Castboxvs
Spotify
Spotify: Music and podcast streaming with 1 billion+ users, comprehensive audio content library alongside podcasts
Castbox
Podcast & radio app for everyone
As of 30 August 2026, Castbox is free to use. Castbox is a podcast and internet radio app with global podcast directory, offline listening, and cross-platform support. Softwr lists it under Entertainment. Castbox is made by Castbox Inc, launched in 2016, available on iOS, Android, Web.
Overview
What Castbox does
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about Castbox.
- App frequently crashes, requiring users to reload it to continue listening
- Approximately half of saved podcasts do not automatically refresh or send notifications for new episodes
- Free version displays unskippable minute-long ads that sometimes play as blank screens
- Interface is described as cluttered with excessive focus on mainstream podcast recommendations
- Tracking requirements for certain features like background playback limit privacy
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of Castbox
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- CastboxvsPocketcasts
Pocketcasts: Dedicated podcast app with advanced features, cross-platform sync, and clean interface for podcast enthusiasts
- CastboxvsOvercast
Overcast: iOS-focused podcast app with smart speed control and curated podcast discovery for Apple users
Pricing
What Castbox costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Free
Free
- 50+ million podcasts
- On-demand radio
- Audiobooks
- Ad-supported
- Basic in-audio search
Premium
On request
- Ad-free listening
- Advanced features
- Contact for pricing
Capabilities
Features
Podcast app
Radio
Discovery
Offline listening
Sync
Smart devices
Integration with Smart devices
Podcast services
Integration with Podcast services
Account security
Account security security feature
Privacy controls
Privacy controls security feature
Web support
Available on web
Ios support
Available on ios
Android support
Available on android
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Is Castbox free and does it have paid tiers?
Castbox offers a free version with ads and limited features. A premium subscription is available but details on pricing were not disclosed on the main site. Free tier includes access to 50+ million podcasts, radio programs, and audiobooks.
SourceWhat languages and regions does Castbox support?
Castbox supports content in 70 languages from 175 countries, making it one of the most internationally accessible podcast platforms.
SourceCan I search for specific content across all episodes with Castbox?
Yes, Castbox pioneered an in-audio search feature using natural language processing that lets listeners search for keywords and topics across more than 50 million episodes.
SourceWhat tools does Castbox offer for podcasters?
Castbox provides a Creator Studio with robust analytics for creators to measure subscribers, streams, and downloads. However, creators requiring comprehensive editing and production tools may find Castbox limited compared to specialized production software.
SourceBehind it
Who makes Castbox
- Company
- Castbox Inc
- Based in
- San Francisco, CA
Timeline
Castbox over time
Keep looking
Where to go from Castbox
- Castbox alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- Castbox pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- Castbox badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Entertainment softwareThe full category
- Best Entertainment softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Entertainment software for
Compare Castbox with
- Overcast
- Castro
- Spotify
- Audible
- Kodi
- VLC
- Apple TV+
- Emby
- Hulu
- Jellyfin
- MUBI
- Roku
- Philo
- DirecTV Stream
- Infuse
- Emby
- Hulu
- The Roku Channel
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Castbox, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on Castbox
Castbox alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
Castbox pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare Castbox
Put it head to head with anything we hold
Castbox badge
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