🎙️Best True Crime Podcasts Ranked

Serial▲ Rising

Serial invented the modern true-crime podcast with its 2014 deep dive into Adnan Syed’s conviction. Its meticulous sourcing and cliffhanger structure set the bar for every successor. No other show has matched its cultural reach or reopened a case so decisively.

Episodes: 80Started: 2014Rating: 9.2/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Serial

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In the Dark▲ Rising

In the Dark’s second season forced Mississippi officials to re-examine Curtis Flowers’ six trials. Reporter Madeleine Baran’s on-the-ground persistence produced new evidence and national attention. Few podcasts have directly altered legal outcomes at this scale.

Episodes: 35Started: 2016Rating: 9/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Serial

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Criminal▲ Rising

Criminal delivers one self-contained story per episode, ranging from art theft to wrongful convictions. Phoebe Judge’s calm narration and short format keep listeners returning across hundreds of cases. Its breadth and consistency remain unmatched.

Episodes: 220Started: 2014Rating: 8.8/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Anthology

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Bear Brook▲ Rising

Bear Brook traced four bodies in barrels to a single killer through genetic genealogy years before the technique went mainstream. Its tight four-episode arc and focus on victim identification set a new standard for limited-series podcasts.

Episodes: 8Started: 2018Rating: 9.1/10Ongoing: —Format: Limited series

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Casefile▲ Rising

Casefile’s anonymous Australian host methodically reconstructs major international cases with police files and timelines. Its long-form structure and lack of sensationalism earned a global following. The show excels at cold cases rarely covered elsewhere.

Episodes: 280Started: 2016Rating: 8.7/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Narrative

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Up and Vanished▲ Rising

Up and Vanished launched with the Tara Grinstead case and helped generate tips that led to arrests. Payne Lindsey’s transition from blogger to podcaster captured early true-crime momentum. Later seasons expanded the formula with mixed results.

Episodes: 60Started: 2016Rating: 8.1/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Serial

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The Teacher's Pet▲ Rising

The Teacher’s Pet exposed a 1980s murder cover-up in an Australian beach town and triggered a reopened police investigation. Its dogged local reporting and public pressure produced arrests. Few podcasts have moved a cold case into active prosecution so directly.

Episodes: 16Started: 2018Rating: 8.9/10Ongoing: —Format: Serial

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Someone Knows Something▲ Rising

David Ridgen returns to cold cases with fresh interviews and on-site reporting, often coaxing new witnesses after decades. Multiple seasons have prompted police action. Its personal, patient style distinguishes it from faster-paced competitors.

Episodes: 45Started: 2016Rating: 8.5/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Serial

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Cold▲ Rising

Cold spent two seasons dissecting the 1995 disappearance of Susan Powell and the failures of multiple agencies. Its use of family audio and official records created a definitive account. The series stands out for sustained focus on one complex family tragedy.

Episodes: 30Started: 2018Rating: 8.6/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Serial

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Dateline NBC▲ Rising

Dateline brings decades of television reporting into podcast form, covering high-profile cases with correspondent narration. Its institutional resources allow access unavailable to independents. The podcast format trims the TV episodes but retains the network polish.

Episodes: 150Started: 2018Rating: 7.7/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Anthology

added by IJRDateline NBC

The Vanished▲ Rising

The Vanished centers entirely on missing-persons cases, giving families a platform while methodically reviewing evidence. Its weekly format and consistent empathy built a large, engaged audience. No other show matches its volume of missing-person coverage.

Episodes: 350Started: 2016Rating: 8.3/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Anthology

added by IJRThe Vanished

Heaven's Gate▲ Rising

Heaven’s Gate revisited the 1997 mass suicide with new interviews and cult documents. Its measured tone avoided sensationalism while explaining the group’s beliefs. The series stands as a model for covering cult tragedies respectfully.

Episodes: 10Started: 2017Rating: 8.3/10Ongoing: —Format: Limited series

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Missing & Murdered▲ Rising

Missing & Murdered examines cases involving Indigenous victims in Canada with cultural context and family voices. Its focus on systemic issues distinguishes it from standard case recaps. The series fills an important gap in coverage.

Episodes: 20Started: 2016Rating: 8/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Serial

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My Favorite Murder

My Favorite Murder popularized the comedy-true-crime hybrid with two hosts recounting cases and personal stories. Its live shows and large community turned the genre mainstream. Later seasons leaned more into listener stories than new cases.

Episodes: 320Started: 2016Rating: 7.6/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Anthology

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Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie delivers scripted, fast-paced case summaries that made complex stories accessible to millions. Its early success and consistent schedule created one of the largest true-crime audiences. Later plagiarism issues forced format adjustments.

Episodes: 280Started: 2017Rating: 7.8/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Anthology

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Dr. Death▼ Falling

Dr. Death examined surgeon Christopher Duntsch’s trail of maimed patients and the medical system that enabled him. Its tight narrative and medical detail created a standout limited series. The show proved single-subject medical crime could hold an audience.

Episodes: 10Started: 2018Rating: 8.4/10Ongoing: —Format: Limited series

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Dirty John

Dirty John followed the con-man romance that ended in murder, using family interviews and court records. Its rapid rise demonstrated demand for relationship-based true crime. The story later expanded into TV, but the original podcast remains the source.

Episodes: 6Started: 2017Rating: 8/10Ongoing: —Format: Limited series

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Morbid

Morbid pairs two hosts who blend research with personal reactions, covering both solved and unsolved cases weekly. Its conversational tone and large back catalog attract casual listeners. The show prioritizes volume and listener connection over single-case depth.

Episodes: 500Started: 2018Rating: 7.9/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Anthology

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The Shrink Next Door

The Shrink Next Door revealed a therapist’s decades-long manipulation of a patient through personal recordings. Its psychological focus offered a fresh angle on abuse of power. The limited series format kept the story tight and unsettling.

Episodes: 6Started: 2019Rating: 8.1/10Ongoing: —Format: Limited series

added by IJRThe Shrink Next Door

Phoebe's Fall▼ Falling

Phoebe’s Fall investigated the 2016 death of Australian lawyer Phoebe Handsjuk through balcony fall. Its detailed reconstruction and corporate-building angle produced new leads. The limited series showed how workplace culture can become a crime story.

Episodes: 6Started: 2016Rating: 7.8/10Ongoing: —Format: Limited series

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The Dropout

The Dropout chronicled Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos through interviews with insiders and whistleblowers. Its business-crime lens broadened the genre beyond traditional murder cases. The series benefited from timely timing with the Holmes trial.

Episodes: 6Started: 2019Rating: 8.2/10Ongoing: —Format: Limited series

added by IJRThe Dropout

Over My Dead Body

Over My Dead Body’s first season covered the Wendi Williams murder case with courtroom audio and family perspective. Its legal-procedural focus gave listeners a front-row seat to trial strategy. Later seasons shifted to different cases with varying success.

Episodes: 25Started: 2019Rating: 7.9/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Serial

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True Crime Garage▼ Falling

True Crime Garage covers cases in two-part deep dives with two hosts discussing evidence and theories. Its long-running format and consistent schedule built a loyal audience. The show emphasizes listener theories alongside facts.

Episodes: 400Started: 2015Rating: 7.5/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Anthology

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S-Town▼ Falling

S-Town began as a murder investigation but became a character study of a small-town Alabama man. Its narrative pivot and literary quality pushed the genre’s boundaries. The single-season masterpiece remains unmatched in prose and structure.

Episodes: 7Started: 2017Rating: 8.8/10Ongoing: —Format: Limited series

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48 Hours▼ Falling

48 Hours adapts its long-running CBS newsmagazine into podcast episodes covering major trials and investigations. Its correspondent narration and archival footage translate well to audio. The show offers reliable mainstream coverage with network resources.

Episodes: 120Started: 2017Rating: 7.4/10Ongoing: ✓Format: Anthology

added by IJR48 Hours