Pocket Casts new business model may eliminate the companys revenue from one-time downloads, but it is replacing it with more sustainable income. Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcast Addict, Castbox and Scout FM also made the list. In April, Android Central rated Pocket Casts its top staff pick for a podcast app.

Pocket Casts (Android and iOS, 3.1 stars, 1M+ downloads.

Stitcher (Android and iOS), 4.6 stars, 5M+ downloads.

Podcast Addict (Android), 4.7 stars, 5M+ downloads.

Castbox (Android and iOS), 4.6 stars, 10M+ downloads.

Spotify (Android and iOS), 4.5 stars, 500M+ downloads.

Google Podcasts (Android), 4.6 stars, 5M+ downloads.

(Ratings and number of downloads refer to the Google Play Store.) They dont all provide the same service or access to the same podcasts. Pocket Casts has a number of competitors, though this is not an apples to apples comparison. Well make this change as soon as we can, but please note that, until we do, you wont see it reflected in the app, wrote Grover. Hopefully, this gesture eliminates confusion and demonstrates our commitment to you, the loyal listeners whove helped build Pocket Casts into the platform it is today. This means Desktop App purchasers will also gain access to all of the Pocket Casts Plus features on their mobile devices. No renewal, no monthly charge, no questions asked. This includes the Mac and Windows apps as well. With that in mind, today weve decided to provide any user who previously purchased our web version with lifetime access to Pocket Casts Plus. Although we intended to demonstrate our appreciation to our most loyal users, we know many of you feel we missed the mark.

We made some pretty big changes this week, and weve heard your feedback loud and clear. Grover talks about it in a September 19 blog post titled We heard you. After customers complained, Pocket Casts pivoted, giving customers who had paid for the app previously free lifetime access to Pocket Casts Plus. Initially, Pocket Casts was going to give customers who had previously purchased the app three years of the premium service. In fact, we predict only a small percentage of power users will opt for Pocket Casts Plus. Not because were trying to move users to Pocket Casts Plus and regain that revenue, but so we can better align with the open-access philosophy of our public media ownership, Grover told The Verge.

Pocket casts free