Out of all the mediums from which you can gain new insights, Podcasts are by far the best. We say this because, unlike other mediums like video which require you to focus on what’s happening on the screen and take up a lot of data and space, Podcasts can be heard without much effort and require significantly less data. If you’re on Android, there are plenty of Podcast apps you can use, and here are some of the best Podcast apps.
1. Spotify
In the last few years, Spotify has grown as an excellent platform for listening and hosting podcasts. The app now has a dedicated filter for podcasts and there are tons of podcasts to choose from Spotify’s comprehensive library. I have to say that Spotify’s style of UI and the touches on its podcast page are some of the best I’ve seen so far with both video and audio previews and subtitles. There’s also a YouTube Shorts/Reels-like feature where you can discover new podcasts by swiping.
Spotify’s player is THE most comprehensive compared to other players. From live auto-captions to auto-generated chapters, sleep timers, rewind and forward 15 seconds, and adjusting the speed, it’s got you covered in every way. Besides, Spotify also has apps on Wear OS and Desktop which are free to download but come with ads. However, you can purchase Spotify Premium for an ad-free experience. Overall, Spotify is easily one of the best podcast apps on Android.
Pros Cons Exceptional UI Obtrusive adverts Extensive library Premium is expensive Reels like feature for podcast discovery is great Chapters and live captions come in handy
Price: Free with Ads, $11.99/month
2. YouTube Music
Since the death of Google Podcasts (alternatives), the mantle has since then been handed over to YouTube Music. Now, YouTube Music is one of the best music streaming services, partly because of its great algorithm and partly because it comes bundled with YouTube Premium. While YouTube Music’s podcast library may not be as comprehensive as other platforms, it has almost all the features that you’d need in a podcast app.
For starters, it’s got a player where users can choose between Audio and Video (if the podcast has a video), similar to Spotify. Besides, thanks to podcasts being streamed from YouTube, you can browse the comments and interact with the community like CastBox. Besides, you get a queue, save the podcast for later, change the playback speed, download it to listen offline, and set a sleep timer.
The details tab shows you the description under the YouTube video but we wish Google used these to segregate episodes and its timeline into chapters, just like Spotify. Overall, there’s still work to be done to make the platform better; however, YouTube Music is still a great podcast app. YouTube Music isn’t free, of course, because you need YouTube Premium.
Pros Cons Good UI The library is not as extensive Bundled with YouTube at no extra cost No background play in the free version Great player features The library is not extensive
Price: $13.99/month with YouTube Premium
3. Pocket Casts
Pocket Casts is our favorite podcast app on Android all thanks to its wide library of content spread across different niches and its beautiful user interface. The Discover tab and its recommendations are some of the best we’ve seen in any podcast app. It hooked me to this trending podcast called Strangers on a Bench. I’m a sucker for clean UIs and Pocket Casts’ is pretty great compared to other podcast apps for Android.
The Podcasts tab shows you all the podcasts you’re following. The Up Next queue is pretty self-explanatory. Some of the features such as Folders and Bookmarks, Themes, Cloud Storage for storing podcasts, and access to Web, Desktop, Wear OS, and WatchOS apps are locked behind a subscription paywall of $3.99 per month or $39.99. Most users should be good with the free tier. Overall, Pocket Casts is easily one of the best podcast apps you can install on Android.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent UI | Web and Desktop apps locked behind paywall |
| No Ads, even in the free version | |
| Extensive library | |
| Lots of player features |
Price: Free, $3.99/month for Premium
4. CastBox
CastBox is rated 4.6 stars on Play Store which tells you a lot about how good the platform is. It claims to have over 50 million free podcasts, and we did find the library to be quite extensive. The excellent UI of the app combined with the great Discover tab and the ability to interact with other listeners via the comments section makes CastBox a unique podcast app.
Not only that, the app lets you restore your podcasts from other apps with OPML import/export. The playback controls, although not as comprehensive as Pocket Casts, get the job done. Overall, CastBox is definitely one of the best podcast apps you can download on Android.
Pros Cons Excellent UI Advertisements Extensive library More player features needed Community interaction
Price: Free with Ads, $7.99/month for Premium
5. Podcast Addict
Don’t let the extremely old UI fool you. Podcast Addict is one of the best podcast apps in business and there are plenty of reasons. From Podcasts to Radio Stations and even Alarms (just why?), Podcast Addict has you covered. There are tons of Podcasts and Radio Stations to choose from and in different languages. You can also use your RSS feed to add podcasts that are missing. Besides, you can import OPML files within the app to import all podcasts from your previous podcast apps.
The Discover section is filled with different podcasts and if you’re unable to find one to listen to, scroll down and you will be greeted with different categories like Business, Comedy, Fiction, etc for you to find what you’re looking for. Besides, the page shows you Trending and new podcasts alongside audiobooks and videos. Podcasts Addict has many customization features, including a widget, Navigation sidebar, Player customizations, and Display customizations. It does have a single small ad banner at the bottom that can be removed with a monthly subscription of $2.99.
Pros Cons Extensive library of podcasts The UI is in dire need of an upgrade Comprehensive customization features The player comes with all the features you’d expect Categories make it easier to find new podcasts
Price: Free with Ads, $2.99/month without ads
6. Podcast Player
Podcast Player may be just another podcast app for Android but it checks most of the boxes starting with the home screen. The tabs Features and Trending help you find new podcasts while the Categories tab, just like Podcast Addict, lets you find based on categories. There are no fancy features like videos and skip silence, but there are features like sleep timer, skip 30 seconds, and playback speed.
It’s also fairly customizable with the ability to change themes and enable lockscreen playback controls. It also supports OPML imports and exports to bring all your podcasts from the previous app to Podcast Player. The app contains ads that can be removed with a small subscription fee of $0.99 monthly. Overall, while it may not pack all the bells and whistles as other apps, Podcast Player is a decent podcast app for Android.
Pros Cons Decent library of podcasts UI needs a rework Decent customization features The player doesn’t have many features Simple and easy to use More customization features would be great Featured and Category tabs make it easy to find podcasts
Price: Free with Ads, $0.99/month without ads
7. AntennaPod
AntennaPod is an open-source and straightforward app. As soon as you launch it, you’re asked to add a few podcasts, and the library of podcasts is pretty comprehensive. It mainly picks up podcast suggestions from Apple Podcasts but you could add via RSS address, Podcast Index, fyyd, or import a podcast list via OPML files. The hamburger menu gives users access to Downloads, Subscriptions, and Episodes, alongside Playback History and Settings.
The app is surprisingly customizable with dynamic colors, filters, episode info settings, behavior settings, and playback control customizations. Besides, the app lets you synchronize your subscriptions via services like Gpodder.net and Gpoddersync. While it’s great to have the feature, we wish it had a conventional way of storing podcast subscriptions on the cloud. Overall, AntennaPod is far from perfect but it’s a decent podcast app for Android.
Pros Cons Decent library Lacks native podcast sync Customization features are nice The player lacks features like skip silence Extremely simple and easy to use Three podcast providers, including Apple Podcasts
Price: Free
8. Podbean
There’s no better app to end this list than Podbean. It’s one of the oldest Podcast apps out there and has only improved over the years. You’re greeted with trending podcasts as soon as you launch the app, followed by the top podcasts of the week. There are predefined filters at the top that can help you get around the app. The bottom bar houses things like Discover, Following, Search, and Profile with a little “+” icon to record or livestream your own podcast.
The app is surprisingly easy to get around and the player is easy to use. It has a comments section just like CastBox and YouTube Music which makes interacting with like-minded people easier. All the basic features like forward, rewind, sleep timer, and playback speed are present. There is an option to import all your podcasts via OPML, and the Settings section is quite comprehensive. There aren’t many customization options, though.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great library of podcasts | Not as customizable |
| Super simple to use | UI could use some work |
| Allows recording or live streaming your own podcast | |
| Doesn’t miss out on basic features |
Price: Free
Best Podcast Apps on Android: Our Choice
We believe you cannot go wrong with any of the apps mentioned on the list. However, if we had to choose a few apps among them, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, and Podbean stand out. That said, if you’re looking for video podcasts, YouTube Music is hard to beat.
Do you use a podcast app that we missed and deserves to be on this list? Let us know in the comments below.
