Alternatives to Fountain
Podcast app with Lightning value-for-value payments to creators. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Fountain
Podcast app with Lightning value-for-value payments to creators.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Fountain.
Podverse
Open-source podcast app with Podcasting 2.0 support.
Podverse also supports Podcasting 2.0 on Android, iOS and web and is open source under AGPL-3.0, with clips and optional self-hosting instead of Lightning payments.
Pocket Casts
Cross-platform podcast player with cloud sync and trim silence.
Pocket Casts adds Windows and macOS apps with cross-platform sync and silence trimming, focusing on playback rather than creator payments, with some features on the paid Plus tier.
Castbox
Cross-platform podcast app with in-audio search.
Castbox covers the same Android, iOS and web platforms with in-audio search, but is freemium with an advertising and recommendation heavy free tier.
Player FM
Podcast app with offline playback and topic-based discovery.
Player FM runs on Android, iOS and web with topic-based discovery and cloud position sync, and its free tier is advertising supported with limited offline storage.
Podcast Addict
Android podcast manager with very deep customisation.
Podcast Addict is Android only with deep per-podcast settings and radio, YouTube and audiobook support, and its free version shows advertisements.
Overcast
Podcast app that shortens silences and normalizes volume across shows.
Overcast is iOS only and focuses on Smart Speed and Voice Boost, with core playback free and no Android or web version.
Castro
iOS podcast app built around triaging an inbox of episodes.
Castro is iOS only and built around an inbox and queue for triaging episodes, with most features requiring its paid subscription.
Castamatic
Customisable iOS podcast player with on-device transcripts.
Castamatic is iOS only and freemium, generating transcripts on the device and offering highly configurable playback, with advanced features behind a purchase or subscription.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Fountain as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
gPodder
Simple desktop podcast client that downloads episodes to disk.
Fountain runs on web, Android and iOS with Lightning payments to creators and Podcasting 2.0, but it is closed source and has no desktop app.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Downcast
Apple-platform podcast player with fine-grained per-podcast rules.
