Pocket Casts Plus increases subscription pricing to $33.99 from $10

Well, crap. This feels like the first sign that the app is going to die when it doesn't get enough money out of this price hike.

What's a good open alternative?

This is kinda odd timing.

I just started using AntennaPod on Monday since I want to switch to FOSS apps as much as possible and also deleted my PocketCasts account completely.

It sucks that there is no such account in my Google Podcasts app, but uninstalled that too. AntennaPod, FTW!

Holy shit that price is just insane. No one is going to be willing to pay that when Spotify is cheaper by a lot...

I personally have lifetime plus due to having bought the app early on. I still use it regularly but don't use the fancy web interface.

I subscribed to Pocket Casts when it was owned by public media entities, and it worked well. But after they sold it off, I just switched to AntennaPod and it does everything I need too.

I had bought it outright so I have the "lifetime subscription" after the uproar when the introduced this subscription model. This rate hike has me a little worried though they may go back on that and force purchasers to pony up for the subscription as well to get short term profits up (albeit at a reduced rate for like 3 months or so, as is standard with this sort of thing).

Over 200% markup in a single pricing change, yeesh

You think they'd gradually ease people into it at least. This app is always on something

Used to love pocket casts but I switched to antennapod after they basically changed the whole app into something that made no sense to me.

Would never pay a subscription to listen to podcasts personally.

What does it even add? A desktop app and themes for $40

I left pocket casts before they went the sub model. antennapod is my app of choice and works perfectly.

No thank you. I'm perfectly happy with Podcast Addict.

I'm one of the people who doesn't listen to podcasts very much and therefore doesn't need any extended features that would require me to pay for an app.

As long as the app has a play/pause button, and rewind/fast forward buttons, then that's all I need lol

I left when they changed the interface to what ever abomination it is now. You used to be able to basically filter folders e.g. ttrpg actule plays, music, talk shows etc. chronologically wheather or not you've listened to it before. I should have switched to some open source alternative but I went with google again likely to get burned. Any recommendations?

Holy crap. That is a lot! Thank goodness I got that lifetime way back when.

Try Podcast Republic. It has multi-device syncing and a lot of other great options.

Just imported all my podcasts into AntennaPod to give it a go. I found that it also supports sync via Nextcloud which I absolutely need because I often listen on multiple devices and I want to pick up where I left.

Good to see alternatives, because that's one of the main reasons I bought the lifetime subscription back in the day. I also used the trim silence feature, but I can do without that.

Who pays this much for podcast player? I'm happy I'm grandfathered in since it's launch. I love it, I paid for the full version, but recurring payments? No, thank you.

Their recent addition to support wearOS made me consider a subscription (wearOS version requires subscription). Until youtube music recently added support for podcasts, so I didn't bother although I can't say the podcast feature in youtube music is all that good so far but it will let episodes get downloaded to my watch.

That’s quite the price jump. I wonder why it’s such a severe jump.

I'm still sitting here with DoggCatcher. Not exactly a pretty app, feels like an app from more than 10 years ago, as it hasn't really changed since then.

But it does what I want it to, with some minor hiccups one in a blue moon. Hasn't frustrated me to the point where I feel like switching.

And while it's not pretty, it does work.

I have a lifetime pass from paying for the web version back in the day but honestly it's super worth it. It's still the best podcast app/website ever.

Podcast Addict (the free, ad-supported version) is all that I use for my podcasts. If you're really into customisation, then try Podcast Republic.

What's wrong with using Google Podcasts for podcasts or Spotify or the dozens and dozens of other podcast apps?

Any recs for a podcast app that has wearOS support??

I was paying the $10 but recently stopped it because i never use the app, not sure i'll get premium again with such an increase, even if i do get back into it. maybe if i really start using it a lot

BeyondPod on android

I've never paid for this app.. but that's a crazy increase!

Podurama is amazing! I was a long time pocketcasts user and have switched. Won’t ever look back!!

Oof

I've never heard of this, but I love podcasts.

Isn't this similar to the totally free AntennaPod from f-droid?

Honestly it's pretty reasonable. I lucked into buying a lifetime pass a looong time ago and I've gotten my moneys worth. I wouldn't even mind paying a few bucks a month considering how useful it has been to me, and how much I use it.

Expensive, I'm just trying the free trial, don't know if I'll keep it.

I'm going to ask a legitimate question and I promise I'm not trolling but this seems insane to me and I have to ask.

Why in the fuck would anybody use a special app just for podcasts?

I just go to the website, download the show, throw it on my phone and I'm good to go. It takes very little time I don't have anyone selling my listening data.

I'd genuinely like to know what the benefit is.

I use the free version. Though I wouldn't pay for a aub, what do you get with it?