Following the Overcast saga last year, and unhappy with the developments there when the app was updated, I have jumped to Pocket Casts, which I could fully tailor to my podcasts listening habits, and could not be happier with how I was able to set it up.
They have announced yesterday that the web player, previously only available as part of the Plus subscription, is now free and available for all. It can also be used without an account.
This also applies to Mac & Windows apps, which can now also be used without the Plus subscription.
I was a happy Pocket Cast user for a long time and stopped when they raised prices. The only thing I really miss is the Mac app and so I fell back to Apple Podcast app. Now, the transcript feature of Apple Podcast is one which I can’t live without.
I’ll try Pocket Cast Mac app again but I think I’ve left it for good now. Thanks for sharing!
So I just bookmarked the web app, got mac & windows app.
Some things to know:
There’s a random nag to upgrade to plus. VERY annoying!
Make certain to tune your settings - turn off analytics.
When you launch the windows or mac app, it defaults you back to “discover” tab. This is really terrible design because every time I launch the app it requires extra click (friction!) to get to where I want to be – my list of podcasts.
I am only seeing an occasional banner which does not need to be dismissed, and a prompt to upgrade to Plus if I click on Bookmarks (which remain a premium feature), so far.
I have not seen any additional nags for Plus in desktop version of Pocket Casts except for a single initial banner than can be dismissed, and one when Bookmarks menu is selected.
Apparently, there is a Google Chrome extension by Pocket Casts, which is excellent. I love the idea of changing the episode or adding to queue right from Chrome, very much like having it in the macOS menu bar. But, alas, it is subscription only, which is puzzling because the web player is now free for everyone. I bet this is just Pocket Cast team forgetting to flip the free-switch on the Chrome extension. I’ll see if I can report it and get someone’s attention on it.