What you need to know

  • On September 17, Pocket Casts announced it was making its app free and introduced a Pocket Casts Plus subscription.
  • People that previously bought the Pocket Casts web app were going to get three years of Pocket Casts Plus for free.
  • Now, those users are getting a lifetime Plus subscription.

Earlier this week, Pocket Casts made a big announcement. Its mobile app, which used to cost $4, is now free for everyone to download and retains all of the same features as before with new ones promised to keep coming.

With the app now free, a new "Pocket Casts Plus" subscription was also announced. Plus costs $0.99/month or $10/year, and for that fee, you get cloud storage, exclusive themes, and access to the Pocket Casts web app.

That last point is what caused some longtime users to get up in arms, as the web app used to cost a flat, one-time fee of $9. Pocket Casts gave a peace offering with 3-years of free Plus access for anyone that previously bought the web app, but after hours of backlash, those customers are now getting a lifetime subscription to Pocket Casts Plus.

Per Pocket Casts CEO, Owen Grover:

We made some pretty big changes this week, and we've heard your feedback loud and clear. Although we intended to demonstrate our appreciation to our most loyal users, we know many of you feel we missed the mark.

Hopefully, this gesture eliminates confusion and demonstrates our commitment to you, the loyal listeners who've helped build Pocket Casts into the platform it is today. We simply wouldn't be here without you.

I personally thought the 3-year offer was more than generous, and looking through the replies to Pocket Casts' tweet announcing this update, I'm not the only one with that mindset. In any case, folks that bought the desktop Pocket Casts app can now rest a little easier and save an extra ten bucks each year.

Spotify vs Apple Music: Which should you subscribe to?