- Google said it will kill Google Podcasts on April 2 in the U.S. which demands the need for alternatives.
- Some of the best podcast apps are Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, and Spotify.
- You can also use YouTube Music but the library is barebones.
Unless you were living under a rock this past week, you might know that Google officially shut down the Google Podcasts app on April 2. As announced earlier, Google is focusing its efforts on podcasts within YouTube Music. If you haven’t transitioned yet, here are some of the best Google Podcasts alternatives to keep your listening going.
1. Spotify
This list wouldn’t start without Spotify. The platform has grown immensely over the years and has an extensive library of podcasts alongside the already comprehensive music library. There are lots of different Podcast categories to explore, combined with Spotify’s cross-device playback and sync, and ease of use makes it one of the best podcast apps and alternatives to Google Podcasts.
The free tier of Spotify has lots of ads but you can continue using it if you don’t mind. However, you may lose out on features like offline listening and skipping between sections of podcasts or music. However, the subscription is fairly affordable and since Spotify doubles as a music app, you’re essentially hitting two birds with one stone.
Pros Cons Excellent UI Seeking is locked behind the subscription Extensive library Ads Brilliant cross-device sync Doubles as a music streaming app
2. YouTube Music
I’ve been using YouTube Music as my primary service for streaming audio and music, and it hasn’t disappointed me. So far, I haven’t faced any major issues with the app. It also doubles as a music streaming app so that’s great.
The user interface has been improved a lot in the last few months, and overall it’s a breeze to use. The current podcast implementation is not as clean, and I would’ve preferred to use Google Podcasts to have all my Podcasts in one place. Some of the podcasts on Google Podcasts don’t show up when you search for them on YT Music. That’s because podcasts from the previous app haven’t been fully integrated into YouTube Music yet, making it a half-baked app.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great UI | No background playback without a subscription |
| Doubles as a music streaming app | The library is very limited as of now |
3. Pocket Casts
Pocket Casts is one of the best podcast apps on Android for two main reasons – a comprehensive library and loads of customization options. Design-wise, it’s a clean app with a snappy user interface, easier navigation, and an Ad-free experience. The attention to detail in some UI elements such as the animations in the play and skip forward buttons in the mini-player and the well-detailed Podcast pages make it a joy to use.
Features that you find in a regular podcast app such as a Sleep timer, Bookmarks, Favorites, Listening statistics, Downloads for offline listening, etc., are all present. Some features like access to Wear OS app, themes, folders, bookmarks, and desktop and web apps are locked behind a subscription. But even without it, we can see users enjoying the experience.
Pros Cons Great intuitive user interface; No Ads even in the free version Some great features are locked behind a subscription Attention to detail; loads of features Customizations Extensive library of Podcasts
4. Podcast Addict
Podcast Addict is another feature-rich Android podcast app with so many features that attempting to list them all in this article would be never-ending. It has all the essential features you would expect from a Podcast app and loads of other features that you might never end up using. Such is the density of features in the app.
It’s extremely customizable, although you need a subscription to unlock them. But the subscriptions are quite inexpensive in comparison to other apps on this list. There are two tiers in the subscription — Ad-free and Premium. The former removes all Ads with a one-time fee of $10 bucks. The latter enables all features and ad-free experiences at $1 a month or $10 a year. If you don’t want to pay, there’s a small ad banner that appears at the bottom which is quite non-intrusive.
Pros Cons Myriad of features User interface could use some work Extensive library of Podcasts No iOS app Never-ending Customization options Extremely affordable subscription model
5. Castbox
Castbox has to be the best podcast app for Android UI-wise. It’s extremely clean, interactive, and a joy to navigate. Like other podcast apps, Castbox has an extensive library of podcasts across many categories. What I like about it is there’s a community tab where you can interact, share, and listen to podcasts recommended by others.
Unfortunately, the free version limits you from subscribing to more than 100 channels. The app also has intrusive ads for which you’ll need to buy a Premium subscription which is a bit on the expensive side. There are two tiers — Premium and Premium Pro. The difference between the two is in the latter you get Zen mode. The premium subscription disables ads, enables advanced playback settings, gives you unlimited subscriptions, and also lets you host for free on the web.
Pros Cons Beautiful UI Expensive subscription Extensive library Intrusive ads Exporting and importing features Good number of customization options
6. Podbean
Podbean is a podcast hosting app but it also has a good collection of Podcasts to listen to. Its library is not as comprehensive as some other contenders on this list. It’s also not very feature-rich. The user interface could use some work, especially the podcast page but besides that, there’s not much to complain about the app as it gets the job done.
Podbean too has a subscription where by paying $10 a year, you can remove ads, add unlimited playlists, and set podcast pages as the default homepage, and your feedback would be taken on a priority basis.
Pros Cons Decent user interface Not very customizable Large library Ads Podcast hosting
All the apps mentioned above are great for listening to podcasts and you could never go wrong with them. However, if we had to pick the best Google Podcasts alternatives in the business, Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, and Spotify are excellent choices.
What are your thoughts about Google killing Google Podcasts? Are there any popular apps that we forgot to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.
