The best podcasting apps on iOS in 2020

With so many podcasts out there, how can anyone manage them all? Luckily, there are a number of great iOS apps out there to help in that department. 

I’ll break down some of the best podcast apps available on iOS. To be honest, the podcasting game is still begging to be reinvented, so while the apps listed are all great in their own right, there’s no single standout platform. However, each recommended app does have its own unique style and set of features. Let’s get started.

For many years, Apple iTunes was the reigning king of the podcast platforms. But despite being the leader in the industry, Apple stopped innovating in the podcast space as it focused more on music, films, mobile apps, and other digital media.

Apple made some attempt to center podcasts again when it cut podcasting out of iTunes and launched Apple Podcasts in 2012. Did Apple reinvent the wheel when it did this? No, but giving the medium its own dedicated app was certainly an important step. Whether an Apple customer is a podcast aficionado or not, every Apple device comes with the built in Podcasts app.

Apple Podcasts is still the de facto directory most podcasts aim to be listed in. Apple Podcasts’ top show and episode rankings are also the most common way podcasters gauge the popularity of particular programs. Getting on the platform’s “New and Noteworthy” section, a human curated list of upcoming podcasts put together by Apple, is considered a big accomplishment.

Earlier this year, Apple that it had hit one million podcasts in its library. That’s not individual episodes. We’re talking entirely about full shows. On top of that, many of the apps on this list aggregate Apple’s podcast directory to power their podcast search features. So, if you’re looking for a show, it’ll certainly be listed in Apple Podcasts. 

Still, at its heart, Apple Podcasts is just a list of podcast feeds (even if it has a ton of them), a fairly simple library to sync the shows you’re subscribed to, and a barebones podcast player. It’s basic, but it gets the job done.

The most popular third-party podcast application is probably Overcast. It’s different from the other apps on this list as its focus is more its audio player than any sort of show discoverability options. And, honestly, that’s where it excels.

The app is devoid of content when you first download it. It really requires that you know what shows you want to listen to. Once you fill up your library, though, you probably have the best iOS podcast player. 

Overcast has a number of listening features you won’t find anywhere else like “Smart Speed.” Basically, this feature speeds up the podcast whenever there are silences or long pauses in order to maximize your podcast listening time without altering the actual content. Overcast also has a “Voice Boost” feature which gives your podcast volume a boost if you’re listening in a particularly noisy atmosphere.

Overcast is available for free download or with a $10 a year subscription to remove ads.

If there was ever a platform to threaten Apple’s perch on the podcast throne, it’s Spotify. Interestingly enough, as Apple looks to separate podcasts from its music offerings, Spotify is looking to take over the podcasting world by bringing podcasts to its popular music streaming app. Not too long after Apple, Spotify also announced it had reached a million podcasts on its platform — an impressive feat when you consider iTunes’ head start.

However, Spotify is looking to go much further. It’s immersing itself in the growing podcast industry. Last year, the company the podcast creation platform, Anchor, and Gimlet Media, the production company behind popular podcasts like Reply All and Crimetown. The company is also signing deals to bring exclusive podcasts to the platform. For example, the most popular podcast in the U.S., The Joe Rogan Experience, is now on Spotify. 

Spotify is really trying to provide a premium experience to go along with its premium music subscription service, which costs $9.99 a month. 

Unlike most other podcasting platforms, a podcast listener can’t simply add the feed of their favorite podcast to the app. The podcast owner must apply directly to Spotify to be added to the platform. Of course, this could be a positive to some users looking for more than just what’s featured on every other podcasting app.

Breaker is attempting to bring social media aspects to podcasting. It’s not just a podcast player. It’s not just a podcast directory. It’s all that with a complete podcast-oriented social network built inside. 

Users sign up for a profile just like they would to any other social media site and begin subscribing to their favorite podcasts. Again, unlike other podcast platforms, those subscriptions aren’t only for your own listening pleasure — they’re public on your profile, sort of like Facebook Likes or YouTube channel subscriptions.

Spotify does have a feature where users can view their friend’s music activity feed but not what podcasts they listen to. So Breaker really stands out in that regard. Its users can also comment on shows and episodes and share their recent listening history. 

Breaker users can also follow other podcast listeners on the platform in order to keep track of what they’re consuming and find new shows to listen to. The app also uses your subscriptions to recommend other similar and trending podcasts.

A podcast social network may not sound revolutionary, but it’s quite frankly the most refreshing take on a podcasting platform I’ve seen yet.

Breaker is free to download but offers a $5 a month subscription to remove in-app advertisements. Breaker also lets podcast owners charge for premium episodes within the app.

It may have an extremely generic name but The Podcast App may very well have the nicest UI and most interesting discovery platform of all the apps on this list.

While it’s free to download, it unfortunately limits some very basic features — such as full listening history and the ability to add podcasts by RSS feed — to its $24.99 a year premium subscription, without a monthly subscription option.

However, there’s a particular free feature I find myself using in tandem with other podcast options. Upon opening the app I was immediately met by a recommendation engine organizing shows by episode length. Only have 20 minutes? The Podcast App will recommend you show episodes that you can listen to in 20 minutes or less. It’s a great way to discover new shows that may fit certain commutes or downtimes throughout your day.

Alas, in my opinion, we still wait for the perfect platform, a total podcasting package. However, these iOS apps each offer a piece of that perfection we hope to one day see on a single platform.