.
My favorite podcast is missing. How can I add it?
You can suggest it on our Submit a Show page. We'll give it a listen, and if it's a good fit, we'll add it to the directory.
I pay for a podcast through Apple Podcasts, Wondery+, Patreon, Pinna, or another service. Can my kid listen to it here?
Yes! In the app's grown-up settings, you can add your private podcast feed. It'll show up alongside everything else, filtered to your kid's age range and subject to the same parental controls.
How do you pick which podcasts are listed?
Every single show is personally reviewed by a real human — no algorithms decide what makes the cut. We listen for age-appropriate content, production quality, and whether it's something a kid would genuinely want to come back to.
How do you decide the age range for a show?
We start with the age range the podcast's creators give, and use it as a guide. Then we listen to the show ourselves and check that the language, pacing, themes and complexity really fit those ages before it goes on the site. If our listening tells us a show suits a different age, we list it where it fits best.
What if I find something inappropriate?
Please let us know right away at hello@onceuponapod.com. We take every report seriously and will review the content as soon as possible.
What data do you collect about my kid?
Only what the app needs to work well for your child. For each child you set up, we store a first name, their birth month and year (plus the day, if you'd like the app to wish them a happy birthday), the interests and content filters you choose, the character and world they pick, and what they listen to and save. The birthday is how we show shows made for their age. Your child's information is never sold or used for advertising, and the app doesn't track them across other apps or websites. Our privacy policy has the full details.
Who's behind Once Upon a Pod?
Just me — Katrina, a mom who wanted something better for her kid and decided to build it. Once Upon a Pod is a one-person project, not a big company. When you subscribe to the app, you're directly supporting an independent creator and helping keep this directory growing for every family. Thank you for your support!
Still have questions? Drop us a line — we'd love to hear from you.
