Whether you're doing the laundry, driving home from work, or breaking a sweat at the gym, podcasts are great if you want to fill up your time with the latest news, comedy shows, in-depth storytelling, and so much more. Podcasts are the new radio stations, and there are plenty of options to choose from, but how do you find the best podcast app for Android?
No matter if you have a cheap Android phone or a flagship, these best podcast apps are guaranteed to give you the best experience. Some of the best podcast apps also happen to be the best music apps since both are usually available on the same platform.
Pocket Casts
For years now, my podcast app of choice has been Pocket Casts. With the move from being a paid app to one with a subscription-based model, there was a bit of push back until the company announced that those who previously purchased were "grandfathered" into Pocket Casts Plus. New users can stick with the free version or you can sign up for Pocket Casts Plus for either $0.99 per month or $9.99 per year.
Beyond all that, Pocket Casts is just fantastic. It looks great, is easy to navigate, and runs like butter. There are also playback controls including speed controls, a volume booster, and the ability to cut out any moments of silence in an episode. Automattic, the company that owns the app, is also prompt with updates.
Add that together with a beautiful dark theme, fun playback stats, auto-downloads, and more, and it's easy to see why this is our top pick.
Spotify
Not everyone needs a dedicated podcast app. If you're already using Spotify for your music needs, you might as well listen to podcasts on it, too.
You won't find nearly as many features on it as you would with Pocket Casts or some of the other options on this list, but the fact that you can just listen to podcasts along with your tunes in a single app you probably already have is damn convenient. Spotify has been going all-in on podcast hosting over the past couple of years, so there are more podcasts available now, than ever. There are even a few that are exclusive to the platform, and you can browse by category.
Podcast Addict
If you're looking for one of the best podcast apps for Android with one of the biggest content libraries, then Podcast Addict fits the bill. The app features more than 750,000 podcasts, more than 120,000 radio stations, and an additional 20,000 audiobooks, all at your fingertips. Customize your main screen to place your favorite podcasts at the top or search for a specific episode that you missed out on.
Podcast Addict provides the option to use customizable playlists that can be organized by topic or with custom filters. That way, you can check out your sports podcasts for a while before switching over to the Android Central podcast when you're done learning about how your teams are doing. The app even allows you to add podcasts with local files, RSS news feeds, or even YouTube channels so you can always keep up on what your favorite creators are working on.
Castbox
Castbox is an all-in-one podcast player, but it's not the same as something like Spotify or Amazon Music. Castbox takes a different approach, aiming to provide content from any source you want, including the top news sources, FM radio, and even audiobooks. If you're a stickler for statistics, there's also a Listening Time tab that shows you how much time is spent listening to different podcasts throughout the day.
There is one rather unique feature when it comes to Castbox: the built-in Zen Mode. This feature provides more than 100 different nature sounds for you to play or mix together. You can use Zen Mode to fall asleep or drown out surrounding sounds if you need to focus on some work.
Podbean
It's not often that you come across a podcast app that not only provides access to your favorite shows but also makes it easy to record podcasts of your own with the built-in Podcast Studio. Podbean is an app that has been around for a few years and has a rather simplistic (yet, refreshing) interface for handling your various subscriptions and shows.
As expected, you can listen to either audio or video podcasts, along with being able to customize your listening speeds. This is a great way to save time if you love listening to podcasts but don't like having to deal with all of the pauses that occur while listening to a conversation. There's even a built-in Volume Boost, which ensures that you can hear everything crystal clear, regardless of how softly the podcast hosts are speaking.
Amazon Music
Amazon has taken an approach similar to that of Spotify in an attempt to turn its Music service into an all-in-one content-consuming app for all of your needs.
When perusing the various lists of categories for podcasts, you'll find Amazon Originals, which are podcasts unique to Amazon's services. You can also search for and subscribe to the podcasts you have already known and love over the years. There are some things that could be improved, like the discovery options, but the same could be said for just about every app on this list.
AntennaPod
Many of the best podcast apps for Android come from companies with either years of experience or those owned by larger parent companies. AntennaPod bucks the trend by being an open-source solution for your podcast player needs. The app has a familiar interface, making it easy to find, sort, and listen to your podcasts.
You can even favorite specific episodes, making it easy to go back and listen to an episode that resonated with you. Smart Speed adapts the audio playback speeds based on the podcast you're listening to or just speeds things up so you can get through long podcasts quicker than you normally would. There are even more automation controls built-in that aim to enhance the experience, along with helping to save battery power and data consumption.
Ditch the radio with the best podcast apps for Android
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There are many great apps for you to download, throw in the best wireless earbuds and check out your favorite podcasts. While there are many great apps to choose from, it should come as no surprise that Pocket Casts is our favorite podcast app for Android. Even with changes to the platform that made the app free but introduced another subscription service, it doesn't get much better than this.
Did you really think that Spotify wouldn't be included? The app is already our favorite music streaming service, and the company has been steadily improving the podcast experience as well. Spotify's one of the best podcast apps for Android if you're looking for an app to serve as an all-in-one solution.
