AntennaPod

TAS Score: S3/3 — D5/5 — A3 / T2

Brief Description

Open-source podcast player for Android. No tracking, no account, no ads. Subscribe to any RSS feed. Download episodes for offline listening. Import/export OPML.

Architectural Role

Client-side application layer — podcast playback. Uses standard RSS/Atom feeds. No proprietary backend.

Technical Autonomy

  • Works without internet (downloaded episodes play offline)
  • Stores data locally (subscriptions, episodes on-device)
  • Does not require external accounts
  • Allows data export (OPML export of all subscriptions)
  • Provides offline updates (F-Droid)

Philosophical Assessment (whose.world criteria)

Criterion Status Comments
Pause Stop anytime. Downloads persist.
Exit OPML export. Switch to any other podcast app.
Recoverability OPML import. Database backup.
Visibility Fully open-source.
External Dependencies Standard RSS. Works with any podcast feed.

Rating key: ✅ fully meets · ⚠️ partially meets or requires configuration · ❌ does not meet

Configuration (Minimal)

Install from F-Droid. Search for podcasts or add RSS feed URLs. Download episodes for offline listening.

Alternatives

Alternative Autonomy Notes
No direct equivalent in catalog. Spotify Podcasts (A0/T0) is what most people use.    

Trajectory

Direction: stable Mature project. Active community. Regular releases. Well-established in the F-Droid ecosystem. Signal assessment: | Signal | Status | Evidence | |——–|——–|———-| | License | ✅ | GPL-3.0, unchanged. | | Feature gating | ✅ | All features free. | | Self-hosting | ✅ | Client app. | | Governance | ✅ | Community-governed. Multiple maintainers. | Signal key: ✅ opening · ➖ neutral · ⚠️ closing —

Sources

  • Website: https://antennapod.org
  • Documentation: https://antennapod.org/documentation
  • Repository: https://github.com/AntennaPod/AntennaPod
  • Docker image:
  • Community: https://forum.antennapod.org

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