Pocket Casts onboarding teardown

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Signup is the first thing you see, before a single episode plays. They pitch the account around sync ('sync your listening experience across all your devices'), which is a real benefit for an app with desktop and watch apps, so the ask makes sense. The 'Not Now' in the corner gives the dropout-prone users an escape instead of forcing it. I'd test letting people hit play on an episode first, then asking to create an account to save it.

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The Plus paywall fires right after signup, before you've heard anything. Yearly default with a one-month free trial, monthly toggle sitting next to it. The feature list is all power-user stuff: desktop apps, folders, watch playback, 20GB storage, themes. The 'undying gratitude of everyone here at Pocket Casts' line is good brand voice. The catch is these props are abstract to someone who hasn't used the app yet, so I'd move this wall to after they've imported their shows and listened a bit.

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Swipe right and the second page is the Patron tier at a much higher annual price, framed as 'Believe in what we're doing and want to show your support.' That's donation framing on a premium tier: same core features plus a supporters badge and early access. Good way to catch the superfans who'll happily pay more without making it the default that scares everyone else off.

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Post-paywall activation done right. 'Welcome, now let's get you listening' with three clear next steps: import your podcasts, discover something new, get the newsletter. Import is the one that matters for switchers coming from another app, since it carries their subscriptions over. They guide you to a first action instead of dropping you on a blank home, which is what most apps get wrong here.

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