5 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to Pocket Casts
The best open-source alternatives to Pocket Casts are Audiobookshelf, Pinepods and PodFetch.
About Pocket Casts: A podcast player and discovery app.
Every option below is free to self-host and ranked by GitHub stars, so you can move off Pocket Casts without giving up the features you rely on.
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Audiobookshelf
advplyr/audiobookshelf
Audiobook and podcast server. It streams all audio formats, keeps and syncs progress across devices. Comes with apps for Android and iOS.
Music StreamingJavaScriptDocker - Rank 2:
Pinepods
madeofpendletonwool/PinePods
Podcast management system with multi-user support. Pinepods utilizes a central database so aspects like listen time and themes follow from device to device.
Music StreamingRustDocker - Rank 3:
PodFetch
SamTV12345/PodFetch
Sleek and efficient podcast downloader.
Media ManagementRustDocker
Why switch
Why teams move off Pocket Casts
Self-hosting is not only about saving money. These are the reasons people make the switch.
Own your data
Your data lives on a server you control, not on Pocket Casts's infrastructure. No surprise policy changes and no lock-in.
No per-seat pricing
Open-source alternatives to Pocket Casts are free to run for as many users as your server can handle. A small VPS often costs less than a single subscription.
Customize and extend
Read the code, add plugins, connect it to your own tools and automate it through open APIs. When you need a feature, you can build it or fund it.
Full ranking
All 5 Pocket Casts alternatives
Ranked by GitHub stars. Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
Audiobookshelf
Audiobook and podcast server. It streams all audio formats, keeps and syncs progress across devices. Comes with apps for Android and iOS.
Music StreamingDocker - 2
Pinepods
Podcast management system with multi-user support. Pinepods utilizes a central database so aspects like listen time and themes follow from device to device.
Music StreamingDocker - 3
PodFetch
Sleek and efficient podcast downloader.
Media ManagementDocker - 4
AzuraCast
Modern and accessible web radio management suite.
Music StreamingDocker - 5
LibreTime
Broadcast streaming radio on the web (fork of Airtime).
Music StreamingDocker
What is the best open-source alternative to Pocket Casts?
Audiobookshelf is the most popular open-source alternative to Pocket Casts, with 14,555 GitHub stars. Pinepods and PodFetch are also strong choices. Compare features, license and recent activity to find the best fit for your team.
Is there a free alternative to Pocket Casts?
Yes. All 5 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can run a Pocket Casts replacement without per-user fees. You only pay for the server, and a small VPS is usually enough for personal use or a small team.
Can I self-host an alternative to Pocket Casts?
Yes. Audiobookshelf, Pinepods and PodFetch ship a Docker image, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose in a few minutes. Your data then stays on hardware you control.
How do I migrate from Pocket Casts?
Start by exporting your data from Pocket Casts, then check the import options of the app you pick, since many projects ship importers for popular formats. Run both side by side for a week before you switch so nothing is lost.