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.
Best Podcast Apps on Android
Here’s a list of the best apps that you can use to listen to podcasts on an Android device.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Price : Free, $3.99/month for Premium
4. CastBox
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.
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.
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.
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, find, 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.
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 live stream your own podcast.
Price : Free
9. Apple Podcasts
While Apple Podcasts isn’t available on Android, users can still install it as a progressive web app by going to podcasts.apple.com and adding it to the home screen. Apple Podcasts is completely free to use (with ads) and hosts millions of podcasts. It’s got a beautiful UI and … that’s about all the good things end with the app.
You can’t download podcasts on the device, the player UI is fairly basic and barebones with no sleep timer and no playback speed. Therefore, the PWA doesn’t;t offer a very pleasant experience overall. However, if you want to listen to Apple Podcasts on your spare Android device, the Apple Podcast progressive web app could be a great option.
Price : Free
10. Podcast Republic
If you listen to a high volume of podcasts and find them extremely hard to manage, look no further than Podcast Republic. Starting with the user interface, it’s simple yet actionable with every element clearly laid out and within reach. Sure, there is an Ad banner that constantly appears at the bottom but it can be removed with a one-time payment of $5.
You can search for Podcasts within the app, search for radio, add via RSS feeds, and categorize different podcasts using filters. Besides, the app also features cross-platform syncing when you sign in, has an Android Auto interface, and brings an extremely customizable listening experience.
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.
Abubakar covers Tech at Beebom, with his passion for technology tracing back to 2011 when he received a Dell Inspiron 5100 as a gift. He’s also a passionate advocate for the right-to-repair movement, believing in empowering users to maintain and extend the life of their devices. Outside the tech world, he enjoys watching anime and exploring his newfound enthusiasm for Japanese cars. In his free time, you’ll often find him immersed in Genshin Impact or researching his next gadget purchase. Before joining Beebom, he contributed to leading publications like Android Police, How-To Geek, and Fossbytes.
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