We're living in a golden age of podcasts, and a good podcast app can make all the difference to your listening experience. Here are our top picks for enjoying podcasts on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
1 Apple Podcasts
Before you run to the app store to download a third-party tool, take a look at Apple's app first. Apple Podcasts is a basic all-rounder that comes pre-installed on your iPhone (though you can delete it or re-download it from the App Store if you want).
It's a solid choice for podcast fans old and new, especially those with a few Apple devices since it syncs over iCloud. This means you can carry on where you left off on your Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, HomePod, Apple TV, and more.
The app is surprisingly customizable for a pack-in, allowing you to do things like choose how many episodes of a show you want to keep offline on a per-podcast basis. You can customize some parts of the UI (the skip forward and backward buttons), and there's a whole set of additional Apple Watch-specific settings if you prefer to listen that way instead.
Since it's an Apple app, Siri will use it when you ask the assistant to play a podcast. This works most of the time, and you can even ask Siri to play podcasts that you aren't currently subscribed to. Apple Podcasts integrates nicely with CarPlay, so you can enjoy your shows while driving too.
There's not a lot to write home about in terms of additional features. You can modify the speed of a podcast so that it plays back faster or slower (though this will affect the audio quality), set a sleep timer, and save specific episodes indefinitely. There are limited podcast suggestions based on your listening habits, what's currently popular, and editor's picks.
Don't write off Apple Podcasts just because it comes pre-installed, especially if you want an app that "just works" with your other Apple devices. If all you want is a simple podcast player, this is it.
2 Overcast
Overcast is an easy-to-use app with some powerful features that set it apart from the rest. The App has been named Editor's Choice in the App Store and is routinely praised by enthusiasts. It's free to use and supported by banner ads that appear on the playback screen. You can remove these by subscribing to Overcast Premium for $9.99 per year, which also lets you upload files and supports ongoing development.
Two of the app's standout features are Voice Boost, which applies equalizer settings to your podcasts that are designed to make spoken word easier to hear, and Smart Speed which shortens silences and speeds up episodes without distorting the audio. The app also features some powerful playlist tools with filters for building a personalized radio station.
Customization runs deep, from the theme colors to a whole menu titled "Nitpicky Details" for those extra preferences that allow you to get your podcast app running precisely how you want it. There are per-episode settings for things like the number of episodes that should be downloaded and retained at once, and the app even remembers your Voice Boost and Smart Speed settings for each episode (if you want it to).
Overcast has a companion Apple Watch app that saves podcasts to your wrist and supports streaming over a cellular connection (if your watch supports it), plus CarPlay support for listening in the car.
3 Pocket Casts
Pocket Casts is a slick podcast app that feels like it was designed with power users in mind. The app is free to download and use, but to get the full Pocket Casts experience (and to support the app's development) you'll need to subscribe to Pocket Casts Plus for $3.99/month or $39.99/year.
Your contribution unlocks bonuses like access to desktop apps for Windows and macOS (plus a web app), the ability to organize your podcasts into folders, Apple Watch functionality, 10GB of cloud storage for your own files, and more themes and icons to further tweak the app's appearance.
Despite paywalling some of its features, there's still plenty to love about Pocket Casts even if you stick with the free version. By creating an account you can sync your podcasts with other platforms, including the Android app. The UI is uncluttered and easy to get along with, and all of your podcasts are presented in a tiled interface on the "Podcasts" tab for quick perusal.
The app's most interesting feature is "Filters" which allows you to quickly make playlists based on set criteria. For example, you can apply a filter that only includes certain podcasts (like your favorite news bulletins), in an unplayed state, that were released in the last week. You can also filter by duration, download status, whether you've starred the episode, and media type.
It's a powerful tool if you have a lot of subscriptions and want a smarter way of getting through shows. It also ensures you always have something to listen to, since you can default to a custom playlist at any point whenever you're feeling indecisive.
Pocket Casts works with CarPlay and lets you cast to AirPlay (like the rest of this list), Chromecast, and Sonos devices. The app also has a Volume Boost for optimizing voices and a Trim Silence setting, plus the usual speed controls, and a vast menu of options for tailoring the listening experience to your liking.
4 Castro
Castro takes a unique approach to managing your podcast library. You can use it like a traditional podcasting app, where you pick a show and episode, but it works best as a curation platform. It's great if you feel overwhelmed by an avalanche of incoming podcasts and don't necessarily want to listen to every single one.
Subscribing to podcasts is fast and easy, simply search and hit the "+" plus icon right from the results page (you can also import your podcasts from other apps). New episodes will appear on the "Inbox" tab, where you can choose to put them into your "Queue" or archive them. You can then work through your queue as if it were a feed, with one episode rolling into the next.
Castro is free to use but some features are hidden behind a $3.99 monthly, $9.99 quarterly, or $24.99 yearly subscription. Subscribing unlocks features like a companion Apple Watch app, a Trim Silence feature, the ability to trim audio from Safari and listen to it with Castro, per-podcast settings, and an Enhance Voice audio booster. The free version is supported by adverts that take the form of promoted shows, which also disappear when you upgrade.
There are plenty of options for customizing Castro outside of this, including download limits, UI tweaks, the ability to create Siri Shortcuts, plus color tints and light or dark themes. Castro is worth a shot if you're looking for a way to tame your podcast problem, particularly if you listen to a lot of shows that post frequent (even daily) episodes.
5 Spotify
If you already use Spotify for music streaming, you might want to keep everything under one roof and use it for podcasts too. Even if you aren't subscribed to Spotify Premium, the app still has some merit as a podcast player since it can be used free of charge. Spotify neatly separates music, podcasts, and audiobooks both in terms of library organization and discovery.
If there's one thing that Spotify does well, it's podcast discovery. The service is packed with content, allowing you to filter by podcasts in search queries or browse by categories. Spotify also hosts podcast charts, giving you a quick overview of what's popular right now. Some shows are exclusive to Spotify, which means you're only able to listen to them if you use the streaming service's app. If you need a
Tap "Follow" when you find something you like, and use the bell icon to get notifications when new episodes are available. You can customize automatic downloads on a per-show basis, or set global limits so that you always have something to listen to when you're offline. A companion Apple Watch app lets you control Spotify using your wrist, and CarPlay integration lets you listen along in the car.
The app features a small selection of Now Playing tools including podcast chapters, a sleep timer, and speed controls.
Are you a YouTube Music subscriber? Just like Spotify, YouTube Music also features podcasts. If you're a fan of keeping everything in one place, it's a good alternative to a service like Spotify.
6 Download, Listen, Delete
Podcasts provide an unlimited amount of entertainment and you can consume them while doing almost anything. Unfortunately, this can lead to us being a little over-zealous when subscribing to new shows. Make sure that podcasts don't take up all of the free space on your iPhone.
Looking for Android apps instead? Check out our favorite Android podcast apps.
