cross-posted from: https://lemdro.id/post/66697
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?
AntennaPod is open source and pretty good if you’re on Android. Podcast Addict isn’t open source (I don’t think) and it’s not as pretty but it’ll be the most powerful podcast app you ever use.
Pocketcasts is definitely a better overall app experience, however, that still didn’t stop me from switching to AntennaPod well over a year ago. It’s a solid app and one of the best FOSS app projects around.
No regrets. I just wish I could manually sort podcasts on the subscription page.
Interestingly, it turns out Pocket Casts is also open source (thanks cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone). I’m not sure the added features from Plus are available from other apps at the moment?
I mean Pocket Casts is already open source. If they end support for it, you can just fork it.
https://blog.pocketcasts.com/2022/10/19/pocket-casts-mobile-apps-are-now-open-source/
You know, I hadn’t even realized this. That’s great. Here’s their GitHub!
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!
I was surprised to learn that the Pocket Casts apps are open-source (Android GitHub, iOS GitHub).
This is for the older version though, IIRC
Edit: Ah, it seems I missed Automattic acquiring Pocket Casts. Would make sense they’re open source, since Automattic is a fully open source company.
AntennaPod
As a (now former) Pocketcasts user, I thank you for letting me know about AntennaPod!
@colebrodine @Idefinitelydonotknow Happy AntennaPod user here, very pleased with it 👍
You are welcome. Just remember that it haa 95% of the features as PocketCasts, but it is Open Source…
Fun fact about Antennapod, if you want to sort new podcast episodes by prioroty, rename the podcast with a number based on your priority for that podcast and then sort the que by podcast title. Now episodes of your favorite podcast will always be up at the top and ready even if a *newer episode of anothet pod is released. Reasons you may do this besides just having a favorite podcast over others is if you listen to timely podcast that you always want to listen to before others that can wait.
Holy shit that price is just insane. No one is going to be willing to pay that when Spotify is cheaper by a lot…
Do people really use Spotify for podcasts? I don’t find it a great experience. Pocket Casts seems to be solid as a free app along with other alternatives (including open-source).
I’m pretty sure the only people who use Spotify for podcasts are unvaccinated Roganites
Just here to say fuck Dax Shepherd for being a Spotify exclusive podcaster.
It’s the only reason my family plan hasn’t been migrated, really. I don’t want to deal with that fall out.
I use Spotify for podcasts, though if the rumors of them increasing their sub is true, I’ll be swapping to open source alternative’s.
Look at AntennaPod. Pretty app like Pocket Casts but is completely free and open source.
Spotify is 10 a month for a normal subscription, so Pocket Casts is roughly a third of that for one year. I don’t like Spotify for podcasts at all but it is a big part of the service nowadays. Still awfully expensive for Pocket Casts when you consider that it is just for podcasts and no music - unlike Spotify.
You don’t need to pay for the subscription to use PocketCasts for podcasts. There is a free version that does everything you would need it to.
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.
Remember when they went back on their promise that the $10 would be permanent premium? Then went on a rant about how they shouldn’t honor those purchases. I stopped using them right then and there, even if I was grandfathered in.
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.
