The 10 Best History Podcasts in 2026

The history podcasts people actually listen to, ranked by audience, with what listeners praise and criticise about each one. All of them play free on The Pods.

Updated 2026-11-06 · 357 history pods on The Pods

1. 1

   Fall of Civilizations

   Paul Cooper · 1.5M subscribers · English

   Slow, cinematic stories of how great civilizations collapsed.

   What listeners sayPaul Cooper's narrative histories of collapsed societies, with music and readings. Routinely called the best-produced history podcast; the only complaint is how rarely episodes come.

   • Beautifully written and produced, often three hours.
   • Covers societies most history shows ignore (Khmer, Songhai, Easter Island).

   Sources →

   Watch free on The Pods →
2. 2

   Hardcore History

   Dan Carlin · 625K subscribers · English

   Epic, dramatic retellings of history's biggest events.

   What listeners sayMulti-hour narrative history, a few episodes a year. Regularly called the best history podcast made; the only complaints are the wait between episodes and that the host is a storyteller, not an academic.

   • Gripping storytelling: listeners describe finishing a four-hour episode in one sitting.
   • 'Blueprint for Armageddon' (WWI) and 'Supernova in the East' (Pacific War) are the usual starting points.

   Sources →

   Watch free on The Pods →
3. 3

   The Rest Is History

   Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook · 608K subscribers · English · #1 on the Apple Podcasts History chart

   Two historians tell history's great stories, with energy.

   What listeners sayTwo historians, a lot of jokes, and a different topic every week. Listeners praise the chemistry and the range; the most common criticism is that it rarely leaves Europe, and that the banter can crowd out the history.

   • Hosts who clearly enjoy each other; the humour is a big part of why people stay subscribed.
   • Topics from ancient Rome to 1970s Britain in a single feed; multi-part series are highlights.

   Sources →

   Watch free on The Pods →
4. 4

   Dan Snow's History Hit

   Dan Snow · 146K subscribers · English · #11 on the Apple Podcasts History chart

   A daily history story with leading historians.

   What listeners sayDan Snow's daily interviews with historians. Praised for range and consistency; some find the daily format thin and the host's enthusiasm repetitive.

   • New episode almost every day.
   • Access to academic historians on current books.

   Sources →

   Watch free on The Pods →
5. 5

   The Ancients

   Tristan Hughes · 57K subscribers · English · #3 on the Apple Podcasts History chart

   Ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece and beyond.

   What listeners sayTristan Hughes on ancient history, from History Hit. Well liked by listeners who want more than Rome and Greece; episodes are interview-based and sometimes uneven.

   • Broad coverage of the ancient world.
   • Guests are working archaeologists and historians.

   Sources →

   Watch free on The Pods →
6. 6

   History Extra

   BBC History Magazine · 14K subscribers · English

   Leading historians on every era of the past.

   What listeners sayBBC History Magazine's interview show. Praised for scholarly guests across every period; it is a magazine show, so some episodes are dry.

   • Serious historians, wide range of topics.
   • Frequent releases.

   Sources →

   Watch free on The Pods →
7. 7

   Rex Factor

   Graham Duff & Ali Nisar · 2.2K subscribers · English

   Every king and queen of England and Scotland, rated.

   What listeners sayTwo friends rate every English and Scottish monarch. A cult favourite for its humour and scoring system; the audio and pacing are amateur by design.

   • Funny, affectionate and surprisingly thorough.
   • Great long-run project to binge.

   Sources →

   Watch free on The Pods →
8. 8

   You're Dead to Me

   Greg Jenner · 33 subscribers · English

   History made funny with a historian and a comedian.

   What listeners sayBBC comedy history show with a historian and a comedian per episode. Praised as funny and well researched; the format is fixed and the comedians vary.

   • Genuinely funny and accurate.
   • Short episodes with clear takeaways.

   Sources →

   Watch free on The Pods →
9. 9

   Brawl Stars

   27M subscribers · English

   Fast-paced 3v3 multiplayer and battle royale made for mobile! 🔥 Play with friends or solo across a variety of game modes in under three minutes.

   Watch free on The Pods →
10. 10

    ERB

    15M subscribers · English

    The Epic Rap Battles of History is a comedy series created by Nice Peter & epicLLOYD. In over 15 years we have created over 90 rap battles featuring both his…

    Watch free on The Pods →

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