# Pocket Casts

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/pocket-casts/

6 people recommended Pocket Casts in Hacker News comments, 3 had mixed feelings and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 12 months, in 3 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

3 of the 6 people who recommend it commented in one thread, “Mullenweg has returned as CEO after attempted board ouster”.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a reliable, well-liked podcast app for daily listening, especially on Android. Critics mainly object to its subscription model and limited RSS feed adding.

Summary written by Claude from 10 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Liked for everyday podcast listening (5 comments in the sample): "the podcast app I typically use (PocketCasts) is really good" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49130691)) "I'm a fan of PocketCasts as my podcast app on Android." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49691517)) "I use Pocketcasts and I'm very happy with it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46391731))

## What people warn about

- Monthly SaaS subscription model (1 comment in the sample): "I don't want it to be a monthly SaaS, I guess was my point." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49139001))
- Cannot add RSS feed URLs locally (1 comment in the sample): "it didn't have the ability to easily add an RSS feed URL locally without submitting it to their index" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49132155))

## Other podcast apps people recommend

- [AntennaPod](https://hackerapproved.com/p/antennapod/): 12 recommend, 5 mixed, 0 criticize
- [Overcast podcast app](https://hackerapproved.com/p/overcast/): 9 recommend, 6 mixed, 3 criticize
- [Apple Podcasts](https://hackerapproved.com/p/apple-podcasts/): 7 recommend, 3 mixed, 27 criticize

## Where to get it

- [Visit the official site](https://pocketcasts.com/)

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Pocket Casts", https://hackerapproved.com/p/pocket-casts/ (6 recommend, 3 mixed, 2 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.