Castbox vs FluidCast

Castbox is a podcast app for discovering and listening to shows. It is available on iOS, Android and web, as well as PWA, Amazon Alexa, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Apple Watch. Its recommendation engine uses artificial intelligence to help listeners find podcasts, and automated transcription and indexing power In-Audio Search. Listeners can download episodes for offline listening, follow private feeds, sync across devices, comment and share. Creators can use Creator Studio analytics for subscribers, streams and downloads; Castbox also offers free audio upload and storage, plus free web hosting for up to 5 podcasts or channels. The Free plan costs nothing and limits listeners to 100 channel subscriptions. Castbox says it uses safeguards for user data but cannot guarantee fully secure internet transmissions. Users can request account and personal data deletion through the app or by emailing support.

FluidCast is a podcast player for listening across devices, with search for podcasts and episodes, curated categories, and cross-device sync on Pro. Playback controls include variable speed, silence skipping, a sleep timer, and chapter support. Listeners can read, search, and navigate full episode transcripts. Voice Lift boosts quieter voices, and the app can play audio files stored on a device without streaming. The Free plan includes offline downloads, background playback, playback history, transcripts, Voice Lift, local file playback, and CarPlay and Android Auto support. Pro adds cloud sync for subscriptions, playback position, and settings, plus queue editing, bookmarks, podcast folders, and Apple Watch support. Its on-device AI ad skipping may be inaccurate and use more battery; on iOS it requires Apple Intelligence on iOS 26 or later. FluidCast is listed for web, iOS, macOS, Android, Windows, and Linux. Pro Monthly is £2.49 per month with a one-month free trial; Lifetime is listed at £89.99 per month.