For the past couple of years, podcasts have taken the internet by storm! Podcasts are a great way to consume content that is both entertaining and informative. However, choosing the right podcast player can get slightly intimidating, considering the long list of options available. Hence, today we have finally decoded the best podcast players for you. So, without delaying any further, let’s check out our list right here!
What to Consider in a Podcast Player?
Before starting with the list of the best podcast players, let’s check out some aspects and criteria that we considered while choosing the best podcast players for you.
- List of features wherein you can tweak the audio of the podcasts as per your interests
- How easy it is for you to search for a podcast
- List of podcasts available
- Subscription rates
- Social media sharing availabilities
And many more…
Top 12 Podcast Players
Now that we know exactly what we need in choosing a podcast player, let’s jump right to the list of the top 12 best podcast players of all time.
1. Apple Podcasts
The list of podcast players will surely be incomplete without the good old Apple Podcasts! It is undeniably an evergreen podcast player for the very right reasons!
You can easily search for your relevant podcast right from the Search bar located at the top of the screen. If you want more insight into the latest trending podcasts, the Browse tab has it all! You get an editor-curated page of different shows and charts wherein you can choose as per your mood!
Pros
- Very popular for ages.
- The Browse section is properly arranged, unlike the other components.
Cons
- Apart from the Browse section, it is slightly tough to manage and use while listening to podcasts.
Price
- Free for Apple Users
2. Spotify
If you are not an Apple user, Spotify is an excellent alternative to Apple Podcasts! Being a primary music consumption app for years, Spotify has a vast range of highly informative and engaging podcasts. The monthly active user count currently in 2021 is about 371 million, with a massive hike of 70 million in just a year!
Follow your favorite podcasts or podcasters, queue up your episodes, and tweak the playback speed just as you want! Guess the best part? You can also create your podcast playlist and share it with your friends and family!
Just like Apple Podcasts, you can also find an editor-curated playlist and choose your favorite ones as per your mood! You can also find the latest podcast right on your home page.
This will ensure that you can catch up right where you left the podcast the last time! Also, you can download the podcasts and play them on the go without an internet connection during your everyday morning drive to the office!
Pros
- An excellent alternative to Apple Podcasts
- You can create your playlists of podcasts
- You can even download your favorite podcasts offline
- Tweak the playback speed of the podcast if required.
Cons
- The ads might get frustrating if you do not have a Spotify subscription.
Price
- $9.99 per month
3. Stitcher
For starters, Stitcher is a complete podcast network! You get some of the exclusive hit shows of all time! Even though it is mostly free, it has some special podcasts reserved just for their Premium members like Maria Bamford: 20%, etc. Hence, if you are an avid podcast listener, maybe you should consider getting the Stitcher subscription this time!
When coming to features and usage, it is not in comparison to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. The features and podcast settings are minimal for Android, IOS, or Web players. Also, if you have Amazon Alexa, you can easily access every Stitcher content!
Pros
- Huge podcast network
- You get exciting and engaging content which are exclusively present in Stitcher.
Cons
- Minimal range of features and settings
Price
- Free, but the Premium plan costs $4.99 per month.
4. Castro
Castro is another podcast player who is just for the Apple users here. No, we are certainly not biased toward Apple users, but we are trying to add as many good-quality podcast players as possible!
With Castro, you can easily manage your podcast queue. The user interface is simple, which is the favorite of most podcast listeners! Also, the audio enhancement settings of Castro are a boon for podcast listeners! You can easily tweak as much as you want until you get your desired quality with Castro!
However, that comes with only the Castro Plus subscription and not with the free one! Also, if you think your queue just got messy, Castro gives you the option to rearrange your podcast queue, which is undoubtedly a savior!
Pros
- User-friendly interface
- Robust audio enhancement features to change the audio settings of the podcast
- One of the cheapest subscription plans
Cons
- Gets slightly buggy at times
Price
- $18.99 per year
5. Pocket Cast
Another top-rated podcast player amongst Android and ios users is Pocket Casts! Starting from the interface to the feature options. Almost everything about Pocket Casts is incredible! You can easily see the episodes you haven’t finished and resume playing them right from your home screen, just like Spotify.
You can change the audio speed here as well as per your requirements and adjust the pace accordingly. Click on the Discover section, and you will find a long list of the latest podcasts running worldwide!
Pros
- Multiple options for settings and audio enhancements
- A clean and straightforward interface
- Inexpensive membership plan in comparison to the others
Cons
- Has a limited podcast count
Price
- $1.17 per month
6. Castbox
Castbox has a great collection of some of the classic podcasts of all time! You can also discover many new podcasts which are not very popular but have great content! Every recommendation at Castro is unique, which makes it interesting.
However, it comes with loads of advertisements if you do not have a subscription plan. Apart from that, you can’t download any podcast and store it for later as well without the subscription plan, which is some of the limitations of Castbox.
Pros
- Amazing collection of podcasts
- Unique recommendations
- User-friendly interface
Cons
- Too many advertisements can get irritating at times(get a subscription plan to remove them!)
Price
- $0.99 per month
7. Downcast
Downcast is another really popular podcast player among IOS users due to its one-time fee. You just need to pay for the apps once, and you can listen to them for free without any extra subscription costs, which is simply fantastic!
The list of shows is impressive. You can easily search for your required podcasts through the Search bar with their name or URL feed. You also get some exclusive settings wherein every episode starts after skipping the intro and the outro, yet another great advantage for podcast listeners!
Not all of us are fond of listening to the same intro and outro. We should skip directly to the main content of every episode!
Pros
- No extra subscription fees ever apart from the one-time app expenses
- Easy to search for the podcasts
- Skip the intro and outro for every episode automatically by adjusting the settings
Cons
- None
Price
- $2.99 for IOS and $4.99 for macOS( just the app purchase)
8. Luminary
Next in our podcast player list comes the very new Luminary! Luminary is a newcomer to the list of podcast players but has still achieved a remarkable feat already! This podcast player has a long list of some fantastic and unique podcasts to dive into!
Also, the Luminary Originals are indeed worth a try! However, the ads might be slightly frustrating again if you are a free member, which is why it is always better to get a subscription plan!
Pros
- New podcast player yet highly popular
- A wide range of podcasts is available
- You get access to much exclusive content with Luminary originals
Cons
- The ads are persistent, which breaks the concentration while listening to the podcasts.
- Expensive subscription plan
Price
- $7.99 per month
9. Overcast
Overcast is another IOS-only app with numerous unique features to explore! One of the exciting features of Overcast is clip sharing, wherein you can tell your friends about the podcast you love by sending them a one-minute audio or video clip!
You can also create a playlist of your favorite podcast shows and share it with your friends. However, all of these features are only available for Premium members. With a free Overcast account, you can just listen to a few podcasts.
Pros
- An incredible way to engage with friends by sharing podcasts
- Create your playlist of podcasts
Cons
- Too many ads
- Slightly buggy
Price
- $9.99
10. Soundcloud Player
Even though it is popular just as a music-only platform, Soundcloud has a great variety of podcasts to binge on too! You get all the mandatory features such as play, download, embed, and whatnot.
You can even like a podcast, add comments, and share your favorite podcast on social media with your friends! You can create your Soundcloud playlist if you want to keep all your favorite podcasts together.
Pros
- Engaging social media sharing features
- Add likes and comments to your favorite podcasts and engage with other like-minded people
- Create your playlist and share it with your friends!
Cons
- A limited number of podcast audio enhancement settings
Price
- $9 per month
11. Breaker
If you are looking for some free podcast players, Breaker is the iOs only podcast player, which is the ideal choice for you! Whenever you connect your Breaker account to Twitter, Facebook, or your device contacts, you can easily find your friends who already use Breaker.
Alongside, you can follow them and find what shows or podcasts they listen to and their comments on any episode. Even though it is free, there is no compromise in the list of podcasts available!
In case you are wondering, Breaker makes money by offering podcasters a way to sell their content directly to their listeners!
Pros
- Completely free with no hidden charges
- Great way to socially engage with friends
Cons
- None
Price
- Free
12. Podbean
You might know Podbean as a podcast hosting platform, but it also comes with embedded podcast players! You can get countless amazing podcasts, and you can never get bored of them! Click on Trending right on top of the homepage of Podbean, and you will find some exciting podcasts which are highly popular! The settings are slightly limited, but the long list of podcasts surely compensates for this downside!
Pros
- Wide variety of trending podcasts
- Easy to use
Cons
- Limited options for audio enhancement settings
Price
- $3 per month
Final Thoughts
As we said, choosing the right podcast player might get slightly challenging. However, with this list, you will have a clear insight into your requirements from a podcast player and choose the most suitable one accordingly!
