Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Match 3 - 22: The Jonathan Franzen of Podcasts

Downwell, Evan Narcisse, and a pie in a mailbox

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Match 3 - 22: The Jonathan Franzen of Podcasts launched in 2015; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   Serial Podcast▲177

   From This American Life, follow 1 story over a whole season

   2014 · its alternatives →

2. 2
   a16z - A podcast about podcasts▲140

   Discussing podcast discovery & community w/ PH & Roman Mars

   2015 · its alternatives →

3. 3
   The Probe #1: The Teaser▲65

   Satirical take on popular magazine-style news podcasts

   2016 · its alternatives →

4. 4
   NTMY The Show - 1: Pieter Levels▲142

   The inaugural episode of Tobias van Schneider's new podcast

   2015 · its alternatives →

5. 5
   The Message - Episode 1▲64

   Cyphercast, the podcast within a podcast

   2015 · its alternatives →

6. 6
   Parasocial▲204

   Listening to podcasts should be a joy. So let's get started.

   25d ago · parasocial.fm · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Dithering▲154

   A new podcast from Ben Thompson and John Gruber

   2020 · its alternatives →

8. 8
   Bithell Games Podcast - Episode 01▲53

   GOTY picks, conference planning, and reader mail

   2016 · its alternatives →

9. 9
   Longform Podcast▲78

   A weekly conversation with a non-fiction writer or editor.

   2014 · its alternatives →

10. 10
    Tung▲96

    A social podcast player

    2016 · its alternatives →

11. 11
    Building Nexcast Part 6: What's Up With Podcasting?▲62

    Many strangers give us their take on podcasting

    2016 · its alternatives →

12. 12
    The Podglomerate▲70

    A hybrid podcast network and production house

    2017 · its alternatives →

13. 13
    3W6 – Rollenspiele und Superhelden▲60

    A Biweekly German Podcast About RPGs and Storytelling

    2016 · its alternatives →

14. 14
    Inside Podcasting▲126

    Curating the resurgence of the spoken word

    2017 · its alternatives →

15. 15
    Podcatch▲81

    A good podcast listen, now.

    2015 · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Startup - 16: The Secret Formula▲76

    Gimlet Media breaks down how they produce podcasts

    2015 · its alternatives →

17. 17
    Hello Tech Pros: Announcing the IMDB of Podcasting▲54

    Matthew Rehm from PodXRef on Entrepreneurship

    2016 · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Ground Ego - 9: Plata O Plomo▲60

    Fun and entertaining podcast discussing current issues.

    2015 · its alternatives →

19. 19
    Hatching - 17: How to meet your heroes▲93

    A podcast about the inner workings of Need/Want

    2015 · its alternatives →

20. 20
    FiveThirtyEight - Totally Subjective Odds▲72

    A pre-launch experiment for their new politics podcast

    2015 · its alternatives →

21. 21
    Tim Ferriss Show - Challenging Reality w/ Eric Weinstein▲65

    Quite possibly one of my favorite podcast episodes ever.

    2016 · its alternatives →

22. 22
    Boss Jock▲99

    Podcast from iOS, no PC needed

    2016 · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Hunt the Truth — S1E1: A hairline fracture▲88

    The intro to Microsoft's "Serial"-style Halo podcast

    2015 · its alternatives →

24. 24
    TIL Reddit Recap - Thu. Jan 28▲80

    A podcast created entirely by a computer program

    2016 · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →