The Best True Crime & Murder Mystery Podcasts

If you love getting pulled into a good mystery, the true crime podcasting scene is… well, endless. Every week, there’s a new case, a new theory, or a new rabbit hole to explore.

We pulled together a list of the best true crime and murder mystery podcasts, the heavy-hitters, the chart-toppers, and the cult favorites that can keep you glued to an episode long after you meant to go to bed. 

Whether you’re into cold cases, creepy internet lore, dark psychology, or straight-up wild storytelling, there’s something here for every flavor of crime obsession.

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1. Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie is definitely a go-to in the true crime genre. It’s topped the charts for many years thanks to its no-nonsense storytelling that pulls you straight into the case. Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat break down murders, missing persons, and other cold cases with clean pacing and great research.

Flowers, the founder of audio network Audiochuck, has built a reputation for meticulous reporting and accessible storytelling. Brit brings the grounded side and always asks what the listener is thinking. Their dynamic makes the show very addictive. Together, they’ve turned Crime Junkie into one of the most trusted voices in the genre.

2. Serial

Serial is the show that started it all in some ways. Many podcast fans will tell you it was one of their first introductions to the medium. It was one of the first show to demonstrate that a single story, told week by week, could hook millions of people and keep them talking between episodes.

Each season takes on a different case and a different angle on the justice system. Season one digs into the murder of Hae Min Lee and the conviction of Adnan Syed, unpacking unreliable memories, shaky timelines, and how a case can hinge on details that feel anything but solid. It’s still one of the most discussed seasons of any podcast, years later.

Season two shifts gears completely, following the story of Bowe Bergdahl and examining the gray areas of war, loyalty, and how public opinion shapes legal outcomes. Season three zooms out even further, spending time inside a single courthouse to show how everyday cases move through the system and where things quietly break down.

Later seasons continue that pattern of curiosity over conclusions. Serial doesn’t rush to tell you what to think. It lays out the facts, the contradictions, and the unanswered questions, then trusts you to sit with the discomfort. If you are more into investigative storytelling, Serial still holds up.

3. Morbid

Hosted by autopsy-technician-turned-author Alaina Urquhart and hairstylist-comedian Ash Kelley, Morbid blends dark storytelling with humor in a way that feels like hanging out with your coolest macabre-obsessed friends.

Morbid leans into the weird, gruesome, and downright unbelievable. Episodes cover everything from infamous serial killers to obscure historical murders, disturbing cult stories, medical oddities, and even listener-submitted “hometown terrors”.

4. Nickel & Crime

Produced by Early Warning, the show looks at financial crimes, corruption, and the ripple effects these cases have on real people and institutions. The storytelling is aided by voice-over and documentary-style audio additions which makes the details land harder. 

Nickel & Crime takes a slightly different angle on true crime. Instead of focusing only on what happened, it spends time on why, and the background about the systems that quietly enable crime in the first place. Additionally, it provides insight to how to prevent these types of scams and frauds from happening to you.

5. Dateline NBC

Dateline takes us back to the origins of true crime storytelling for entertainment. The podcast version brings the classic TV episodes you love, complete with Keith Morrison’s iconic narration, directly to your ears.

It’s long-form investigative journalism wrapped in gripping real-life mysteries. Each episode takes you deep into a case of murder or disappearances and shares the kind of twists you’d swear were written for TV, except they’re all real.

6. Crime, Conspiracy, Cults, and Murder

This show gets straight into the strangest corners of true-crime stories. It covers the murders that don’t add up, the cults that somehow existed under everyone’s nose, and the most outlandish conspiracies. It’s for those of you who need a little more chaos in your true-crime listening.

The hosts, Autumn, Brooke, and Ali, bring a mix of humor, blunt honesty, and genuine curiosity to every episode. They’re true-crime obsessives who research deeply, ask the questions you’re already thinking, and aren’t afraid to call out the absurdity when a case veers into the bizarre.

7. Last Podcast on the Left

If you like your true crime with a side of unhinged humor, Last Podcast on the Left delivers. Hosts Ben Kissel, Marcus Parks, and Henry Zebrowski cover everything from serial killers and hauntings to conspiracy theories with a comedy-meets-horror vibe that somehow works beautifully.

Marcus Parks is the research powerhouse; he digs deep into case files, history books, and the internet’s most cursed corners to build their insanely detailed episodes. Ben Kissel and Henry Zebrowski bring the laughs, and ask the questions we’ve all been wanting answered.

8. Rotten Mango

Stephanie Soo brings her visual storytelling on YouTube storytelling magic seamlessly into audio format. Originally a hit on YouTube, Rotten Mango now attracts listeners on all platforms. It hits that perfect blend of true crime, dark psychology, and narrative suspense. She covers cases from all over the world, many of them lesser-known, and tells them with a detail-rich, cinematic style.

9. MrBallen Podcast

If you love mystery, suspense, and unbelievable real-life stories, MrBallen’s “strange, dark, and mysterious” approach is addictive. His episodes move fast, stay sharp, taking the pace of a blockbuster thriller. Unlike other shows, this one skips the banter and delivers the story straight forward.

Host John Allen is a former Navy SEAL turned master storyteller. He built a huge following on YouTube before launching the podcast. He has this gift for taking real cases, survival tales, and bizarre true stories and turning them into tight, cinematic narratives that hook you immediately.

10. RedWeb

Red Web is a bit less about murder mysteries and more about creepy digital folklore. It explores the internet’s scariest mysteries like cryptids, disappearances, and other unexplained events. Trevor Collins and Alfredo Diaz dig through the weirdest corners of the web with great comedic chemistry, making it the ultimate blend of creepy and fun.

Remember when you would stay up til 2 AM on a sleepover and find yourself down insane rabbit holes? That’s exactly what these episodes feel like. Laughter and a bit of the creeps as the hosts unpack theories, question sources, pull apart timelines, and still manage to keep things light enough that you’re not sleeping with the lights on.

11. The Deck

The Deck might just have one of the most interesting premises of all these shows. From the creators of Crime Junkie, The Deck takes one of the most haunting law-enforcement initiatives, cold-case playing cards, and turns it into an incredible storytelling format. These cards, printed with details of unsolved murders and missing persons, were distributed in prisons in the hope that an inmate might recognize something and finally crack a case.

Each episode focuses on a single card and case. Ashley Flowers digs into case files, interviews families, and highlights the investigators still fighting for answers. Every story is chosen with intention, and every episode reminds you these aren’t just “cases,” they’re people still waiting for justice.

11. My Favorite Murder

Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark turned true crime into a community with My Favorite Murder. The show has been topping true-crime charts for years, pulling in millions of listeners and becoming a go-to entry point for anyone dipping their toes into the genre. If you know a true-crime fan, odds are they’ve had a “Murderino phase”.

What makes the show so catchy is the hosts’ chemistry. Karen, a seasoned comedy writer and performer, and Georgia, a longtime TV host and storyteller, bring this perfect mix of humor, vulnerability, and straight-up great storytelling. They’ve been in the entertainment business a while, and they know what lands with audiences. They can cover a horrifying case one minute, then pivot into something warm or hilarious without ever losing their connection to the victim or the audience.

Running since 2016, the show has spawned sold-out live tours, a bestselling book, and one of the most passionate podcast fan communities out there.