8 Free Podcast Apps for Android and iOS

Podcasts have somewhat made a comeback in 2018 for a number of reasons. Why they are in again, is not what’s important here. There is just a multitude of reasons that are so complex that it can be its own article. The question we have is — where can we listen to them?

Here are some free podcast apps for both Android and iOS.

Spotify

Best known as a music streaming app, Spotify also has a huge, curated library of podcasts available for our consumption. You do have to pay for Spotify Premium if you want to get the best experience, but the app itself is free on all platforms.

Android:

[appbox googleplay com.spotify.music ]

iOS:

[appbox appstore id324684580 ]

Stitcher

Stitcher is a free app that also has a premium subscription service to remove ads. Aside from podcasts, you can also listen to news and information radio.

Android:

[appbox googleplay com.stitcher.app]

iOS: 

[appbox appstore id288087905]

RadioPublic

RadioPublic describes itself as a “home for handpicked podcast playlists from people who love podcasts.” It’s a very simple and straightforward app that doesn’t even require you to create an account or link your social media accounts.

Android

[appbox googleplay com.radiopublic.android]

iOS

[appbox appstore id1113752736]

Castbox

Castbox’s coolest feature is that it’s the only service that has in-audio search. It uses AI to automatically transcribe and index each and every show. Because of this, you can search for any word or topic, and you will get relevant results.

Android

[appbox googleplay fm.castbox.audiobook.radio.podcast]

iOS

[appbox appstore id1243410543]

TuneIn

Aside from podcasts, TuneIn also serves live sports, news, and even music. You will need to subscribe to their premium service if you want access to the live sports broadcasts, though.

Android

[appbox googleplay tunein.player]

iOS

[appbox appstore id418987775]

Podbean

Podbean is unique for being an app for both listening to and creating podcasts. It’s free to listen, but if you want to start your own show, you will need to pay a monthly subscription fee if you want to have more than just 5 hours of storage space.

Android

[appbox googleplay com.podbean.app.podcast]

iOS

[appbox appstore id973361050]

Google Podcasts/Apple Podcasts

Both Google and Apple have their own respective podcast apps that pretty much work the same way as all the others — you can listen to and download your favorite episodes. The big advantage here is that you are able to sync your listening across all your devices, and you even get Google Assistant/Siri integration. Need to leave your Mac for a while? No problem. You can seamlessly continue listening on your iPhone. Same thing with Android.

Google Podcasts (Android)

[appbox googleplay com.google.android.apps.podcasts]

Apple Podcasts (iOS)

[appbox appstore id525463029]

There you have it. Any of these apps are pretty much all you need to get started listening to podcasts. There are tons and tons of great podcasts out there, so it’s almost impossible to run out of things to listen to. Even here in the Philippines, there are some great shows, and I highly recommend Wake up with Jim and Saab if you want to listen to something local.