Last updated on February 17th, 2023
Podcasts are a great way to learn about new topics and keep up with what’s going on in the world. And, let’s be honest, just kill time on the go.
But finding podcast apps on Android that actually works for you can be difficult. There are so many podcast apps in the Play Store, how do they know which one they should choose? After all, not every show is available on every app. It’s not a cookie-cutter experience. There’s one here you should leave be… see if you can tell.
It’s not like apple podcasts which is a closed ecosystem and you don’t need to worry about where your ios podcast experience is coming from.
In this article, we’ll review some quality podcast apps on Android that have been downloaded by thousands of users. These apps have received positive reviews from users, who say they’re easy to use and allow them to listen to podcasts whenever and wherever they want.
So if you’re looking for an app that makes it easy to listen to your favorite shows on your phone or tablet, keep reading!
Google Podcasts, as you’d imagine, is one of the podcast apps on Android app that gives you access to all of your favorite podcasts—except for the ones you actually like. Apple and iOS would never let this happen. Could you imagine Amazon music letting themselves be beaten as the number one podcast player in the *coughs* Kindle Fire store?
First, let’s talk about how great Google is at making and then abandoning products. The company has created some of the most innovative software in the world, but it’s also responsible for some of the worst ideas ever conceived. Think about it: YouTube Red is a thing that exists—and now we’re stuck with YouTube Music. And don’t even get us started on Google Plus.
But I digress: Back to Google Podcasts! This app is amazing because it makes podcast locating SO much easier than actually listening to podcasts (which we highly recommend). It’s like having a personal assistant who listens to every show you love, then tells you which episodes they liked best.
Only they don’t really listen because they’re just streaming your RSS feeds through a service called “GooglePlayMusic.” It’s like Google is in my head… Congress? Maybe look into that?
So if you’re looking for something close to every show on here, well… sorry! But if you want an app that lets you skip all those pesky ads and listen straight to the stuff that matters most? Then by all means: Download this app right now!
Pocket Casts is a free podcast app that’s been around for a while now, and it’s been constantly updated to keep up with all the latest trends in podcasting. It’s easy to use, intuitive and comes with some really cool features that make it stand out from the crowd.
It has automatic download capabilities that will save you time, but it also has manual download capabilities so you can get exactly what you want. If you’re like me, when you’re stuck on a subway or bus with no internet connection, you can still listen to your favorite podcasts!
The library is huge, but it doesn’t have everything—and that’s okay. You can find anything on Pocket Casts because it lets you search by title, description keywords, and even episode number.
It’s my go-to favorite, but it’s not perfect. So it sits aside a few others.
Look… It’s just math ok?
If there’s a reason your favorite show, say the Joe Rogan Experience, isn’t on your listening apps of choice, it’s likely because this is the 800lb gorilla in the Google Play store.
When Spotify signed the popular podcast to an exclusive $20 million dollar deal it changed the game. Completely. It also happened to make Rogan the highest-paid podcast host on the planet.
As an app, Spotify is fine. It isn’t podcast-specific since music is where they originated… why mess with a good thing? At this point, it should really just be on all Android devices. For $10 bucks a month you get unlimited everything with no ads? Yes, please.
Podcast Addict finds a home in my “Podcasts App” folder on my home screen. Wait… I just realized I typed that on my home screen. Embarrassing.
Regardless, I love me some Sam Harris, and during the Pandemic, it was only of all these wonderful podcast listening apps that I could figure out how to use to get his feed to play. Maybe I’m finally at the stage where I need to put my password on post-it notes. Embarrassing.
The actual interface is pretty straightforward. Although when I opened it, it told me it wasn’t going to play by the rules. The battery life rules. Then it updated services for a while and crashed.
You know what, it’s fine. Sam Harris everybody.
Spotify is a great service, but it’s not the only game in town. If you’re looking for something that’s a little more personalized, there are plenty of podcast players out there that are just as good—and maybe even better. For some. Sometimes. Often I find myself messing with these ones because they have features or experiences
It’s a generally well-reviewed experience and it looks like the UX (User Interface) is pretty straightforward, but it is one of those contenders that just doesn’t have a differentiating factor. I suppose if I had found it before I found my Sam Harris access, I may have used it more.
That criticism she’s lodging is a problem for these smaller apps if I’m allowed to editorialize for a moment. They’re working without a net. People want to give them a chance, but when it gets in the way of the experience… Why can’t it be as simple as radio?
But again, in trying it, I wasn’t wowed. It was a perfectly good workhorse app. But I already have mine.
Worse, the latest review on Google Play seems to be trending downward. You don’t have to make changes to something that works because you’re on the clock. I hope they right the ship.
We’ll come back. Just going out for a pack of smokes.
This one is a little different. In addition to podcasting ability, they cover a lot of live sports, live radio, events, etc. It’s as close to an actual radio station repository as you’re going to get while staying on the right side of the law.
So if we were ranking apps (and that’s not the point of today’s exercise, class) it wouldn’t really be fair to put them in the same category. Are Howard Stern and Joe Rogan in the same category? Ehhhhhh…
Since it’s not apples to apples we’re going to say that this is an app worth checking out and leave it at that for now.
Here’s the case of missing the boat on what seems to be a very fine application. I say application because it is meant to be cross-platform, which is great a really great idea. I think that is what Spotify has been trying to do, but these guys do a much better job.
Syncing across platforms is excellent, smooth, and a breeze. Sync what you say? Oh, just the library of 20 million podcasts and videos. And with podcasters with any real cache incorporating video, it’s a really smart place to be. But if we look at the graph of users above, they’re nowhere to be found.
Their FAQ was also nowhere to be found. But they’ve made some changes since their acquisition in 2020 for an undisclosed amount. Honestly, it looks like a good experience.
Sticher has always been more of a search engine for the medium that played what you found. And it seems they’ve been tinkering with the app, seeing as they say it’s been redone. That’s above the fold. That’s a big deal.
I’m not clear on how many changes they’ve made, but we know the old app was good. You’ll find their link littered throughout some of the older posts because it was the only place you could find some smaller, obscure shows.
Again, we’re not doing any ranking here, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Stitcher is still worth checking out. I know I’ll be checking out the new version and why don’t we do it together? It’ll be like a field trip. Remember field trips?
Simpler times everybody. Simpler times.
It’s a jungle out there, but these podcast apps on Android will help you find your way.
You can’t always trust reviews when it comes to Android apps, and it’s incredibly easy to get lost in the Play Store. But we’ve done the work for you, and these are the ones we recommend trying first.
We’re not saying that every one of these apps is right for everyone—they’re all different, and all have their strengths and weaknesses. But these are tough times and at least they’re all free to try. And in all seriousness which one is the one you wouldn’t try?
Did we miss your favorite? Let us know on Twitter (we know) @Discover_Pods.
The most interesting podcasts draw the listener in. Subscriptions. Binge listeners. This is what you…
The Dissect Podcast had been floating around in the back of my head for a…
NASCAR podcasts really have the possibility to bridge what we may ignorantly think is a…
Welcome to our guide on the best mystery podcasts! If you're a fan of spine-tingling…
The trial is over, the sentence meted out, but the impacts linger. We'd all do…
The best podcast about history will not only teach us about the past, but will…