Choosing a podcast app for Android or iOS as a business listener
Table of Contents
The best podcast apps for Android and iOS are Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube Music for most listeners, Pocket Casts for anyone who wants more control on both platforms, and AntennaPod or Podcast Addict for free listening on Android. ProfileTree compares all ten below on price, platforms, playback features and privacy.
The guide is written for business owners and marketing managers who use podcasts to keep learning, and it ends with the apps a business podcast needs to be listed in. If you are planning a show of your own, the video production Belfast team can help with filming and editing it.
How the 10 apps were chosen and what matters for business listeners
Every app here is actively maintained and available in the UK app stores. They are compared on the points that matter to someone listening on a commute or at the gym: offline downloads, sync across devices (picking up an episode on a tablet where you stopped on your phone), playback speed and silence trimming, price, and how much listening data the app collects. Google Podcasts closed in 2024 and moved its listeners to YouTube Music, and Stitcher closed in 2023, so neither appears.
For most listeners, the deciding factor is the phone they carry. The app that comes with the phone is a reasonable place to start, and a specialist app earns its place once you follow more than a handful of shows and want finer control over your queue. If you switch between an iPhone at work and an Android tablet at home, choose an app that runs on both, because your subscriptions and listening position will then follow you.
Best podcast apps for Android and iOS: the three biggest platforms
These three apps are free to use and carry the largest catalogues, so almost every show you look for will be in them.
Apple Podcasts
Apple Podcasts comes pre-installed on every iPhone and iPad and costs nothing to use. It recommends shows based on what you play, lists charts by category and responds to Siri, which lets you start an episode by voice while driving. Some shows sell subscriptions through the app for bonus or advert-free episodes, and your library syncs across Apple devices signed in to the same account.
There is no Apple Podcasts app in the Google Play Store. Since August 2024, though, the full catalogue has been available in any web browser, including Chrome on an Android phone, as Podnews reported when the web version launched. That gives Android users a way to reach shows they cannot find elsewhere, although a browser tab is less convenient than a dedicated app for listening on the move.
Spotify
Spotify carries podcasts alongside music, and podcast listening is included in its free tier, which plays adverts. Premium Individual costs £12.99 a month in the UK according to Spotify’s UK Premium page, and it removes music adverts and adds offline music downloads. Spotify also hosts a large number of video podcasts, so shows that film their recordings can be watched or simply heard in the same app.
The main appeal for business listeners is convenience. If you already pay for Spotify for music, there is no second app to manage, and the app runs on Android, iOS, desktop computers and smart speakers. Its tools for organising a long list of podcast subscriptions are simpler than those in the specialist apps further down this page.
YouTube Music
YouTube Music became Google’s main podcast app when Google Podcasts closed, and it ships with many Android phones as well as being available on iOS. It plays a show as audio or as video where the publisher has filmed it. Google’s YouTube Music help page says most podcasts can play in the background whatever your membership, while background play for music needs a Premium membership.
That makes YouTube Music a practical free choice for Android users who want to keep listening with the screen off. It also suits anyone who follows interview shows recorded on camera, since many business and marketing podcasts now publish full episodes to YouTube alongside the audio apps.
Apps for listeners who want more control
Specialist apps earn their place through finer playback controls and better queue management, and these two are popular with heavy listeners.
Pocket Casts
Pocket Casts runs on Android and iOS, in a web browser and as a desktop app, which makes it the strongest choice for anyone who moves between devices. The free version covers everyday listening, and an optional Plus subscription adds extra features. Trim Silence removes the pauses between words, Volume Boost evens out quiet recordings, and playback speed can be set separately for each show.
Its filters are the most detailed in this guide. It can build a list of unplayed episodes under 30 minutes from your business shows, for example, which suits a short commute. Listening positions sync across every device, so an episode started in the car continues on a laptop at your desk.
Overcast
Overcast is an iPhone and iPad app with two standout audio features. Smart Speed shortens the silences in an episode without speeding up the voices, so a show finishes sooner but still sounds natural. Voice Boost evens out volume and improves clarity, which helps with interviews recorded over a video call where one guest is much quieter than the other.
The app costs nothing to download and shows adverts, which an optional Premium subscription takes away. Overcast has fewer library tools than Pocket Casts, but for iPhone users who care most about clear audio and saving time, it is a strong choice.
Free and privacy-first apps for Android
Android allows more choice of podcast apps than the iPhone, and these two cover listeners who want no subscription at all.
AntennaPod
AntennaPod is free, open source (its code is published for anyone to inspect) and carries no adverts. It needs no account and connects directly to each show’s RSS feed, the web feed a podcast publishes so that apps can collect new episodes. Your listening history stays on your phone and is not used to build an advertising profile, which matters to business owners who are careful about the data their apps collect.
The interface is plain, but downloads, variable speed and sleep timers all work well. You can export your subscriptions as an OPML file, a standard list format that other podcast apps can import, so moving to a different app later takes a minute. AntennaPod suits listeners who already know which shows they follow, since its recommendations are limited.
Podcast Addict
Podcast Addict is an Android app that handles podcasts, internet radio, audiobooks and news feeds in one place. It shows adverts, and a one-off purchase in the app removes them. The settings go further than in almost any other app, covering automatic downloads, storage limits, playback rules for individual shows and detailed queue control.
That depth suits heavy listeners who like to configure everything, and it can feel busy to someone who only follows two or three shows. For a simpler free option on Android, YouTube Music or AntennaPod is easier to pick up.
Apps with deeper search or audiobooks
The last three apps each solve a narrower problem, from finding episodes by topic to keeping books and podcasts in one library.
CastBox
CastBox runs on Android and iOS and is supported by adverts, which an optional Premium subscription removes. Its search looks beyond show titles and descriptions into the spoken content of many episodes, so you can find interviews that mention a particular topic, company or industry term. For marketing managers researching a sector, that can surface episodes the other apps miss.
Podbean
Podbean is both a listening app and a hosting platform, the service that stores a show’s audio files and publishes its feed. The listening app is free on Android and iOS, with playback speed controls and a simple listening history. For business owners thinking about publishing a podcast, it offers a low-commitment way to see how hosting works before choosing a provider, and it also supports live audio sessions with listeners.
Audible
Audible is mainly an audiobook service, and it also carries podcasts in the same app on Android and iOS. That suits business owners who alternate between books and podcasts as part of a regular learning habit, because everything sits together, with offline listening and a sleep timer. Audiobooks need a paid membership, so check the current UK membership options in the app before you sign up. Its tools for discovering podcasts are less precise than those in a dedicated podcast app.
Podcast app comparison table
The table sets the ten apps side by side so you can shortlist by phone, budget and the feature you care about most.
| App | Platforms | Cost | Stand-out feature | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Podcasts | iPhone, iPad, Mac and web browsers | Free | Paid show subscriptions and Siri control | iPhone users who want the default app |
| Spotify | Android, iOS, desktop and smart speakers | Free with adverts, or Premium | Podcasts, video podcasts and music in one app | Existing Spotify subscribers |
| YouTube Music | Android, iOS and web | Free, or Premium | Free background play for most podcasts | Android users who used Google Podcasts |
| Pocket Casts | Android, iOS, web and desktop | Free, with optional Plus | Trim Silence and detailed filters | Heavy listeners on several devices |
| Overcast | iPhone and iPad | Free with adverts, or Premium | Smart Speed and Voice Boost | iPhone users who value clear audio |
| AntennaPod | Android | Free, no adverts | Open source with no account | Privacy-conscious Android users |
| Podcast Addict | Android | Free with adverts, or one-off upgrade | Podcasts, radio and audiobooks together | Android users who want every setting |
| CastBox | Android and iOS | Free with adverts, or Premium | Search inside episode audio | Research by topic |
| Podbean | Android and iOS | Free to listen | Listening and hosting from one company | Listeners planning their own show |
| Audible | Android and iOS | Membership for audiobooks | Audiobooks and podcasts in one library | Mixed book and podcast listeners |
Which apps a business podcast needs to appear on
A business podcast should be listed in Apple Podcasts and Spotify and published on YouTube, because those are the default apps on the two phone platforms and carry the largest catalogues in this guide. Listing a show is free. You publish episodes through a podcast host, which creates the RSS feed, and you submit that feed once to Apple and once to Spotify.
Many of the independent apps covered here, including Pocket Casts, Overcast and AntennaPod, find shows through public podcast directories, the largest of which is Apple’s. A listing in Apple Podcasts therefore usually makes a show findable in those apps too, without separate submissions. YouTube works differently, since it needs the episodes as videos, which is one reason many business shows now record on camera from the start.
How the show is described matters as much as where it is listed, because each of these apps has its own search. Episode titles that use the words a customer would type, and show notes that say clearly what the business does, help the show surface for the right searches. The guide to podcast SEO and AI search covers this in detail, and the guide to starting a podcast in the UK walks through hosting, launch and the first episodes.
ProfileTree is a Belfast web design and digital marketing agency, founded in 2011 and based at the McSweeney Centre, and video production is one of its core services.
“A podcast app is a search engine with audio attached,” says Ciaran Connolly, founder of ProfileTree. “Title and describe each episode the way a customer would search, say what the business is in the show notes, and it keeps working for years. ProfileTree runs its own channels from Belfast on that basis, and we approach every client’s video marketing the same way.”
Frequently asked questions
Can you use Apple Podcasts on Android?
Yes, through a web browser, although there is no Apple Podcasts app in the Google Play Store. Since August 2024 Apple has offered its full podcast catalogue on the web, so you can open it in Chrome on an Android phone and play episodes there. A dedicated Android podcast app is more convenient for regular listening.
What is the best free podcast app for Android?
AntennaPod is the strongest completely free option, with no adverts, no account and no paid tier. YouTube Music is the easiest free choice for most people because it is often already on the phone and plays most podcasts with the screen off, without a Premium membership. Podcast Addict suits listeners who want the most detailed settings and do not mind adverts.
Do you have to pay for podcasts on Spotify?
No, podcasts are included in Spotify’s free tier, which plays adverts. Premium Individual costs £12.99 a month in the UK and removes music adverts, and some individual shows also sell their own paid subscriptions for bonus episodes.
What happened to Google Podcasts?
Google closed Google Podcasts in 2024 and moved its listeners to YouTube Music. Former users could transfer their subscriptions to YouTube Music or export them as an OPML file to import into another app, such as Pocket Casts or AntennaPod.
Is YouTube a podcast app?
Yes, YouTube and YouTube Music both carry podcasts, and YouTube Music has replaced Google Podcasts as Google’s main podcast app. Many shows publish full video episodes to YouTube, and YouTube Music lets you play most of them in the background as audio, even without Premium.
Can I listen to podcasts offline?
Yes, almost every app above lets you download episodes to your phone to play without a connection. Pocket Casts, Overcast, AntennaPod and Podcast Addict can download new episodes automatically on Wi-Fi, which saves mobile data on a commute.
Start a podcast for your business
Once you know which apps your audience listens in, the next step is planning a show that earns a place in their queue. ProfileTree’s video marketing service covers planning, filming and editing for businesses across the UK and Ireland, with video projects starting from £1,200 plus VAT. Read the guide to podcast equipment for UK creators before you buy any kit, then bring your plan to a first conversation with the team.