# Alternatives to Pocket Casts

The podcast app power users recommend.

Pocket Casts ranks #1 of 8 in Podcast apps, with an Alt Score of 91. It is licensed under MPL-2.0, freemium from $3.99/month and available on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Web. 9 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/pocket-casts/
Category: Podcast apps

## Where Pocket Casts stands out

- **Open source** — 2 of 7 apps with a verified answer have this

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Regular podcast listeners who use multiple devices (phone, tablet, web, desktop) and want their subscriptions and playback position kept in sync across all of them.
- **What you get**: A cross-platform podcast player with library and subscription management, discovery tools like curated recommendations and top charts, and playback features such as Trim Silence and Volume Boost. Filters help surface specific episodes across subscriptions. Core listening and discovery features are free, with a Plus subscription unlocking additional capabilities.
- **How it works**: Search or browse curated lists and charts to find shows, subscribe to add them to your library, then stream and manage episodes with playback controls that sync your position and settings across devices.

## Profile

- **License**: MPL-2.0 (verified 2026-07-10)
- **Pricing model**: Freemium (verified 2026-07-10)
- **Starts at**: $3.99/month (verified 2026-07-10)
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-10)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [Castro](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/castro.md) | 86 | Proprietary | iOS |
| 2 | [Overcast](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/overcast.md) | 86 | Proprietary | iOS |
| 3 | [Castbox](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/castbox.md) | 82 | Proprietary | iOS, Android, Web |
| 4 | [AntennaPod](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/antennapod.md) | 78 | GPL-3.0 | Android |
| 5 | [Snipd](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/snipd.md) | 73 | Proprietary | iOS, Android |
| 6 | [Apple Podcasts](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/apple-podcasts.md) | 68 | Proprietary | macOS, iOS, Web |
| 7 | [Podcast Addict](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/podcast-addict.md) | 28 | ? | Android |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Podcast apps checklist | Pocket Casts | Castro | Overcast | Castbox | AntennaPod | Snipd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium | Free | Freemium |
| Starts at | $3.99/month | $3.99/month | $14.99 | $3.99/month | Free | $6.99/month |
| License | MPL-2.0 | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | GPL-3.0 | Proprietary |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web | iOS | iOS | iOS, Android, Web | Android | iOS, Android |
| Cross-device sync | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Trim silence / speed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | ? |
| Chapters support | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Transcripts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes |
| Queue management | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Downloads & auto-delete | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| OPML import/export | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Open source | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| No account required | ? | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Watch app | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes |

## Sources

Sources for Pocket Casts. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **Starts at**: $3.99/month — <https://support.pocketcasts.com/knowledge-base/pocket-casts-plus-pricing/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Note: Monthly Plus rate; verified from the pricing KB.
  - Quote: “the subscription cost was raised to USD 3.99 for new subscribers”
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web — <https://pocketcasts.com/downloads/mac> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Note: Windows via /downloads/windows, iOS/Android via /get, Web player via /play. No Linux app.
  - Quote: “Pocket Casts for Mac”
- **License**: MPL-2.0 — <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Automattic/pocket-casts-android/main/LICENSE.md> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Note: Client apps (Android/iOS) under MPL-2.0; backend not included.
  - Quote: “Mozilla Public License Version 2.0”
- **Pricing model**: Freemium — <https://support.pocketcasts.com/knowledge-base/pocket-casts-plus-pricing/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Note: Core app free; Plus/Patron subscriptions unlock extra features.
  - Quote: “On April 8, 2023, the subscription cost was raised to USD 39.99 for new subscribers, while existing subscribers continued to pay a legacy rate of USD 14.99.”
- **Status**: active — <https://api.github.com/repos/Automattic/pocket-casts-android> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Note: pushed_at": "2026-07-10T07:57:33Z", "archived": false"
- **Cross-device sync**: Yes — <https://support.pocketcasts.com/knowledge-base/pocket-casts-sync/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Quote: “As you play episodes, Pocket Casts will automatically sync your playback position to the cloud and any other device that you're logged into Pocket Casts on.”
- **Trim silence / speed**: Yes — <https://support.pocketcasts.com/knowledge-base/playback-effects/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Note: smart silence" or "silence removal")."
  - Quote: “Trim silences from audio without altering the cadence of the host (sometimes called ”
- **Chapters support**: Yes — <https://support.pocketcasts.com/knowledge-base/chapters/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Quote: “Some podcast episodes support chapters, which can include links, text, and images associated with a particular time in an episode.”
- **Transcripts**: Yes — <https://support.pocketcasts.com/knowledge-base/episode-transcripts/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Note: Auto-generated transcripts gated to Plus/Patron.
  - Quote: “All Pocket Casts users on Android and iOS can access transcripts directly within the app for episodes where podcast creators have included this feature in their feed.”
- **Queue management**: Yes — <https://support.pocketcasts.com/knowledge-base/playing-episodes-and-managing-your-queue/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Quote: “To view your Up Next queue tap the Up Next button on the mini player or in the full screen player, or swipe up in the full screen player.”
- **Downloads & auto-delete**: Yes — <https://support.pocketcasts.com/knowledge-base/manage-episode-downloads/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Quote: “Archiving an episode automatically removes its downloaded file. So, you can set Auto Archive settings according to the following guide: How To Automatically Archive Episodes.”
- **OPML import/export**: Yes — <https://support.pocketcasts.com/knowledge-base/opml-import/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Note: Export at /knowledge-base/opml-export/.
  - Quote: “An OPML file helps you move your followed podcasts between different podcast apps without needing to refollow each podcast individually in the new app.”
- **Open source**: Yes — <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Automattic/pocket-casts-android/main/LICENSE.md> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Note: Client apps open source under MPL-2.0 (github.com/Automattic/pocket-casts-android and -ios).
  - Quote: “Mozilla Public License Version 2.0”
- **Watch app**: Yes — <https://support.pocketcasts.com/knowledge-base/apple-watch/> (verified 2026-07-10)
  - Note: Wear OS also supported per /knowledge-base/wear-os/.
  - Quote: “the Pocket Casts Apple Watch app helps you keep up to date with your favorite podcasts when you're on the go!”

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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/