The 15 Best Crime Podcasts (2026)

Criminal is not your typical true crime podcast, and that's exactly why it stands out. Hosted by Phoebe Judge, whose voice is so calm and measured it could probably talk you through a root canal, the show covers stories about people who've done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. Two new episodes come out each month on Fridays, running 30 to 45 minutes each.

What separates Criminal from the flood of true crime content is its definition of "crime." Sure, there are episodes about murders and heists, but there are also episodes about art forgery, the ethics of grave robbing, and a woman who accidentally became a fugitive over a library book. The scope is broad and the storytelling is more interested in the human angle than in sensationalizing violence. Judge and co-creator Lauren Spohrer have a real gift for finding stories that make you think rather than just react.

Judge's interviewing style is almost hypnotically quiet. She asks simple questions and then lets the silence do the work, which draws out remarkably honest responses from her subjects. The production is clean and understated -- no dramatic true crime music stings or breathless narration.

With over 330 episodes since 2014, there's a massive back catalog to work through. For driving, Criminal is fantastic because each episode is self-contained and the pacing is gentle enough to follow without white-knuckling the steering wheel, but the stories are unusual enough that you stay completely locked in. The New York Times named it one of the best podcasts, and it's hard to argue with that assessment.

Crime Junkie is basically the gateway drug of true crime podcasts. Ashley Flowers does the heavy lifting as the primary narrator, walking through each case with careful pacing, while co-host Brit Prawat plays the role of the engaged listener — reacting, asking questions, and keeping the conversation grounded. It's a formula that works incredibly well, and the numbers back it up: over 361,000 ratings on Apple Podcasts with a 4.7-star average.

New episodes land every Monday, covering everything from high-profile cases to stories that barely made local news. Ashley has a knack for finding overlooked missing persons cases and unsolved murders that deserve more attention, and the show regularly uses its massive platform to amplify those stories. The episodes are usually around 45 minutes, making them perfect for a commute or a workout.

The production comes from Audiochuck, the media company Ashley founded, and the quality is consistently polished — clean audio, thoughtful pacing, and just enough background music to set the mood without being distracting. With nearly 500 episodes in the catalog, there's a staggering amount of content to work through. Some longtime fans have opinions about the evolution of the show over the years, but for anyone looking for well-researched true crime delivered in an accessible, conversational style, Crime Junkie remains one of the biggest names in the genre for a reason.

Serial basically invented the modern true crime podcast. When Sarah Koenig launched the first season in 2014 as a spinoff of This American Life, it became the fastest podcast to reach five million downloads on iTunes and won the first-ever Peabody Award given to a podcast. That debut season, which re-examined the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee and the conviction of Adnan Syed, turned millions of people into armchair detectives overnight.

The show operates as a serialized documentary series rather than a weekly crime show. Each season is a self-contained investigation that unfolds across multiple episodes, with journalists spending months or even years embedded in their stories. Sarah Koenig, Brian Reed, Chana Joffe-Walt, and other reporters from Serial Productions have tackled everything from the criminal justice system in Cleveland to the story of Bowe Bergdahl. The production is now part of The New York Times, and newer seasons require a subscription to access full episodes.

With 112 episodes across 15 seasons, the catalog is small compared to weekly shows, but every season is dense and meticulously reported. The 4.5-star rating from nearly 75,000 reviews speaks to the show's lasting impact, though reception has varied across seasons — the original Adnan Syed investigation remains the most discussed. Serial set the template that hundreds of narrative true crime podcasts have followed since, and it still holds up as some of the best longform audio journalism ever produced.

Dateline NBC has been a staple of network television crime reporting for decades, and the podcast version delivers that same polished investigative journalism straight to your headphones. With over 800 episodes — yes, eight hundred — and daily updates, this is one of the most prolific true crime shows out there.

The roster of correspondents is what makes Dateline feel different from indie true crime podcasts. Keith Morrison's dramatic, almost theatrical delivery has become iconic enough to inspire Saturday Night Live parodies. Andrea Canning brings steady, empathetic reporting, while Lester Holt anchors the bigger stories with gravitas. Each correspondent has their own style, so the show never feels monotonous despite the enormous episode count.

Episodes pull from both current cases and classic Dateline investigations, giving you a mix of fresh reporting and archival deep cuts. The format tends toward longer narrative pieces — usually full episode-length investigations with interviews, evidence breakdowns, and courtroom drama. Some episodes are standalone, while others unfold across multiple parts for particularly complex cases.

The 4.4-star rating across 39,000 reviews puts it slightly below some smaller podcasts, partly because the sheer volume means not every episode lands with the same impact. But when Dateline is at its best, the combination of NBC's resources and seasoned correspondents produces some of the most thorough crime reporting available in podcast form.

Sword and Scale is not for the faint of heart. Hosted by Mike Boudet since 2014, this weekly podcast earned its reputation by incorporating raw, unfiltered audio — actual 911 calls, courtroom recordings, police interrogations, and victim interviews — directly into its episodes. The effect is visceral in a way that straight narration simply cannot replicate.

With 350 episodes covering murders, abductions, and disturbing criminal cases, the show leans hard into the darkest corners of human behavior. Mike's commentary style is dry and measured, letting the audio evidence do most of the emotional heavy lifting. The production quality is high, and episodes are structured to build tension methodically, often saving the most jarring material for moments of maximum impact.

The show has a complicated legacy. It holds a 4.0-star rating across an enormous 60,000+ reviews, which tells you it generates strong feelings in both directions. Some listeners consider it one of the most gripping true crime shows ever produced. Others have taken issue with the host's social media presence and public controversies that have followed the show over the years. Love it or not, Sword and Scale has been influential in shaping what modern true crime podcasts sound like. The spinoff shows Nightmares and Monstruo explore adjacent territory — bedtime crime stories and international extreme cases, respectively — for listeners who want even more.

Nancy Grace doesn't do subtlety, and honestly, that's the whole appeal. The former prosecutor turned media personality brings the same fiery, opinionated energy to her podcast that made her a cable news fixture for years. Crime Stories drops daily — sometimes multiple times a day for breaking cases — making it one of the most frequently updated true crime shows available.

The format typically features Nancy walking through a case with rotating panels of expert guests: defense attorneys, forensic psychologists, investigators, and medical examiners. She asks pointed questions, pushes back on answers she disagrees with, and isn't shy about sharing her own take on guilt or innocence. Episode lengths vary wildly, from quick six-minute news alerts to full 50-minute investigations, which makes the roughly 2,000-episode archive feel even bigger than it already is.

Nancy's background as a prosecutor in Atlanta gives her a particular lens on these cases. She tends to focus on victims' rights and holds a clear prosecutorial perspective that her fans appreciate and her critics find one-sided. With a 4.2-star rating from about 7,800 reviews, the show sits in that polarizing space where people either love the directness or find it grating. There's no middle ground with Nancy Grace, and the podcast doesn't pretend otherwise. If you want measured, neutral analysis, look elsewhere. If you want someone who will get genuinely angry about injustice and isn't afraid to name names, this is your show.

Casefile True Crime is the podcast that takes the "anonymous narrator" concept and turns it into an art form. The host — known only as "the Anonymous Host" — never reveals his identity, and somehow that choice makes the storytelling even more absorbing. There's no personality cult here, just meticulous research delivered in a calm Australian accent that lets the cases speak for themselves.

With 478 episodes and counting, Casefile has built one of the deepest true crime libraries around. The show started in 2015 with a focus on Australian cases, which gives it a distinctly different flavor from the American-centric podcasts dominating the charts. You'll hear about crimes from around the world — the Silk Road saga, the East Area Rapist, the Moors Murders — often told across multi-part episodes that span hours of detailed narrative.

The production team behind the scenes includes researchers and writers like Elsha McGill and Eileen Ormsby, and the result is a show that feels more like investigative journalism than entertainment. Episodes are dense with facts, timelines, and court proceedings, so this isn't background listening — it demands your attention. The 4.7-star average from nearly 33,000 ratings reflects just how loyal the audience is. The show does take extended breaks between seasons these days, which frustrates some fans, but when new episodes arrive, they're always worth the wait.

Generation Why has been doing this since 2012, which makes it one of the longest-running true crime podcasts still actively producing new episodes. Hosts Justin Evans and Aaron Habel have found a rhythm over 744 episodes that feels like two friends sitting down to genuinely work through a case together, rather than performing for an audience.

The format is discussion-based — both hosts research the case beforehand and then talk through the evidence, theories, and outcomes in real time. What separates Generation Why from the dozens of similar two-host shows is the restraint. Justin and Aaron rarely sensationalize, and they make a conscious effort to center victims rather than glorifying perpetrators. They'll present multiple theories on unsolved cases without forcing you toward one conclusion, which listeners consistently praise in reviews.

Topics range from well-known cases like JonBenet Ramsey and the Zodiac Killer to obscure local crimes that most people have never heard of. Episodes run about an hour and drop weekly, now distributed through Wondery. The show carries a 4.5-star rating from nearly 17,000 reviews, and the audience tends to be fiercely loyal — many listeners have been with the show for a decade or more.

The production is cleaner now than it was in the early years, but even those older episodes have a charm to them. If you value thoughtful analysis over dramatic flair, Generation Why is a reliable pick that has earned its longevity.

48 Hours takes the CBS News investigative television show that's been running since 1988 and packages it for podcast listeners. The result is professional, resource-heavy crime journalism that smaller independent podcasts simply can't match in terms of access and production value. With nearly 1,000 episodes in the archive, the sheer scale of content is staggering.

The show features a team of veteran correspondents — Erin Moriarty, Peter Van Sant, Richard Schlesinger, and others — each bringing decades of broadcast journalism experience. The podcast includes a companion series called Post Mortem, hosted by Anne-Marie Green, which offers extended discussions about the week's featured cases. New episodes arrive multiple times per week, mixing fresh investigations with classic episodes from the television show's long history.

What 48 Hours does particularly well is access. CBS correspondents can get interviews and case materials that podcasters working from their home studios cannot. Court documents, law enforcement officials, family members, and sometimes even suspects — the show regularly features primary sources that add layers of credibility to the reporting.

The 4.1-star average from about 7,400 ratings is on the lower end for this category, partly because the television-to-podcast format doesn't always translate perfectly. Some episodes feel more like audio versions of TV segments than native podcast content. Still, for anyone who appreciates traditional investigative journalism applied to criminal cases, 48 Hours delivers a depth of reporting that's hard to find elsewhere.

Court Junkie is the podcast for people who are genuinely fascinated by the legal system and want to hear what actually happens inside courtrooms. Host Jillian Jalali — known to her audience as JJ — doesn't just read about cases from news reports. She digs into court documents, attends trials in person, and conducts her own interviews with people connected to the cases she covers.

The show focuses heavily on the trial process itself, incorporating real courtroom audio — opening statements, witness testimony, cross-examinations, and verdict readings. This gives episodes a documentary feel that sets Court Junkie apart from podcasts that rely mainly on secondhand accounts. JJ's narration ties everything together with clear, well-researched context about the legal proceedings and the people involved.

With 376 episodes released weekly, the archive covers a wide range of cases: wrongful convictions, cold cases finally going to trial, and high-profile murder prosecutions. The 4.8-star rating from over 8,100 reviews makes it one of the highest-rated true crime podcasts on Apple Podcasts, which is a testament to JJ's dedication to thorough, responsible reporting.

The main critique from some listeners is that courtroom audio segments can run long, and the show has picked up more advertising spots over the years. But those are minor quibbles for a podcast that takes its subject matter this seriously. If you've ever found yourself watching Court TV and wishing someone would give you the full context behind the clips, Court Junkie is exactly what you're looking for.

Wrongful Conviction takes a fundamentally different approach to true crime. Instead of asking "who did it," this podcast sits down with people who were convicted of crimes they say they didn't commit — and in many cases, have since been exonerated. The interviews are intimate, often emotional, and paint a picture of the criminal justice system that most true crime shows don't touch.

Jason Flom, a founding board member of the Innocence Project and longtime criminal justice reform advocate, is the primary host. He's joined by co-hosts Maggie Freleng and Lauren Bright Pacheco, both accomplished journalists in their own right. Together they've produced 582 episodes covering exonerations, death row cases, and ongoing fights for freedom. New episodes come out two to three times per week, keeping a pace that matches the scale of wrongful conviction cases across the country.

The format is interview-driven — you'll hear directly from exonerees describing what it was like to spend ten, twenty, sometimes thirty years behind bars for something they didn't do. Lawyers, investigators, and advocates also appear regularly. Episodes typically run 30 to 55 minutes.

The 4.4-star rating from about 5,500 reviews reflects broad appreciation, though some listeners note that the show presents a one-sided perspective by design. That's a fair observation, but it's also the point. Wrongful Conviction exists to amplify voices that the system silenced, and it does that job with conviction and compassion. It's essential listening for anyone who cares about justice reform.

Alaina Urquhart and Ash Kelley bring a family dynamic to true crime that gives Morbid a distinctly personal feel. Alaina is an autopsy technician and published author, which means she brings actual forensic knowledge to the cases they cover — not just Wikipedia summaries. Ash is a hairdresser with no formal crime background, and her reactions serve as a natural stand-in for the listener. They refer to each other as sisters (Alaina is technically Ash's aunt), and their relationship gives the show a warmth that balances out the grim subject matter. The podcast launched in May 2018 and has grown into one of the biggest true crime shows around, landing at number 10 on Apple Podcasts' U.S. chart in 2024. Episodes come out twice a week and cover a mix of true crime cases, creepy historical events, and supernatural stories. The format alternates between deep-dive research episodes and "Listener Tales" where fans submit their own eerie experiences. Alaina's background means the forensic details are more accurate than what you get from most true crime podcasts — she can explain autopsy findings and cause-of-death determinations with real authority. The humor is present but gentler than shows like Last Podcast on the Left. They crack jokes and go on tangents about their daily lives, but they're always respectful toward victims. For long drives, the twice-weekly release schedule and massive back catalog mean you won't run out of material anytime soon. The conversational pacing makes it easy to follow without needing to rewind when you miss an exit.

My Favorite Murder essentially created the true crime comedy genre when Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark started recording in 2016. The concept is simple: two friends sit down, each tells the other about a murder or crime that fascinates them, and they react in real time with a mix of horror, humor, and genuine empathy. It sounds like it shouldn't work, but over 1,100 episodes and 170,000 Apple Podcasts ratings later, the formula clearly resonates.

Karen is a comedian and writer, Georgia a television personality, and their dynamic feels genuinely unscripted. They go on tangents about their personal lives, their cats, their therapy sessions — and then pivot seamlessly into the details of a serial killer case. The phrase "Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered" became a cultural catchphrase and the title of their bestselling book.

The show spawned the Exactly Right podcast network, which now produces dozens of shows across true crime, comedy, and pop culture. MFM itself releases episodes twice a week, including full-length episodes and "minisodes" featuring listener-submitted hometown crime stories. The community aspect — the "Murderino" fanbase — has become its own phenomenon with local meetup groups and fan conventions.

At a 4.6-star rating, the show maintains strong audience support despite being nearly a decade old. The early episodes are looser and rougher around the edges, while recent seasons feature tighter production and more researched cases. It's not for purists who want strict factual reporting, but for people who want to process dark subject matter with humor and humanity, MFM practically invented the space.

Ear Hustle is unlike any other podcast in the crime space because it was literally created inside a prison. Co-founders Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor started the show in 2017 at San Quentin State Prison — Earlonne was serving a 31-years-to-life sentence, and Nigel was volunteering as a photography teacher. Together with co-host Rahsaan Thomas, they built a podcast that tells stories of daily life behind bars with remarkable honesty and warmth.

The show doesn't focus on the crimes that put people in prison. Instead, it explores what life actually looks like on the inside: forming friendships, dealing with loneliness, maintaining relationships with family, cooking meals in a cell, navigating the parole system. Episodes feature conversations with incarcerated people, correctional staff, and people rebuilding their lives after release. The storytelling is intimate and often surprisingly funny.

Earlonne received a commutation from Governor Jerry Brown in 2018, partly thanks to the visibility the podcast brought to his case. Since then, the show has expanded beyond San Quentin to include stories from facilities across California. New episodes arrive biweekly through the Radiotopia network.

With a 4.9-star rating from over 20,000 reviews, Ear Hustle is one of the highest-rated podcasts on Apple Podcasts, period. The 210-episode catalog is relatively small but every episode is carefully crafted. It's the kind of show that changes how you think about incarceration, punishment, and what it means to be human in impossible circumstances.

Court TV Podcast brings the revived Court TV network's courtroom coverage to the podcast format, offering weekly episodes that break down the biggest trials making headlines. The show operates as an umbrella for several distinct series — Vinnie Politan Investigates, Closing Arguments with Seema Iyer, and Opening Statements with Julie Grant — each tackling cases from a different angle.

Vinnie Politan, the primary host and a former prosecutor himself, anchors the podcast with experienced legal analysis. He walks through trial proceedings with a prosecutor's eye, breaking down witness testimony, legal strategy, and courtroom dynamics in ways that are genuinely educational. Seema Iyer and Julia Jenae round out the hosting team, bringing their own legal and journalistic perspectives.

With 300 episodes covering real-time trial proceedings, the show fills a specific niche: it's essentially Court TV commentary in audio form. Recent episodes have covered high-profile cases including mansion murders, abduction trials, and cold case prosecutions. Episodes run about 45 minutes and feature discussion-style analysis rather than pure narrative storytelling.

The 4.3-star rating from about 1,050 reviews is modest compared to the giants of the genre, and listener feedback suggests the quality varies significantly depending on which host is leading a given episode. Some segments land better than others. But for people who follow active trials and want informed legal commentary without having to watch live television coverage, Court TV Podcast fills that gap. It's particularly useful during major trials when you want analysis from people who actually understand courtroom procedure.