The 6 best podcast apps for listening to all your favorite shows

Apple Podcasts offers free access to over 30 million podcast episodes, along with premium subscription options for certain shows.

Although the app is exclusive to iOS devices, Apple Podcasts is one of the best — and most comprehensive — free podcast services available. The platform includes over 30 million episodes and you can easily download your favorites for offline listening. 

One of Apple Podcasts' unique features is its ability to sync with Siri. This means you can talk to Siri to control playback and follow shows. You can also listen to Apple Podcasts through Amazon Alexa products if you link your accounts in the Alexa app. 

The app also makes it easy to browse podcasts based on different genres and Apple-curated collections. It's simple to find shows for a specific interest or see recommendations for "new and noteworthy" titles.

The search page even allows you to find podcasts by topic or by people mentioned within episodes via a show's transcript. It's important to note, however, that not every podcast has a transcript available.

Playback is easy to control with the option to rewind episodes by 15 seconds or fast-forward by 30 seconds. You can also play Apple Podcasts via Bluetooth from the app, adjust the audio's speed, and set a sleep timer for when you want to pause. The app also allows you to increase the playback speed up to 2x.

Once you subscribe to a Podcast, the app notifies you when a new episode is out. You can also browse reviews from fellow Apple Podcasts listeners to help you gauge whether a title is a good fit.

In addition to free content, Apple recently added curated channels and premium subscription options for certain titles. You can now pay a monthly subscription to unlock exclusive shows or extra content. Creators can also add premium benefits like ad-free listening and early access. Most paid subscriptions come with a free trial before you're charged for your first month.

Google Podcasts is a free app with a simple design that makes it easy to listen to popular podcasts, but it lacks exclusive content.

Google Podcasts helps you find the best shows for your tastes with a homepage that directs you to popular podcasts based on genres and what's trending. Google Podcasts is also pre-installed on Android products, making it the default podcast app for those devices.

The app hosts many of the same shows as Apple Podcasts and its user interface is inviting to newcomers and experts alike. If a show isn't listed on Google Podcasts you can add it by entering its RSS feed into the platform. 

Like other podcast apps, you can subscribe to shows and download them for offline listening. If you want to listen to a number of different podcasts in a certain order, you can start a queue. If you listened to a podcast and forgot to save it, you can go to the "History" tab to see log of what you've played. 

Google Podcasts previously offered an "explore topics" section on an episode's page with handy links to Google search results for keywords based on that title, but this feature appears to have been removed in 2021.

The app features a 30-second fast-forward option along with a 10-second rewind button, a sleep timer, and an option to "trim silence" on a show. You can also change the speed of an episode and share it with friends. Much like Apple Podcasts, transcripts are only available if they're placed in an episode's description.

Spotify features an array of curated, genre-specific collections of podcasts, including exclusive shows.

Though Spotify is primarily known as a music streaming service, the platform also offers podcasts, including several exclusive titles. Spotify does have a free option, but you need a paid subscription to get ad-free streaming and download support.

The app's podcast homepage features curated collections and genres, including spotlights on some of its original podcasts you won't find anywhere else. Some Spotify exclusive shows include "Renegades: Born in the USA," "The Michelle Obama Podcast," and "Living & Learning with Reba McEntire."

Once you find a podcast you like, you can choose to "follow" it from the Spotify app. You can also save specific episodes of podcasts without following the show as a whole; these episodes go into a folder titled "Your Episodes."

Similar to Apple Podcasts, you can listen to your favorite shows on Spotify through any Alexa-supported device, like the Amazon Echo. You can also seamlessly stream from one device to another on the same Wi-Fi network.

Much like Google, you can add episodes to your queue and listen to a number of different episodes in order. You can also make a playlist of new podcasts you want to check out.

Once you start playing a podcast, you can change its speed up to 3x, rewind or fast forward by 15 seconds, and set a sleep timer. Like other podcast apps, transcripts are only available if they're placed in an episode's description. Spotify allows creators to timestamp their descriptions as well, so you can click on the timestamp and jump to that point. 

Spotify also recently launched a rating system where listeners can rate podcasts on a scale of one to five stars. The average rating is displayed on the podcast's main page and is used to highlight popular shows.

Audible is an audiobook-centric app but it also features several original podcasts.

Audible is famous for its selection of audiobooks, but the Amazon-backed app also provides a number of podcasts, including Audible Original shows. The "Podcasts" category features a ton of content centered on comedy, relationships, tech, and more.

Once you pick a show, such as "Oprah's Super Soul," you can explore reviews from listeners. These reviews include star ratings for the host's performance, the story, and the overall podcast. This helps make Audible one of the most user-friendly platforms for listener reviews.

When playing a podcast, you can skip ahead or go back by 30 seconds, connect to Bluetooth, and change the speed from 0.5x to 3.5x. You can also see how much time is left, switch to CarPlay for a minimalist interface, and select episodes via a list at the bottom of the screen. 

Like other podcast platforms, Audible contains a sleep timer and allows for offline listening. Audible users are also able to add podcasts to their library to get them automatically downloaded when new episodes come out. As expected, Audible works seamlessly with Amazon's Alexa-enabled devices.

Audible boasts a solid selection of original podcasts, including "Brooklyn North," "The Messenger," "Women Unlocked," "In the Gap," and "Soldiers of Science." Audible's free plan does not include all of the content available to subscribers, but there's still a large selection of podcasts, including select Audible Originals, to listen to.

If you want a service that offers audiobooks and exclusive podcasts in one platform, an Audible Plus subscription offers good value. 

Stitcher has a selection of original podcasts and a wide range of playback options.

Unlike Spotify and Audible, Stitcher puts its focus squarely on podcasts. Its layout is also one of the sleekest and most straightforward across podcast apps.

Once you sign in, you can check Stitcher's top picks of the week along with curated collections of playlists celebrating the likes of women, Black Americans, independent artists, and more. Stitcher's homepage also includes an assortment of podcasts from different genres.

There's a number of Stitcher original shows, as well, including "Dark Arenas," "Going Deep," "The Resurr-Erection," "Unspooled: Screen Test," "MASCOTS," and a podcast by "Reading Rainbow" host LeVar Burton. That said, some shows and episodes are exclusive to Stitcher's Premium plan. Some popular shows, such as "How Did This Get Made," only have their full backlogs available to Premium subscribers. 

Premium also gives you early access to certain new episodes. Other perks for subscribers include ad-free listening and monthly giveaways. You can see what's available on Stitcher Premium here.

One of Stitcher's unique features is its array of playback options, as the app lets you set a sleep timer, skip episodes you've already heard, and adjust your rewind and fast forward times between five seconds and two minutes. You can also organize your podcast library into groups by topic.

You can also download new episodes automatically, get a list of shows you've downloaded or liked, and trim down on storage by deleting all downloads with one click.

Just like other popular podcast apps, transcripts are only available if the podcast's creator tags them in the show's description.

TuneIn offers a number of radio streams from around the world in addition to its podcast catalog.

TuneIn's primary focus may be radio but it also includes some popular podcasts. There are plenty of genres to explore via the app's search tab. The service also curates a number of new podcasts via its homepage so you can easily navigate different collections. 

Though ad-supported playback is free, mobile listeners can pay a one-time fee of $10 to download TuneIn Pro. Compared to the free version, TuneIn Pro removes certain commercials, like pre-roll ads and visual display ads. There's also TuneIn Premium for $10 a month, which lets subscribers listen to music and select radio stations without any commercials.

TuneIn is compatible with Alexa-enabled devices, and subscribers to TuneIn Premium can easily stream select live sports, news, and talk shows with Alexa.

Once you start listening to an episode, you can fast forward or rewind by 30 seconds. You can also display a clock, set an alarm to go off at a certain time, or set a sleep timer. Additionally, you can like episodes by clicking the heart icon to favorite a show for later.

The TuneIn app also lets you switch to car mode. This is perfect for people who want to listen to podcasts on the go as you get a simplified menu to move between episodes.

If a podcast isn't in TuneIn, you can add it to the app via the Custom URL button in your library. Similar to other podcast apps, you can only get transcripts of episodes if the creator makes them available in an episode's description.

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