Podcasts seem to be becoming an essential source of information gathering in the internet age. It's a great way to hear experts talk about the topics that interest you, and it's relatively easy to find great podcasts. If you are a fan of the media and looking for a new podcast app, here are the best podcast apps on Android.
Anchor
Most of the apps on this list are podcast apps that allow you to download or stream your favorite podcasts. We thought we'd include at least one app that would help you make them yourself. Anchor is a podcast platform offering unlimited hosting. The app lets you record audio, post it to different places like iTunes and Google Podcasts, and import audio from other devices for download. With a business model, it is a well-designed premise that allows you to succeed so that you and Anchor make money. The app and hosting are free, though, and it's ad-free, so you can try it yourself if you want to start your own podcast.
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Castbox
Castbox is one of the few free podcast apps. It has a collection of over a million podcasts cleaned from iTunes and others. The app also includes support for 70 languages, language learning podcasts, Chromecast support, Amazon Echo support, and more. It also includes cloud synchronization for multiple device support. The free version comes with everything and has no ads. In-app purchases are essentially optional.
DoggCatcher Podcast Player
DoggCatcher is one of the older podcast apps. However, the app receives frequent updates. It currently supports things like Android Wear, Android Auto, and Chromecast. Additionally, it offers a huge library of podcasts, playlist support, variable speed playback, themes, and various automation and customization features. The app even has a material design. You must pay €3,19 in advance. However, there are no ads and no additional in-app purchases.
Google Podcasts
Google is doing with its podcast selection what it did with its messaging selection. There are currently three different platforms for Google Podcasts. The first is Google Podcasts. It's a pretty standard podcast app with playback speed controls and the ability to skip segments of silence. Google Play Music is Google's music streaming service. It also supports podcasts. Finally, many people upload daily or weekly shows, podcasts, and other similar content to YouTube. Google Podcasts is the easiest and free option. It is therefore the one we recommend first. The beginnings were difficult, but it works much better now.
Pocket Casts
Pocket Casts is one of the most popular podcast apps on Android, which says a lot about the fact that it's a premium app with no free trial. The app basically offers any audio podcast you could want. Some of its features include cross-device syncing, lots of playback features, and more. The app underwent a major overhaul in early 2019 and then again in mid-2019. It is now a free app with an optional subscription price. The changes have upset a lot of people and it's no longer the obvious first choice, but it's still a solid experience.
pod beans
Podbean is quite a popular podcast app and it works pretty well. It offers a ton of podcasts organized into different categories. You can subscribe, stream, download and listen as you wish. It also includes lock screen controls, various audio effects, Chromecast support, Android Auto support, and integration with Amazon Alexa. This means you can use it virtually anywhere. A few Google Play reviewers had a few bones to take, but we didn't notice anything terrible in our testing.
Podcast & Radio Addict
Podcast Addict is one of the most popular free podcast apps. It has a huge library of podcasts, audiobooks, live radio, and more. It even supports YouTube and Twitch channels. The app also features variable playback speed, silence skip options, Chromecast support, and SONOS support. The application is free but there is also advertising. If you want to remove ads, there is an optional pro version for $4,29 in the Google Play Store.
Go Podcasts
Podcast Go is one of the most promising podcast apps. It has the basics like downloading podcast episodes, variable speed playback, standby, and more. It also has a delightful design with Material Design. The app has over 300 podcasts available. You can search or browse as you wish and subscribe. Otherwise, it's a pretty basic experience. The app is free with advertising. You can pay $000 to remove ads.
Spotify
Spotify is one of the best music streaming services in the world. It also started doing podcasts in early 2016. There aren't many podcasts available compared to something like iTunes (which most other podcast apps use for their libraries), but the number of podcasts available will undoubtedly skyrocket over time. You can download and use the service for free as long as some audio ads. If you already use Spotify, there will probably be a time when a second podcast app will be redundant.
TuneIn Radio
TuneIn Radio is among the best radio apps out there. Its main focus is live radio. However, the app also includes podcasts, audiobooks, radio stations (AM and FM) and even live sporting events. Podcast owners must make their podcasts available for this one. It doesn't do things like iTunes scrub for podcast content. Otherwise, it's a very useful podcast app. Premium Membership gives you access to live NFL, MLB and other sports games and other features. We might not recommend this as a standalone podcast app. However, those who also like to listen to radio shows from other platforms may find this one to be better than a regular podcast app.
Conclusion
These are the best podcast apps on Android. Let us know your favorite podcast apps in the comment section below. You can also check out the best radio apps for Android on our website.
