How to Cancel Pocket Casts Plus in 2026 (Free Tier Is Excellent)

Pocket Casts Plus costs $3.99/month or $39.99/year. The app went free in 2023 (it used to be a one-time purchase), and the free tier is one of the best podcast apps available. Here's how to cancel Plus and what you actually lose.

How to Cancel Pocket Casts Plus

Depends on where you subscribed:

Via Website

1. Go to pocketcasts.com/settings
2. Log in to your account
3. Under Subscription, click Cancel

Via iPhone

1. Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions → Pocket Casts → Cancel

Via Android

1. Google Play → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions → Pocket Casts → Cancel

What You Keep on Free

• Full podcast playback — subscribe, download, stream, all free
• Playback speed controls — 0.5x to 3x
• Trim silence — the feature that saves hours of listening time
• Volume boost
• Sleep timer
• Up Next queue
• Filters — organize episodes by show, status, etc.
• Cross-device sync — basic sync still works on free
• Car/Android Auto/CarPlay support

That's a lot. Pocket Casts Free is more capable than most paid podcast apps.

What You Lose (Plus Only)

• Desktop/web player — Plus includes the web app at play.pocketcasts.com
• 10GB cloud storage — upload your own audio files
• Folders — organize podcasts into custom folders
• Custom app icons — cosmetic only
• Extra themes — more color options
• Bookmarks — mark favorite moments in episodes
• Wear OS app — standalone playback on smartwatches

Export Your Podcast Subscriptions (OPML)

If you're leaving Pocket Casts entirely:

1. Go to pocketcasts.com/settings
2. Scroll to Export
3. Download your OPML file
4. Import this file into any other podcast app (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, etc.)

OPML is the universal standard for podcast subscriptions. Every major podcast app supports importing it.

Is Pocket Casts Plus Worth $3.99/Month?

• Keep it if: You listen on desktop daily (the web player is genuinely good) or you use cloud storage for non-podcast audio (audiobooks, lectures)
• Cancel if: You only listen on your phone. The free tier has everything you need for mobile podcast listening.

Free Podcast App Alternatives

• Apple Podcasts (free) — built into iPhone, solid but less customizable
• Spotify (free tier) — podcasts + music in one app, but limited podcast features
• Overcast (free) — iPhone only, Smart Speed is excellent, great UI
• AntennaPod (free, open source) — Android only, privacy-focused, no account needed
• Google Podcasts — discontinued, but YouTube Music now has podcasts
• Castbox (free) — ad-supported, decent cross-platform option