Podcasts get from “how good can they really be?” to “damn good!” quite quickly. Sure, you need to sit through a few podcasts at first. Once you’ve excited your tastebuds, you soon run out of the stuff you want to know more about. And even if you do find podcasts to satisfy your cravings, they’re often exclusive to a dedicated podcasts app or two. But if it feels like having an itch you can’t scratch, you better get a hold of the best podcast player from the following list for the best podcast apps for Android and iPhone.
The best podcast player for you should have all your favorite episodes in one place, is easy to navigate through, and is compatible with your device. Paid apps are typically more versatile than free podcast apps. However, not everyone’s pockets go deep! This is why I’ve made a list that is a mix of free and paid podcast apps to help you lock on to what you need. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
5 Best Podcast Apps Available for iOS and Android
1. Spotify
Subscription: $10 Monthly. Free (With Ads).
Available Across: Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Smart TVs, and Web Player Website.
Unique Feature: Curated podcast playlist based on listening habits.
Besides being the most popular music streaming app, Spotify does a remarkable job of covering podcasts. With over 3.2 Million podcasts in its library, there is little that isn’t available in podcasts on Spotify. Spotify features exclusive podcasts like “Renegades: Born in the USA” and “The Michelle Obama Podcast” that are not available on any other podcast apps.
Though Spotify does offer a free version with ads and no downloads, subscribing to a premium account becomes necessary if you need to listen to podcasts on the go. But if you’re not a big fan of offline playing, you can still follow your favorite channels, add podcast episodes in a queue, and explore new podcasts with your friends.
Related Guide: How to Delete Spotify Account
2. TuneIn Radio
Subscription: $10 (One Time Payment for No Visual Ads and Less Audio Ads).
$10/Month (Without any Ads)
Free (With Ads)
Available Across: Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Smart TVs, and Web Player Website.
Unique Feature: Features a “Car Mode” with a simplified menu.
TuneIn Radio brings back nostalgic memories of finding new music in the pre-music streaming services era. But what it also brings to the table now is an unrealistic collection of over 4 Million podcasts! A user-friendly homepage simplifies the overwhelmingly large library. You can easily navigate to the podcasts you like by entering categories and sub-categories.
The TuneIn Radio app features a “Car Mode” for a more simplified screen to listen to podcasts. But if that’s not enough, you can set an automatic download for the podcasts you’ve been listening to. Moreover, the app lets you add custom podcasts to listen to if they’re not available on TuneIn Radio yet.
3. Player FM
Subscription: $3.99/Month or $39.99/Year (Premium). Free (With Ads and Basic Features).
Available Across: Android, iOS, and Web Player Website.
The repetitive appearance of Player FM in the top 10 best podcasts apps worldwide speaks a lot for the app. It, too, has an overwhelming library of over 20 Million podcasts that are updated multiple times a day. If you don’t know how to find and listen to podcasts in such a large directory, the podcasts are categorized in over 500 niches!
Apart from a friendly home screen and easy-to-navigate niche categories, Player FM features curated playlists by the app producers themselves. Suppose it is a sport you need to catch up on listening to motivational talks. In that case, Player FM probably has more than you expect in any category!
4. Castbox
Subscription: $0.99/Month (Premium). Free (With Ads).
Available Across: Android, iOS, and Web Player Website.
Unique Feature: Google Play Best App, Most Entertaining App, Best Music + Audio App, and Top Trending Apps Winner.
Being the winner of Google Play Best App reward and with over 2 Billion downloaded episodes, Castbox is everything a podcasts addict wants. It has a clean layout, making it easy to find and download the podcasts you love. Though it boasts a collection of around 95 Million uploaded content, not all are dedicated to podcasts alone.
It is available in 27 different countries globally and offers top-notch services for free. But if you find the occasional advertisements to disrupt your listening flow, you subscribe to a Premium account with an exaggeratingly low price of $0.99. The app is available across different platforms and devices. Also, it is the winner of “The Most Entertaining App” on Google Play as well.
5. Laughable
Subscription: $2.33/Month (6 Month Plan for $13.98). Free (On Android Devices).
Available Across: Android, iOS, and Web Player Website.
Unique Feature: Lets you follow a personality rather than just a podcast channel.
The biggest comedy-centric app now debuts for Android devices as well. Laughable offers the largest humor depository on the internet and is by far the most versatile podcasts app. A unique feature of this app is that it lets you follow a personality other than following channels of podcasts shows.
Elon Musk, Mick Jagger, and Weird AI are only a few personalities to name. Anyhow, once you follow a personality on Laughable, it notifies you every time they make an appearance as either a guest or a host on any podcast. Moreover, you can also rewind the clocks and stream into old content available for the personalities.
5 Best Podcast Apps Available for iOS Only
1. Apple Podcasts
Subscription: Free.
Available Across: iPad and iPhone with iOS 10.0 and above.
Unique Feature: Can Sync with Siri and allows you to search for podcasts using voice command.
Being the official podcasts front for Apple and iOS devices, Apple Podcasts is easily the best Apple podcast app. It bags over 30 Million episodes for around 1 Million podcast shows that you can search for, download, and then listen to.
The search page makes it easier to find sought-after podcasts as it searches for podcast channels and by people mentioned in it. However, not every podcast has a transcript, so this feature does not apply to all podcasts. Thanks to the trailers and introduction clips, you can get a glimpse of the podcast without getting completely into it. Though initially free, Apple Podcasts may ask listeners to subscribe to a Premium for exclusive episodes and an ad-free experience.
2. iCatcher
Subscription: $2.99/Month.
Available Across: iPhone, iPad, and iPod.
Unique Feature: The gesture support feature enables you to use the podcasts app in hands-free mode.
iCatcher is one of the best iPhone podcast apps out for all iOS and Apple devices. It introduces variable speed to make it easier to understand fast-speaking podcasts. And with a gesture support feature, you can skip 15 seconds forwards and backward without touching the screen.
It is commonly argued to be the best app for podcasts on iPhone as it packs on a bunch of additional features. Subscribing to shows, downloading episodes in the background, custom playlists, continuous playback support, sleep timer, and AirPlay support are some prominent features for this app. All in all, it is a wonderful way to keep up with the latest news or updates in your field of interest for a relatively low subscription price.
3. PodCruncher
Subscription: $3.99.
Available Across: iPhone, iPad, and iPod.
Unique Feature: Offers complete support for password-protected podcasts.
Though not exactly the best podcast player for iPhone, PodCruncher surely gives its competitors a run for their money. It offers the complete iTunes catalog and offers 500K podcasts to Apple and iOS listeners. You can download episodes for offline listening. Also, it offers the feature of automatically downloading the latest episodes after release. Isn’t that something nobody has been offering till now?
Coming over the discovery, PodCruncher makes it easier to discover new music with its compact 16 categories. You can search for a podcast, episode, channel, or author and subscribe to them for updates as in other apps. The app also offers numerous social features to share your listening habits with friends on social platforms. But that’s not all. You can sort your liked and downloaded episodes with the smart playlist feature.
4. Pocket Casts
Subscription: $0.99/Monthly or $10/Yearly (Premium). Free (With Ads).
Available Across: iPhone, iPad, and iPod.
Unique Feature: Light and Dark Themes for better adaptability and user experience.
Pocket Casts is my favorite pick from the list and is indefinitely among the best podcasts apps for iPhone. Being a universal fit for Apple devices, it is available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod. What gives this app its fame is how incredibly easy it is to find and discover new podcasts. Also, it integrates with the car, AirPlay, Sonos, and other services to integrate better into your life.
Moreover, Pocket Casts syncs your listening habits and activities to the cloud. Meaning you can access your playlists and jump right into the episodes where you left off. Even if you’re trying out with a different device, your personalization is not to be affected. The discovery stays up to par with the top podcast apps for iPhone, with frequent notifications for new releases.
5. Overcast
Subscription: $9.99/Yearly (May vary in different regions).
Available Across: iPhone, iPad, and iPod.
Unique Feature: Smart Speed and Voice Boost.
Overcast is surely one of the best ways to listen to podcasts on the iPhone. “Proudly Made in New York,” as the developers phrase it, it really does stand up to its position as various forums claim it. It gets the extra fame from paying close attention to listeners’ preferences. The Smart Speed and Voice Boost satisfy even the most peculiar audiophile ears.
Though Overcast is originally a free app, it does rely on ads for funding the podcasts. But if ads are too much of a buzzkill for you, a $9.99 yearly subscription gives you an ad-free experience. Also, there are optional notifications that you can get after a new release for your favorite show or channel. Moreover, creating custom playlists and applying smart filters make your podcasts experience even more fun.
5 Best Podcast Apps Available for Android Only
1. Google Podcasts
Subscription: Free.
Available Across: Android Devices and Web Player Website.
Unique Feature: Explore Topics – Search results based on keyword.
Like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts is the app for podcasts on Android. Though it shares several podcasts with Apple Podcasts, it features its own exclusives as well. But since it’s a completely free podcasts app, you can add custom audio files through the RSS as well. Since Google pioneers in SERPs and Keywords, it integrates the same things to its app as well.
So, if you’ve been listening to an NFL podcast, the recommendations you get will revolve around football events, news, and fixtures. However, the most attractive feature is its Activity tab, similar to that of YouTube. If you’ve accidentally quit the app without saving the podcast you’ve been listening to, you can always fetch it back from the Activity section. It is, without a doubt, the best free podcast app for Android.
2. DoggCatcher
Subscription: $2.99 (One Time Buy for Premium). Free (Lite Version).
Available Across: Android Devices and Web Player Website.
Unique Feature: Home Screen Widget.
DoggCatcher is the top contender for the best podcast app for Android. Since it’s one of my personal favorites on the list, I’ll begin with its most attractive feature, the discovery. The Top 100 DoggCatcher podcasts list lets you in on the most highly rated podcasts worldwide. They may not all be of interest to you, but there’s always something that grasps your attention once in a while.
Besides making it much easier to discover new podcasts, it also emphasizes user-friendliness. It has a home screen widget to toggle controls and access podcasts much faster. And just like any best Android podcast player, you can search for, download, and listen to podcasts offline. Moreover, it has built-in speed variables to help you adjust better to the pace of the podcast narrator.
3. Podkicker
Subscription: $30 (One Time Buy for Ad-Free Service). Free (With Ads).
Available Across: Android Devices and Web Player Website.
Unique Feature: Reverse Playlist Mode.
Podkicker too comes close to the best podcast player for Android. Though it is not as extensive and well-categorized as some top podcast apps above, it makes up for it with additional features. The RSS feed in the app allows you to add custom podcasts that you can listen to later. Also, the app offers Chromecast support. So, now you can keep up with your pending episodes while working around the house as well.
However, a unique feature of this app is its reverse playlist mode. In this mode, you get to listen to the most recently downloaded podcast first. Not only that, but the entirety of its playlists modes are attractive enough. Anyways, the most attractive feature of this app is that it only asks for a one-time payment for a Premium Ads-Free service.
4. BeyondPod
Subscription: Free.
Available Across: Android Devices and Web Player Website.
Unique Feature: Feedly Integration – Lets you listen to episodes that are no longer on the publisher’s feed.
BeyondPod is a free Android podcast player with a library of millions of audio and video episodes. Apart from being a one-stop-shop for big and small podcast channels alike, the lite version lets you listen to Apple podcasts on Android as well. You can search for your favorite podcast channels at the user-friendly homepage and download podcasts, lectures, or audiobooks for offline listening.
Moreover, BeyondPod throws in a feature similar to Spotify into the shuffle. It automatically makes curated playlists based on your listening habits. But the best part is how it allows you to cast your podcasts on Chromecast and TV. Another compelling feature of this app is its integration with Feedly. This feature allows you to listen to podcasts that are not on the publisher’s feed anymore.
5. Podcast Republic
Subscription: $1.99/Month (Ad-Free). Free (With Ads).
Available Across: Android Devices and Web Player Website.
The Podcast Republic is the best free podcast app for Android devices. Though intrusive ads accompany it, an affordable subscription of $1.99 cuts them off for good. With over 600 Million episodes, Podcast Republic hosts most major Radio and Podcast channels. More than that, the extensive library of Podcasts is put together in an easy-to-navigate menu and player.
Also, it allows you to import RSS news and custom podcasts into the powerful podcast player. But where the Podcast Republic really gets attractive is by letting you set download restrictions. You can choose to download over specific networks (Data/Wi-fi) or even only when your phone is docked into charging. Being the most non-intrusive podcasts app, Podcast Republic requests for the minimum permissions on your device upon installation.
Conclusion
Spotify really does top the charts for the best podcast player, thanks to its extensive library of 2.2 Million. But if I had to look for something even more over Apple platforms, iCatcher will be my top pick. And my favorite for Android has always been DoggCatcher for its one-time subscription model and one of the largest podcasts collection.
I hope you’ve made your pick by now, whether it was a paid or a free podcast app that you’ve been eying down. But if you’d like to see more entries on our list for the best podcast apps for Android and iPhone, feel free to leave your mentions in the comments below!
