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Head-to-head · Podcast Apps

Pocket Casts vs PinePods

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Pocket Casts #3 in Podcast Apps 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Pocket Casts
PinePods #12 in Podcast Apps 7.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit PinePods

Pocket Casts leads on 0 checks, PinePods on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scorePocket Casts · 8.8/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresPocket Casts · 5 of 5

Pocket Casts scores higher on our rubric for podcast apps: 8.8 against 7.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #12.

Pocket Casts is the better fit for cross-platform power users. PinePods is the better fit for technical users wanting free self-hosted breadth.

  • Pocket Casts fits best

    Cross-platform power users

  • PinePods fits best

    Technical users wanting free self-hosted breadth

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Side by side

Feature Pocket Casts 8.8/10 Visit ↗ PinePods 7.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 7.4
Ranking #3 in Podcast Apps #12 in Podcast Apps
Best for Cross-platform power users Technical users wanting free self-hosted breadth
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price $39.99/yr Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support Email, Community, Docs Email, Live chat, Tickets, Community, Docs
Integrations 9 integrations 7 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Pocket Casts 5/5 · PinePods 4/5
Offline downloads ✓ ✓
Video podcasts ✓ ✓
Episode transcripts ✓ ✓
Private feed support ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Cross-device sync ✓ ✓
Specs
Supported platforms Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android; also Apple TV, Apple Watch, Wear OS, CarPlay, Android Auto, Android Automotive, Sonos, Alexa, and Chromecast Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, API, self-hosted server
Our review
Pros
  • Supports web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
  • Syncs follows, queues, playback position, and history across devices
  • Handles video, private feeds, transcripts, offline downloads, and car platforms
  • Covers web, desktop, mobile, API, and self-hosted deployments
  • Syncs listening position, subscriptions, settings, and themes across devices
  • Adds video, transcripts, playlists, YouTube, and multi-user libraries
Cons
  • Transcript features apply only to supported episodes
  • Folders, bookmarks, themes, and wearable apps require Plus
  • Plus costs $3.99 monthly or $39.99 annually
  • Self-hosting adds deployment and maintenance work
  • Primarily self-hosted, so it is less convenient than hosted apps
  • Its broad feature set may be more than casual listeners need
Our verdict

Pocket Casts is a podcast listening, discovery, and management app for people who move between mobile, desktop, web, and connected playback devices. It supports podcast search, episode downloads for offline playback, video episodes,…

Read the review →

PinePods is an open-source podcast management system for individuals, households, and organizations that want to manage their own podcast data. It combines discovery, subscriptions, playback, downloads, video episodes, playlists,…

Read the review →
  1. Pocket CastsPodcast Apps 8.8Free plan
  2. PinePodsPodcast Apps 7.4Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Pocket Casts — where it wins

    • Supports web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
    • Syncs follows, queues, playback position, and history across devices
    • Handles video, private feeds, transcripts, offline downloads, and car platforms

    Where it doesn't

    • Transcript features apply only to supported episodes
    • Folders, bookmarks, themes, and wearable apps require Plus
    • Plus costs $3.99 monthly or $39.99 annually

  • PinePods — where it wins

    • Covers web, desktop, mobile, API, and self-hosted deployments
    • Syncs listening position, subscriptions, settings, and themes across devices
    • Adds video, transcripts, playlists, YouTube, and multi-user libraries

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosting adds deployment and maintenance work
    • Primarily self-hosted, so it is less convenient than hosted apps
    • Its broad feature set may be more than casual listeners need

More comparisons

All podcast apps comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update