iPhone Podcast App Showdown: Overcast vs Apple Podcasts vs Pocket Casts

[@davidgarciaparra]

If I could get Pocket Casts features in Apple Podcasts...I'd be set forever! Great video!

[@beardfm]

Same! Thank you 🙏🏻

[@rccharger21]

I watched this on my work computer and came over on my phone to give a like and comment. Absolutely amazing vid! I’m going to try out Pocket Casts after using Apple Podcasts for years. I really love some of their features!

[@beardfm]

Thanks for taking the time to do that! Pocket Casts is still #1 for me

[@nabsiegel]

I've used Overcast for years and love it.

[@beardfm]

It’s the 3rd most popular for sure, after Apple and Spotify

[@ChuckKnowles]

Been an overcast user for years. Love it.

[@beardfm]

It’s one of the best for sure!

[@xtracredit]

You sold me. I just downloaded Pocket Casts and am going to giving a try. I'm currently using Apple Podcast & Castro. I am disappointed with the Castro user interface.

[@JarickL]

This is fantastic, I had no idea you could add playlists and stations. Makes like easier in all apps!

[@beardfm]

Glad this was helpful!

[@JarickL]

@@beardfm totally! It’s weird because I’ve listened to thousands of hours of podcasts and tried so many apps and somehow never came across that functionality. It solves a lot of the UI problems I had with all of those apps. Thanks again!

[@mscargill1]

Yes please do add a review of the Apple Watch apps of these podcast apps. Many thanks.

[@bulelanibotman]

wow! thank you for detail breakdown, i would've loved to have seen your thoughts on Google Podcasts because I believe it has the power to change the entire playing field if only Google paid much attention to it

[@beardfm]

I think Google is gonna make a big play with KZbin adding podcasts. They haven’t announced a lot yet, but tbh et have a page at: KZbin.com/podcasts

[@BrajBliss]

@@beardfm i think they took it down?

[@jamison74]

THANK YOU ! This was so very helpful, much appreciated. 👍🏼

[@akidavis8739]

Yes please - make tutorial on podcasts apps on Apple Watch. Please!

[@beardfm]

Will do soon!

[@akidavis8739]

@@beardfm A detailed step by step tutorial for Apple Podcasts and PocketCasts on AppleWatch would be very popular - no one else has tackled it in the last 2 years.

[@akidavis8739]

@@beardfm Any news on Apple Watch Podcasts Tutorial??

[@gmyers176]

I'd be interested in a video breaking down techniques for finding podcast episodes by topic. While overcast has decent enough search features WITHIN a podcast feed, Its search among all podcasts (including ones you aren't subscribed to) is very lacking. For this I have taken to Spotify (or apple). For example, if you were to watch a movie (current or from years past) and you want to hear a recap, discussion, how it fits into the zeitgeist, year end lists, etc., typing this into Spotify yields much better results than relying on manually searching each feed you are subscribed to (and aware of). I'd be interested if in the future an app developed a sort of "reddit" style system that lets the best episodes rise to the top for those of us with too many podcasts to keep up with.

[@NetScoutPlay]

I don’t know if this was added recently, or if this feature was available a long time ago, but in Pocket Casts I have the ability to group podcast episodes by season. You need to click three dots under the subscribe button, and in the window that opens, you can do all this.

[@beardfm]

It’s still there! Thanks for the tip 👍🏼

[@RubensMateusPadovezeArquimago]

excellent, thank you for such a thorough review excelente, obrigado por uma análise tão completa

[@davidrolling6000]

Apple Podcasts plays podcasts with video! In Overcast (my primary player - love it!) it will play the audio from video podcasts, but does not display the video. Overcast simply displays the cover art. How does Pocket Cast handle podcasts with video?

[@bobstacy4]

What a very good breakdown.

[@abc98114]

Which one uses the least amount of battery, Apple Podcasts or Pocket Casts?

[@MrBaciudad]

Nice video well done, easy to understand. You got yourself a new suscriber.

[@beardfm]

Thank you!

[@EvilSammy]

The single feature that has kept me on Overcast is the "select priority" feature that automatically sorts downloads to a pre-determined order preference.

[@beardfm]

That’s a great feature. Pocket Casts add to Up Next feature that lets you choose top of the list or bottom is enough for me

[@bneffer]

I really want time stamp bookmarking

[@ToddPage1987]

super-helpful breakdown (though I'd have liked to hear what they cost...). I've always used Downcast - for years now. It does pretty much everything Pocketcasts and Overcasts does (and Apple Podcasts, obviously) as best I can discern AND you can get it without having to pay ongoing subscription pricing (I think it's $4.99). It's not visually as appealing but has per-podcast and general settings (you set up your general preferences - display order, playback speed, skip intro settings, etc) and then select with each podcast whether to follow the general settings vs specific to the podcasts. I do like the idea of sharing a link at a specific timestamp since I tend to share certain topics with my teams (like worship team at church and sharing a particular topic) but not enough to make me want to switch. The coolest thing that I would probably switch for is the tiled appearance of Pocketcasts since you can see multiple podcasts on one page and also see which ones have new episodes). I follow 37 podcasts so that would be cool to hvae access to...... Sometime you should share the podcasts you like and why you listen to them - I'm curious!

[@beardfm]

I totally forgot to mention paid vs free! Will have to do a follow up sometime. Great thoughts, thanks Todd!

[@jkelol111]

Does Downcast support anything similar to Overcast's Smart Speed & Volume Boost? The last time I tried it didn't have those.

[@ToddPage1987]

@@jkelol111 Volume boost: yes (general setting as well as per podcast), Smart speed: no (speed adjust is there but not the "smart speed" that cuts pauses and such [but if you only listen to Stephen's stuff you don't need it because he already cuts pauses like a boss :) ]. You CAN adjust the speed default and per podcast up to 3X, though like most apps)

[@TellasWoods]

Hey Stephen great review. I really like Pocket Casts myself. Question: Now that Pocket Casts Plus is $39.99 annually, do you think it’s still worth it? Thanks bro!

[@beardfm]

Thanks! If you’re a hard core podcast listener, and listen across multiple devices, I think it’s still worth it!

[@flavio6325]

Pocket Casts.

[@Ytuber123]

I appreciate the review. However, Smart Speed is not unique to Overcast. RSS Radio had it long before Overcast. Pocket Casts has the feature too.

[@beardfm]

Good points, they function a little differently as Marco Arment (maker of Overcast) built his from the ground up, but the others work very well too!

[@flavio6325]

Today Pocket Casts released a very nice update: folders.

[@beardfm]

Thanks for the heads up! Love it

[@mcbosch77]

which one has easiest navigation on Apple Carplay? I don't like the navigation while driving of the Apple podcast app. Navigation to a certain podcast (especially when you've subscribed to a lot of them) takes to much scrolling.

[@beardfm]

Try Pocket Casts! I’ve only used CarPlay a few times but their integration is pretty great

[@MichaelStanton]

Can you do a CarPlay review on these apps?

[@beardfm]

I’d love to, but my car is too old for CarPlay 😬 I’ve been looking into a stand-alone CarPlay monitor but haven’t found a good one. (I have a 2011 Kia Soul)

[@agarwalmayank88]

Pocket Casts does not have personalized recommendations based on listening history?

[@beardfm]

They have a great browse feature but not personalized recommendations.

[@ionutandreiparaschiv]

I’ve been waiting for this video for so long… I would love to see also something like Bear vs Apple notes or Fantastical vs Apple calendar 😇😎

[@beardfm]

BOOM! Thanks for the idea, would love to do a notes breakdown…

[@DjangoGroen]

@@beardfm i would love it too 😍 you make such great videos

[@beardfm]

Thanks so much 🙏🏻

[@britzman9905]

What app plays audio while playing KZbin vids at the same time?

[@beardfm]

KZbin will also take control of the audio if you have something playing. The only option you have there is "background sounds" in the accessibility settings, like ocean and rain

[@mreegank]

Does all 3 of these apps have same library? If not which is the one with great library.

[@beardfm]

Yes they can all play the same shows.

[@fernandosilva]

Loved this one. That evergreen content though 👀

[@beardfm]

Thanks man 🙏🏻

[@youtubelearning2990]

Can you create a playlist with only certain episodes?

[@beardfm]

Overcast and Pocket Casts lets you do that for sure

[@william18miller]

have to give the edge to Overcast for having free offline download functionality on apple watch

[@beardfm]

Overcast watch app is really good for sure

[@justfornana]

As someone who used pocket cast for two years and now switching to overcast: if you unsubscribe a podcast, it erases your listen status and you can’t even find it in your listening history. And all I want it binge one podcast and it can’t autoplay the next episode.

[@beardfm]

Huh good catch, haven’t tried that

[@nikhilparmar9]

They seem to have removed the chapters tab now😢

[@beardfm]

Which player do you mean?

[@nikhilparmar9]

@@beardfmsorry, i was mentioning about Pocket Cast, it doesn’t have chapters tab. But I found that when the episode has Chapter Time stamp then only that Chapters Tab gets visible else its not visible. Btw super nice video

[@Ykodi01234]

It’s just not possible to create a consistent queue in Apple podcast which is ridiculous. This is the first thing you need from any podcast app.

[@beardfm]

Yeah that’s why I keep on Pocket Casts

[@J_heterodox]

PocketCasts is so good.

[@beardfm]

Agreed

[@71_button]

I wish #Apple would allow for 3rd Apps as default.

[@beardfm]

For sure. They allow default third party mail apps and web browsers but that’s it

[@Portergetmybag]

After testing all of them, Pocket Casts is the best.

[@beardfm]

Agreed!

[@supereldian]

Is Pocketcasts still the winner in 2023?

[@beardfm]

😬 it’s still great, but I’ve actually moved to Apple Podcasts for all my listening.

[@ash3rr]

I don't like any of these options. :D

[@beardfm]

There's also Spotify, but no custom chapter artwork there!

[@RubensMateusPadovezeArquimago]

pocket casts