We here at Komando.com are very proud of our many podcasts covering technology from a variety of angles. If you’re new to podcasts, you may wonder what they are, where you find them and how to listen in. Do you need special tools? Do you need special programs or apps?
To keep up to date with our Consumer Tech Update and Komando On Demand podcasts, as well as your other favorite podcasts, you need a great app that’s both reliable and free. Want to listen from your laptop or PC? Tap or click here for Kim’s free podcasts.
There are tons of great apps to choose from, but if you want the best ones, we’ve hand-picked five podcast apps that are highly rated, easy to use and best of all, free. But first, there’s one important question you need to ask yourself …
What makes a good podcast app?
A really good podcast app has great playback options and offers automatic downloads of episodes for the podcasts you subscribe to. Of course, what you personally want is subjective, but one thing we can all agree on is we want a reliable app.
Take a look at our five favorites, all available on iOS and Android devices, to see which one works best for you and your listening style. Then, as you’re subscribing to your favorite podcasts, make sure you include Kim’s podcasts. Not sure what she offers?
Kim records Komando On Demand and Consumer Tech Update, both of which can be found if you tap or click here. Now that you know what to listen to, let’s talk about how you can listen.
1. Pocket Casts
We’re kicking off our list with Pocket Casts, a free podcast app that recently added new features. You can listen to any podcast episode at any time and the new filter system lets you search for episodes with ease.
This app is available for both Apple and Android smartphones, but what if you want to use Pocket Casts with your iPad? This app is available for that device, too. Tap or click here for 25 useful apps you need to try on your iPad.
The app offers smart tools that include Subscriptions, Up Next, listening history, playback and filters all stored securely in the cloud. Pick up where you left off on different devices and get notifications when new episodes arrive.
Custom filters help you organize episodes and use the Discover feature to subscribe to any podcast in iTunes and more. Share your favorite episodes and import/export collections with ease.
If you want access to more features and customization options, get Pocket Casts Plus. You can access your library through the desktop app, add third-party content to the app via cloud and customize the Pocket Casts’ theme and icons.
It costs 99 cents/month, or you can get the best value, which is an annual subscription at $9.99/year.
2. Stitcher
Stitcher differentiates itself from other podcast apps by letting you make playlists of podcasts and playlists of podcast episodes from different shows.
Want to have all of the podcasts you love that upload on Fridays in one easy-to-listen-to list? Make a Friday playlist and you’ll have new episodes right there as soon as they’re out.
Want to hear your favorite actor on a bunch of podcasts in a row? That can be a playlist, too. Listen offline with Stitcher, which is also compatible for use in your car.
Stitcher suggests podcasts you might like based on your listening history, so you can find new shows. Ask Alexa to play a podcast and it will go straight to your linked Stitcher app.
If you want ad-free listening and access to exclusive Stitcher content, you can subscribe to Stitcher Premium. This is only $4.99/month and offers 21,000 hours of premium podcasts. You get ad-free shows, early access to new releases and you can listen to exclusive originals.
Premium Annual is $35/year. That’s $2.92/month. So if you know this is a service you’ll use year-round, save some cash and go with the annual subscription.
3. Spotify
That’s right, Spotify offers more than just music. It has just about every major podcast, including everything produced by Komando.com. Podcasts play much like songs, with some additional advertisements if you use the free version.
Spotify lets you organize your podcasts into categories and, much like with music, the more you listen, the more Spotify can cater to your interests. It’s easy to subscribe to podcasts and access new episodes, and you can listen offline by saving episodes.
Want more options? Get Premium free for a month, and pay $9.99/month afterward. If you have multiple people sharing a single account, you can get Premium Family for $14.99 following your free month. This allows up to six accounts to connect and share playlists, play offline, on-demand content and listen ad-free.
If you’re a student, you’re in luck. The Student account is only $4.99/month after the free trial. This includes an ad-supported plan for Hulu, gives you access to SHOWTIME, lets you listen to music ad-free, access on-demand content and you can play anywhere, even offline.
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4. Castbox
For the freest of the free podcast apps, you can’t do much better than Castbox. With more than 95 million volumes of audio content, thanks in part to iTunes, Castbox is free to download and use. A few in-app purchases exist, but are optional.
The app is offered in 27 countries and can be used on Apple and Android devices, including Alexa and tablets. Download popular podcasts, personalized recommendations according to your lists, stream and download what you want and take advantage of one-click subscriptions.
There’s even a sleep timer to see how much time is left in a podcast. For extra features, such as no visual adds, unlimited subscriptions, a personalized homepage and priority support, try the Premium membership, which is 99 cents a month.
5. TuneIn Radio
Last, but not least, we reach a podcast app that also offers some live listening options. TuneIn Radio is a free-to-download internet radio app, where you can listen to your favorite podcasts. If you stream often, this app gives you tons of variety and you can listen on your phone, computer, Alexa and in your car.
Go from great talk radio to a podcast, then to an audiobook and back to your favorite AM or FM radio station. With TuneIn Radio’s premium package, you can get live sports radio, listen ad-free and cut out all the display ads. Premium is free for 30 days, then costs $7.99/month.
Or just press play
To listen to any of our Komando podcasts, you don’t need a special application. Just visit our podcast page to listen free, or join the Komando Community for an ad-free experience.
For $2.99/month, or $29.99/year, you can join as a Techie to create a profile to make friends, receive Kim’s newsletters, get breaking news alerts, start a blog on any topic or join a group of people who share your interests.
For only $4.99 a month, or $49.99/year, you get the same perks as the Techie, but as a pro you also gain access to tech help in the forums, can watch The Kim Komando Show on your schedule, listen to any show anytime and anywhere, get VIP studio visits to meet Kim, access her libary of eBooks and get to the front of the line when calling Kim’s show.
Go ahead, give it a try. Access Kim’s podcasts free and join the community for all the extra perks.
