Stitcher and Google Podcasts are two of the most popular apps for listening to podcasts. Although they both serve the same purpose of allowing us to listen to our favorite podcasts, they have different functions and features.
In this article, we will look at both Stitcher and Google Podcasts and compare their features.
What Is Stitcher?
Stitcher was founded in 2008 and is one of the most popular podcast apps for listening to podcasts and live radio. It has a robust search that allows you to easily find specific episodes of podcasts and you can also organize your podcasts into customizable playlists.
This means you can organize your podcast library in any way you want, such as by genre. It also has a sleep timer and custom seek controls. (Also see, ‘How To Get Your Podcast On Stitcher‘)
Stitcher is available as an app for both iOS and Android devices (also see, ‘Best Podcasting Listening Apps‘) and can also be listened to in a browser. It is compatible with a wide range of other devices such as Alexa and Sonos. (Also see, ‘How To Get Podcasts On Alexa‘)
- Stitcher is a podcast streaming platform.
- Offers on-demand access to podcasts and radio shows.
- Provides both free and premium services.
What Is Google Podcasts?
Formally known as Google Play Podcasts, Google Podcasts is another dedicated podcast app. The app interface will instantly look familiar to anyone that has used Google to search the web as it uses the same layout, colors, and fonts.
It has all of the features you need to find new episodes and subscribe to your favorite podcast and independent artists and allows you to start listening to them at varying playback speed.
Google Podcasts is available as an app for both iOS and Android devices and also has a web browser. It naturally integrates with other Google products such as Google Assistant and Google Home.
Free And Premium Features
Both Stitcher and Google Podcasts are free apps to download and will allow you to listen to podcasts. In both cases, the podcasts are ad-supported so you will have to contend with adverts being included with your podcasts.
Stitcher, however, also offers a paid subscription. For $4.99 a month or $34.99 per year, you can join Stitcher Premium. This paid tier lets you listen to different podcasts that are included in the Stitcher Premium Library without any external ads.
Most apps, especially popular podcasts also offer extra episodes and early access to Premium subscribers.
Stitcher Premium also includes over 350 comedy albums, monthly giveaways, and access to exclusive and original podcasts created just for the Premium tier.
The free version of both Google Podcasts and Stitcher podcast apps are very similar. However, if you want ad-free listening and exclusive podcasts, then these features are only available on Stitcher Premium. Stitcher gives you a seven-day free version trial to try the premium subscription.
Exclusive Podcasts
As well as the exclusive episodes of some popular podcasts that are available on Stitcher Premium, one of Stitcher’s unique features is a library of exclusive podcasts named Stitcher Originals for any podcast addict. These aren’t highlighted in the regular search but there is a Stitcher Original category where you can browse through these podcasts.
All of these Stitcher Originals are only available on Stitcher.
Google Podcasts doesn’t have any original or exclusive podcasts in the same manner that Stitcher does.
User Experience
The Google app will be easy to navigate for anyone that is used to other Google services. It has three main tabs, which are Home, Explore, and Activity.
Your Home screen will be empty when you first start using the app and will populate with new podcasts as you begin to subscribe to some. It will list your episodes automatically as well as podcast recommendations based on your likes and subscriptions.
The Explore tab allows you to search for podcasts or any new episode from your favorites. There is a search bar for more specific searches but you can also browse through categories such as Comedy, News, and Technology to find something new to listen to.
Finally, the Activity tab includes the most recent episodes of your subscribed podcasts, as well as a list of podcasts you’ve downloaded for offline listening. You can also browse through your subscriptions and the previous podcasts you’ve listened to.
The Stitcher user interface is also clean and easy to navigate. It also has three main tabs which are called My Podcasts, Discover, and Activity.
My Podcasts lists the podcasts you have subscribed to and lets you see the latest episodes, your subscribed shows, downloaded episodes for offline playback, and episodes you’ve liked. You can group your episodes and shows into personalized groups to make navigation easier.
On the Discover tab, you can search for podcasts or browse recommendations that are based on your previous subscriptions. Activity allows you to see your previous activity in this podcast listening app.
Podcast Player Apps Features
Both Google Podcasts and Stitcher podcast apps give you the option to search through a podcast and play at different speeds. These options are limited in Google Podcasts as the app only gives you a select few options when it comes to speed and how far forward and back you can skip.
Stitcher, on the other hand, gives you more options and allows you to customize how far forward and back you skip.
If you like to listen to podcasts before you sleep but don’t want them to continue playing all night, then both Google Podcasts and Stitcher podcast apps give you the option of setting a sleep timer.
When it comes to organizing a large library of subscribed podcasts, Stitcher has the best podcast app features. You can group your podcasts in personally curated playlists and groups, making it easier to browse through your podcasts and podcast episodes.
Both apps make it easy to find the newest episodes of your podcasts, however, and allow you to download episodes to listen to offline.
Final Thoughts: Best Podcast Apps
For casual listeners of podcasts, Google Podcasts will have all of the podcasts and features that you need. It’s easy to navigate and has a clean interface that is simple and intuitive.
However, if you want to dig deeper into podcasts, have more control over how you listen to them, and find some more exclusive content, then Stitcher might be the better choice for you.
We hope that this article will help you decide whether two popular apps, Google Podcasts or Stitcher is the more suitable podcast app for you.
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