Best Free Podcast Apps

249+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.7 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated October 2026

The best free podcast apps on iPhone average 4.7★ across 249+ titles — we've ranked them by what real users actually keep on their phones. Updated October 2026.

Compare top Free Podcast Apps (October 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Apple PodcastsApple PodcastsFree4.9★ (2.1M)YesNoNov 2026
2Podcast AppPodcast AppFree4.8★ (310K)YesYesNov 2026
3Overcast Podcast AppOvercast Podcast AppFree4.5★ (48K)NoYesNov 2026
4Spotify: Music and PodcastsSpotify: Music and PodcastsFree4.8★ (43M)YesNoNov 2026
5Pocket Casts: Podcast PlayerPocket Casts: Podcast PlayerFree4.5★ (16K)YesYesNov 2026
6Podcast App & Player - CastboxPodcast App & Player - CastboxFree4.9★ (201K)YesYesNov 2026
7MyFalkeMyFalkeFree—NoNoOct 2026
8Podbean Podcast App & PlayerPodbean Podcast App & PlayerFree4.8★ (54K)YesYesNov 2026

Top Picks for Free Podcast Apps

Apple Podcasts#1

Apple Podcasts by Apple

Audio and video podcasts
Editor's Choice
🎬 Entertainment
4.9😞(2.1M ratings)
FreeAds
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Discover and listen to a vast library of podcasts that entertain, inform, and inspire. Get personalized recommendations and curated collections to explore new shows. Seamlessly sync your listening progress across all your Apple devices.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Seamless integration with Apple ecosystem
  • 🎨 Sleek and modern user interface
  • 💯 Vast library of podcast content
  • 🔍 Helpful podcast discovery features
  • 🗓️ Convenient episode management

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable playback
  • 🤯 Confusing and unintuitive navigation
  • 🔀 Inconsistent episode ordering and playlist management
  • 🔋 High data and battery consumption
  • 🗑️ Difficulty removing/deleting unwanted episodes
Podcast App#2

Podcast App by Evolve Global, Inc.

Player for iPhone
Strong Contender
📡 News
4.8😊(310K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
#21in News
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Access millions of podcasts on any topic, from news to true crime. Discover new shows with personalized recommendations and powerful search. Manage your listening history and favorite episodes.

What We Love

  • 👍 Easy to navigate
  • 🚀 Intuitive user interface
  • 📚 Wide variety of podcast content
  • 💾 Offline listening capabilities
  • 🔍 Helpful podcast discovery features

Room to Improve

  • 🔍 Difficulty finding specific episodes
  • 🔋 Drains device battery
  • 📤 Issues with downloading/playing podcasts offline
  • 🔊 Intrusive ads in free version
  • 🔒 Lack of customization options
Overcast Podcast App#3

Overcast Podcast App by Overcast Radio, LLC

Podcast player
Worth Considering
📡 News
4.5😐(48K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#42in News
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This app offers a powerful and intuitive way to listen to podcasts, featuring smart speed adjustments and voice boost for optimal audio quality. Download episodes for offline listening, discover new shows with personalized recommendations, and organize your listening with custom playlists.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Excellent audio quality
  • 🔒 Respects user privacy
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 🚀 Smart Speed feature saves time
  • 👍 Customizable playback options
  • 🚀 Seamless cross-device sync

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔋 High storage usage
  • 👎 Cluttered and unintuitive UI after recent update
  • 👎 Removal of useful features like 'play next'
  • 👎 Streaming no longer supported
  • 👎 Apple Watch integration issues

More Free Podcast Apps apps to explore

FAQ about Free Podcast Apps

What are the best free podcast apps for iPhone?
Apple Podcasts tops our free podcast apps ranking as of October 2026, with a 4.9-star average from 2.1M App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Apple Podcasts shows ads and has no in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of October 2026.
We track 249+ free podcast apps on the iOS App Store as of October 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.