How to choose a podcast app: devices, catalogs, ads and openness

Choose a podcast app by the phone you use, the kind of catalog you want and whether the app's code matters to you. The podcast app ranking sorts the options into platform apps that come with a phone, focused players and an open-source player for Android. Most of these apps are free to use, so the deciding factors are usually devices, catalog and ads rather than the starting price.

Start with the devices you own

Several of these apps run on one platform family only. Apple Podcasts is built into iPhone, iPad and Mac, and it also has a web player. Overcast works on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. AntennaPod is Android only, with no iPhone or desktop version. Podcast Addict is also Android only, so iPhone users would need a different app. Castbox runs on iOS and Android and supports CarPlay, Android Auto and smart speakers.

Among the five apps covered here, Castbox is the only one that runs on both iOS and Android. If you listen on a laptop, Apple Podcasts is the one with a Mac app and a browser player. Check the device list before you compare features, because a feature you like does not help if the app does not run on your phone.

Catalog and any RSS feed

Catalog size and discovery differ. Apple Podcasts offers a broad catalog that you can browse by genre and host. Castbox describes millions of podcasts across many topics. Podcast Addict has a directory with top charts, and creators can submit or claim a show through its podcaster portal.

RSS support is a separate question. An RSS feed is the address a show publishes, and an app that accepts any feed can add shows that are not in its own directory. The ranking's "Any RSS feed" field is yes for AntennaPod and Podcast Addict, and no for Apple Podcasts, Overcast and Castbox. If you follow a show that a directory does not carry, check that field first.

The ranking also includes Pocket Casts, a free app for iPhone, iPad, Android and the web that adds private and paid RSS feeds when you paste the feed URL.

Ads, price and free tiers

Free use is common here, but the ads differ.

• Apple Podcasts is free and built into Apple devices.
• Overcast is free with small ads for podcasts. Its annual subscription removes the ads and adds bonus features, according to its site.
• AntennaPod is free and has no ads in the app itself, although publishers can still add ads to their own episodes.
• Podcast Addict is free to use. An optional Premium subscription removes its visual ads.
• Castbox lets people listen and download for free. Its homepage does not describe its other paid options, so check its pricing before you rely on them.

The ranking also includes Spotify, which carries podcasts alongside music. Its free plan plays ads between tracks, and Premium costs $12.99 a month in the US.

If you want an app that says outright that it carries no ads of its own, AntennaPod is the one here that makes that claim.

Open source and closed code

AntennaPod is the only open-source app in this set. Its code is on GitHub under GPL-3.0, so anyone can read it and suggest changes. The other four are closed source, so their code cannot be checked. Open code is a useful check on what an app does, but it does not show how any service behind the app is run.

The ranking also notes that AntennaPod is volunteer-run, so its features depend on contributors. That is a trade-off to weigh against the code access it offers.

Our picks and what to do next

The podcast app ranking lists Apple Podcasts first, then Overcast, AntennaPod, Podcast Addict and Castbox, in that order. The full list also ranks other apps, which this article does not cover. Its scores are editorial judgments against the criteria, not measurements of listening quality.

A reasonable order for deciding:

1. Pick the device. On an iPhone, Apple Podcasts, Overcast and Castbox are the options here. On Android, AntennaPod, Podcast Addict and Castbox are.
2. Decide whether you need open code. If you do, AntennaPod is the only app in this set that offers it.
3. Check the RSS field if you follow shows that a directory does not carry.
4. Compare ads. Overcast and Podcast Addict both offer paid options that remove their ads.
5. Use the free tier for a few weeks before you pay for anything.

The ranking also includes Spotify (85.5), which carries podcasts alongside music and has a free plan with ads, Pocket Casts (85.0), a free app for iPhone, iPad, Android and the web with private RSS feed support and source code published under MPL-2.0, and Castro (81.0), an iPhone-only app with a shared queue and auto-queue for favorite shows.

For music services, the music streaming guide covers the wider set of apps that play songs.