Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular across the globe. They’re a great way to gain new knowledge, explore topics you care about, and have company when you’re alone. Several excellent podcast apps are available for both iPhone and Android devices.
A good podcast can take you to a different world of politics, entertainment, comedy, literature, and much more. Podcasts have a vast collection of topics, so whether you are searching for quick news or want to learn about medieval literature, you will find something of your choice.
Many of the best podcast apps, including numerous free apps and a few subscription-based platforms with exclusive programming, offer access to thousands of podcasts.
Best Podcast Apps
1. Apple Podcasts
Apple Podcasts offers one of the world’s largest collections of podcasts, from major brands to independent creators. Therefore, it is one of the best podcast apps for iPhone. With Apple Podcasts, you can start listening to your preferred podcasts right away and subscribe to stay informed.
Apple Podcasts comes pre-installed on iOS, tvOS, and macOS (and supports CarPlay/Apple Watch), enabling you to stream millions of podcasts across your Apple devices. You can find podcasts of popular creators on this app. Also, you can follow your preferred podcasts and save them to your library to listen to them later.
It supports a creator-based subscription marketplace (‘Apple Podcasts Subscriptions’)—available in 170+ countries—letting listeners subscribe to individual shows or channels for benefits such as ad-free listening, bonus episodes, or early access, depending on the creator and region.
2. PodBean
With over a decade in podcasting, PodBean serves a large creator community and offers hosting, live-streaming, and analytics tools alongside its listener-app functionality. PodBean provides creators with easy-to-understand analytics like downloads by time and day, trends, top episodes, listener recommendations, and retention.
This platform also allows you to live stream to your audience and allows the audience to call in to listen or participate. When your podcast is launched, PodBean allows creators to share episodes easily and provides tools for hosting, monetization, and live-streaming.
For marketing, PodBean supports native advertising, premium shows, and audience-support (patron) features. These will let you offer paid access to supplementary content or directly match your podcasts with the right sponsors. This platform is an excellent option for new and experienced podcasters looking for a vast collection of tools.
3. Spotify
Though Spotify is basically known as a music streaming service, the platform also provides podcasts, including several special titles. Spotify’s free tier includes ads; its Premium plan removes Spotify’s own ads and enables downloads.
Note: some podcasts may still carry ads inserted by creators even on Premium. Spotify is available on Android, iOS, desktop, smart speakers, and many other platforms worldwide. The app’s podcast homepage features selected collections and genres, including highlights on some of its original podcasts you won’t find in any other app.
Once you find a podcast of your choice, you can “follow” it from the app. You can also save particular episodes of podcasts without following the show as a whole; these episodes get saved in a folder named “Your Episodes.”
Like Apple Podcasts, Spotify supports devices such as Amazon Echo, enabling you to stream across multiple platforms. You can also constantly stream from one device to another, sharing the same Wi-Fi network.
4. Audible
Audible is best known for audiobooks, but its app also offers many podcasts and Audible Original shows. In many regions a membership model (such as Audible Plus) grants access to both audiobooks and podcasts under one subscription; some content may still be accessible without membership.
Once you pick a show, like “A Promised Land by Barack Obama,” you can read reviews from listeners. These reviews include star ratings for the narrator’s performance, the story, and the general podcast. This makes Audible one of the most user-friendly platforms for audience reviews.
While playing a podcast, you can skip ahead or go back by 30 seconds, connect to a Bluetooth device, and change the speed. You can also see how much time is remaining; you can switch to CarPlay for a minimalist interface and choose episodes by a list at the bottom of the screen.
5. Snipd
Many podcast apps offer similar features, but Snipd stands out by using AI to automatically generate transcripts for each episode. This makes it easier to save key moments, read through conversations, and highlight important insights without scrubbing through audio.
Along with smart transcription tools, Snipd also lets you save highlights, create chapter-like snippets, and revisit insights—making it ideal for learning-focused listeners.
Read More: 9 Hidden Benefits of Listening to Podcasts
6. Pocket Casts
Pocket Casts is a feature-rich app that provides an easy, intuitive interface, customizable playback speed, and the capability to cut silence from episodes. It also has a robust search feature and the capability to sync your subscriptions and playback progress across all your devices.
Pocket Casts is free to use, and an optional ‘Pocket Casts Plus’ subscription adds extra features like cloud storage and desktop apps. With features like customizable playlists and synced progress across devices, Pocket Casts is built for avid listeners. Casual listeners, who may avoid paid apps, might opt for simpler, free alternatives.
7. TuneIn Radio
TuneIn’s primary focus is radio, but it also offers some popular podcasts. There are many genres to explore using the app’s search feature. The service also hosts several new podcasts on its homepage, so you can easily navigate different collections as per your choice.
While ad-supported playback is free, TuneIn also offers paid plans (approx. $10; pricing varies by region) that remove many ads and unlock additional radio and podcast content.
Why Listen to Podcasts on an App?
The best podcast apps make it easy to organize your podcast library, download new episodes, bookmark episodes, and browse your preferences. You’ll never miss anything when using a podcast app; subscribe and get notified when a new episode is launched.
With some apps, such as Apple Podcasts, you can become a paid member and get access to exclusive content. With the huge collection of podcasts, getting a new favorite can feel like an impossible task.
Podcast apps make it easy to broaden your listening sphere. Apps like Apple Podcasts and Spotify use your listening history to recommend new podcasts.
FAQ
Q: How to choose the best podcast apps?
A: There are several podcast apps out there. You can choose any app from this list depending on your listening preferences and device.
Q: Can I listen to them for free?
A: You can listen to some of them for free, but for exclusive content, a paid subscription is needed.
Q: What device should I have to install these apps?
A: Any up-to-date Android device or iPhone will serve the purpose.
Q: Can I have more than one podcast app?
A: Yes, you can, and it’s entirely your choice how many apps you will install.
