The 12 Best Women Podcasts (2026)

Call Her Daddy is the podcast your group chat has been quoting for years. Alex Cooper started this show back in 2018 and has turned it into one of the most-listened-to podcasts by women, period. The format is simple but effective: Alex sits down with a guest, and they actually talk. Not the polished, publicist-approved version of a conversation, but the kind where people say things that make you pause your walk and stare at your phone. She's had Michelle Obama on the show. She's had Zayn Malik open up in ways tabloids could never get him to. Anna Kendrick, Elizabeth Banks, Dove Cameron -- the guest list reads like a who's who of people you'd want at your dinner party.

New episodes drop every Wednesday, with throwback episodes on Fridays for when you want to revisit a classic. The show runs about an hour on average, and Alex has a way of steering conversations toward the stuff that actually matters -- power dynamics, self-worth, the messy parts of relationships that nobody wants to admit out loud. She cuts through the performative nonsense with a mix of humor and directness that feels earned, not rehearsed. With over 550 episodes, a 4.4-star rating from more than 163,000 reviews, and an extremely loyal community called the Daddy Gang, this podcast has moved well beyond its early reputation. It's become a genuine cultural force for women who want honest conversations about sex, money, ambition, and everything in between.

Mel Robbins built her reputation on a single idea -- the five-second rule -- and then spent the next decade proving she had a lot more to say. Her podcast, which drops new episodes on Mondays and Thursdays, has become the go-to show for women who want research-backed advice that doesn't feel like a lecture. Mel has a gift for taking concepts from behavioral science, neurology, and psychology and making them feel like something your smartest friend is explaining over coffee.

The guest lineup is impressive without being showy. She brings on Stanford professors, Harvard-trained behavioral scientists, and published authors, but the conversations never disappear into academic jargon. Recent episodes have covered everything from designing your ideal life to navigating menopause to understanding why your brain sabotages your dating life. With 374 episodes and a 4.7-star rating from over 13,500 reviews, the show has clearly found its audience. Mel shares personal stories alongside the expert interviews, and she's not afraid to get specific about her own struggles. The episodes on nutrition and time management are particularly strong -- practical enough to actually change your Tuesday, not just inspire you to think about changing it someday. If you're looking for a podcast that treats women's personal growth as something worth serious intellectual engagement rather than just affirmations, this is it.

Glennon Doyle, her wife Abby Wambach, and her sister Amanda Doyle host what might be the most emotionally honest podcast on the internet. We Can Do Hard Things has racked up over half a billion plays, and when you listen, you understand why. The three of them sit together and talk about the stuff most people only think about at 2 AM -- grief, identity, addiction, parenting, marriage, rage, joy, and everything that makes being a human so bewilderingly hard.

The show releases new episodes twice a week, and the format shifts between the three hosts talking among themselves and bringing in guests like authors, activists, and cultural figures. Amanda recently launched a monthly segment called "You're Not Gonna Believe This B.S." where she does deep research on topics that deserve more scrutiny. That kind of thing captures what makes the show special -- it's simultaneously lighthearted and dead serious. These three genuinely make each other laugh, and they also make each other cry on air. The show has raised $56 million in global aid, which tells you something about the community they've built. With nearly 600 episodes, a 4.8-star rating from over 40,000 reviews, and a listener base that treats the podcast like a lifeline, this is the rare show that feels like both a support group and a really good party.

Crime Junkie is the true crime podcast that became a phenomenon, and its audience skews heavily female for good reason. Host Ashley Flowers does the deep research -- combing through court records, interviewing families, tracking down leads -- and then presents each case to co-host Brit Prawat in a conversational storytelling format. It feels like your friend telling you about a case she's been obsessing over, except your friend is a meticulous investigator.

New episodes drop every Monday, running anywhere from 28 minutes to over 90 minutes depending on the case. The show covers cold cases, missing persons, and underreported crimes that often don't get mainstream media attention. Some of their most compelling episodes have actually helped generate new leads in real investigations, and Ashley has become a genuine advocate for victims' families. With nearly 500 episodes, a 4.7-star rating from an astonishing 361,000+ reviews, Crime Junkie sits at the top of true crime podcasting for a reason. The pacing is tight, the research is thorough, and Ashley knows exactly when to let a detail land without over-explaining it. Recent standout episodes include deep investigations like the Rachel Hansen case and a lengthy interview with Elizabeth Smart. If you've ever stayed up past midnight reading about an unsolved case, this podcast was made for you.

The Guilty Feminist starts from a brilliantly simple premise: "I'm a feminist, but..." and then fills in the blank with whatever contradictory thing you did this week. Host Deborah Frances-White, a Writers' Guild Award winner and Edinburgh Fringe regular, records the show in front of live audiences, and the energy that creates is infectious. Each episode features rotating guest comedians and experts who join Deborah to wrestle with what it actually means to be a 21st-century feminist when you're also, you know, a flawed human being.

The show has been running since 2016 and has amassed over 700 episodes, which is staggering for any podcast. It holds a 4.8-star rating on Apple Podcasts, and the live format gives it a spontaneity that studio-recorded shows can't replicate. Recent episodes have tackled queer history, feminist history, critiques of "And Just Like That," and broader social issues, always with humor that feels earned rather than forced. Deborah has a knack for creating space where people can be genuinely funny about genuinely serious topics. The show also has a thriving community with live events that sell out regularly. If you've ever felt like you should be a better feminist but also can't stop watching reality TV, this is the podcast that tells you that's completely fine -- and then makes you think harder about why you feel guilty about it in the first place.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus had one of the greatest sitcom careers in television history, and she's using that platform to do something genuinely lovely: sit down with older women and just listen. Wiser Than Me pairs Julia with iconic women who have the kind of unapologetic wisdom that only comes from decades of living -- and each episode also includes a segment with her 91-year-old mother, Judith, which is consistently the most charming part of the show.

Now in its fourth season on Lemonada Media, the podcast features hour-long conversations with guests like Diana Nyad, Glenn Close, Sister Helen Prejean, and Catherine O'Hara. The common thread is women who have stopped caring about what people think and have something real to say about it. Julia is a surprisingly skilled interviewer -- she's funny, obviously, but she also knows when to get out of the way and let her guests talk. The show has 107 episodes, a 4.7-star rating from over 10,000 reviews, and it fills a space that most media ignores entirely: the wisdom of older women. In a culture that tends to push women past a certain age out of the spotlight, this podcast pulls them back in and hands them the microphone. It's warm without being sentimental, funny without being frivolous, and genuinely moving in ways you don't expect from a comedy podcast.

Good Hang is Amy Poehler's podcast, and it does exactly what the title promises -- it's just Amy having a good time with people she finds interesting. The show explicitly states it is not about self-improvement or life advice, which is honestly refreshing in a podcast landscape drowning in optimization tips. Amy invites celebrities and friends to her studio, and they share stories about their careers, mutual friends, and whatever has been making them laugh lately. That's it. That's the show. And it works beautifully.

Produced by The Ringer, the podcast won the first-ever Golden Globe for Best Podcast, which tells you something about the quality even if you haven't listened yet. Recent guests include Carol Burnett, Jennifer Lawrence, Claire Danes, Jonathan Groff, and Sarah McLachlan. Amy brings a warmth and genuine curiosity that makes her guests relax in ways they rarely do in standard press interviews. The episodes run weekly, about 52 so far, and the show already has a 4.7-star rating from nearly 10,000 reviews. What makes it special is Amy's infectious joy -- she laughs constantly, she's generous with her attention, and she never tries to make the conversation about herself. For women who are tired of podcasts that feel like homework, Good Hang is the audio equivalent of a glass of wine with the funniest person you know.

Beckett Graham and Susan Vollenweider have been telling the stories of remarkable women from history since 2011, and they've gotten very, very good at it. The History Chicks is an award-winning women's history podcast that covers figures from ancient times to the present day, and each episode is a deep-research production that runs one to two hours. These are not quick summaries. They go down rabbit holes, pull in pop culture references, and treat their subjects as full, complicated human beings rather than Wikipedia entries.

With 349 episodes and a 4.7-star rating from nearly 8,000 reviews, the show has built a devoted audience that includes retired history professors who praise it for making history come alive. The episodes update twice a month, and the back catalog is enormous -- you could spend months working through it. Beyond the standard biographical episodes, they produce bonus content, interviews with documentarians, and "travelogue" episodes where listeners share field trips to historical locations connected to the women they've profiled. The tone is conversational and enthusiastic without dumbing anything down. Beckett and Susan clearly love their subjects, and that passion is contagious. If your school history classes left out most of the women, this podcast is the corrective you've been waiting for.

Sahara Rose has been the number one spirituality podcaster for eight years running, and Highest Self Podcast shows why she's held that spot. The show takes spiritual concepts -- dharma, tantra, feminine energy, manifestation -- and presents them in a way that feels accessible rather than preachy. Sahara positions herself as a spiritual best friend, and the tone genuinely matches that description. She's warm, relatable, and doesn't take herself so seriously that the show becomes inaccessible.

New episodes drop twice a week, and with over 630 episodes in the archive, there's an enormous library to explore. Recent topics have ranged from dating psychology to processing trauma, from navigating major life transitions to practical tantra teachings. The show mixes solo episodes where Sahara shares her own frameworks with guest interviews that bring in different perspectives on personal transformation. It holds a 4.8-star rating from over 5,700 reviews, and listeners consistently mention how emotionally resonant the episodes are. Sahara also runs courses and a community alongside the podcast, so there's a larger ecosystem if you want to go deeper. The sweet spot of this show is how it bridges ancient spiritual traditions with modern women's lived experiences. It never feels like she's lecturing from a mountaintop -- it feels like she figured something out and genuinely wants to share it with you.

Suze Orman has been the most recognized personal finance expert in America for over four decades, and her podcast, subtitled "and Everyone Smart Enough to Listen," brings that expertise directly to women's financial lives. The full title is cheeky and so is Suze -- she doesn't sugarcoat financial advice, and she'll tell you straight up if you're making a mistake with your money. The show runs twice a week, Thursdays and Sundays, with episodes around 30 minutes each.

The format alternates between two episode types that complement each other well. "Suze School" episodes are educational deep-dives into topics like Roth conversions, real estate strategy, retirement planning, and wealth-building fundamentals. "Ask KT & Suze Anything" episodes feature her co-host KT fielding listener questions, and the banter between them adds personality to what could otherwise be dry financial content. With over 760 episodes, a 4.8-star rating from more than 4,100 reviews, and a free community app for archives and listener Q&A, the show has built a substantial infrastructure around women's financial education. Suze's core message -- that you cannot fix a financial problem with money alone, that the emotional relationship matters -- resonates because she backs it up with specific, actionable guidance. This is the podcast that will actually change how you think about your 401(k).

Women Who Travel comes from Conde Nast Traveler, and it's exactly the kind of travel podcast you'd hope that pedigree would produce. Host Lale Arikoglu interviews women about their most memorable travel experiences -- from going off-grid in the Danish wilderness to country-hopping solo across Southeast Asia -- and the show invites listeners to share their own stories, too. It's part travel inspiration, part practical advice, part community.

The episodes run weekly at about 25 to 35 minutes, which is a nice length for a commute or a lunch break. With 347 episodes in the archive, the show covers an impressive range of destinations and travel styles. What sets it apart from generic travel podcasts is the specific focus on women's perspectives: the logistics of solo female travel, the cultural encounters that hit differently when you're a woman abroad, the freedom and vulnerability that come with exploring unfamiliar places on your own terms. The show has a 4.3-star rating from over 600 reviews and has gone through some format evolution over the years. The current iteration under Lale focuses heavily on personal narrative and diverse voices, featuring women from different backgrounds sharing how travel has shaped their understanding of themselves and the world. If you're planning your next trip or just daydreaming about one, this podcast will give you both the destination ideas and the courage to book the ticket.

Lindsey Schwartz created Powerhouse Women for a specific audience: women who are building something -- a business, a side project, a new career path -- and need both the tactical knowledge and the mindset work to make it happen. The show releases new episodes twice a week and mixes solo episodes where Lindsey shares strategic advice with guest interviews featuring successful women entrepreneurs who tell real stories from the trenches, not just the highlight reel.

With a remarkable 749 episodes and a 4.9-star rating from nearly 900 reviews, the show has been running long enough to cover just about every challenge a woman entrepreneur might face. Recent episodes have focused on nervous system regulation for business owners, rebuilding self-trust after setbacks, and personal transformation alongside professional growth. That last point matters -- Lindsey treats business building and personal development as inseparable, which resonates with women who know their imposter syndrome and money mindset are just as important as their marketing strategy. The show has an active community component with Facebook groups and retreat events, so it extends beyond just listening. Lindsey's delivery is warm and genuine without being saccharine, and she's specific enough in her advice that you can actually implement what she's talking about. This is the podcast for women who want to be told how to do the thing, not just inspired to think about it.