AntennaPod is a podcast manager and player that gives you instant access to millions of free and paid podcasts, from independent podcasters to large publishing houses such as the BBC, NPR and CNN. Add, import and export their feeds hassle-free using the Apple Podcasts database, OPML files or simple RSS URLs.
Download, stream or queue episodes and enjoy them the way you like with adjustable playback speeds, chapter support and a sleep timer.
Made by podcast-enthusiasts, AntennaPod is free in all senses of the word: open source, no costs, no ads. And this is also clear from the aspect that they have an integration with gpodder.net, which allows you to sync your podcasts, as well as playback progress, between your Android device and a Windows, macOS or Linux desktop podcast player.
This app does look like a pretty good alternative to Pocket Casts (which upset a few people with their big subscription increase). The app is available both via the Google App Store (a 4.8 star rating from over 500,000 downloads and 43,800 reviews) as well as F-Droid. The source code was updated about 3 weeks back, so it shows the project is quite active.