S-Town
From Serial Productions: a man convinced his Alabama town is covering up a murder pulls host Brian Reed into a story that becomes something else entirely.
Podcasts Like S-Town
If you loved S-Town, here are the best podcasts to try next. Matched by case type, storytelling style, and community ratings from our database of Investigative, Psychological Crime shows.
Why listeners love S-Town
The first podcast ever to win a Peabody Award — still one of the genre's most singular pieces of audio storytelling. It follows a serialized format — each season covers one case in depth, building suspense across episodes.
Binge Factor
9/10
Community-rated compulsive listenability
Format
Serialized
One story told across multiple episodes
Style
Novelistic, immersive, compelling
Presentation approach
Episode Length
45-60 min
Typical episode duration
Host Style
Solo narrator
Presentation format
Verdict
Must listen
Our editorial rating
Recommendations
12 podcasts like S-Town
Crime Next Door: The Beast of Birkenhead
BBC’s Olivia Graham revisits the 1986 Diane Sindall murder and the 2025 quashing of Peter Sullivan’s conviction. Sullivan quashed 13 May 2025; killer unknown.
Gone South
Narrative series about crime in the American South, now widening to other regions.
Fur and Loathing
Brazen series on a 2014 chemical attack at a furry convention.
A Moment In Crime
NZ Herald crime reporter Anna Leask revisits a major New Zealand case each month with the reporting behind it.
You Didn't See Nothin
Pulitzer Prize and Peabody Award-winning series in which Yohance Lacour revisits a violent Chicago incident from 25 years earlier that shaped his path into journalism.
Pipeline
The Crime Desk's investigation into four professional divers sucked hundreds of feet into a Caribbean oil pipeline in 2022 — and the failing safety standards that put them there.
The Missing Cryptoqueen
BBC journalist Jamie Bartlett tracks down Dr Ruja Ignatova, who persuaded millions to invest in OneCoin before vanishing without a trace.
Spotlight: Snitch City
The Boston Globe Spotlight Team exposes one police department's rampant abuse of confidential informants — a top critical pick of 2025.
The Trial of Erin Patterson
The Crime Desk's courtroom coverage of the Erin Patterson 'mushroom murders' trial — one of the biggest cases of the decade.
Lords of Death
Tenderfoot TV traces a 1995 Dayton, Ohio murder through host Thrasher Banks's discovery of forgotten VHS tapes and faded letters in an old memory box.
Crime Story
CBC's Kathleen Goldhar brings journalistic integrity and a conversational edge to white-collar scandals, high-profile trials, and under-the-radar Canadian stories.
Someone's Hunting Us
NJ.com traces how serial killer Khalil Wheeler-Weaver preyed on Black women and girls in New Jersey in 2016, believing no one would look for them.
How they compare
| Podcast | Format | Country | Binge |
|---|---|---|---|
| S-Town (original) | Serialized | United States | 9/10 |
| Crime Next Door: The Beast of Birkenhead | Serialized | United Kingdom | — |
| Gone South | Serialized | United States | — |
| Fur and Loathing | Serialized | United States | — |
| A Moment In Crime | Episodic | New Zealand | — |
| You Didn't See Nothin | Serialized | United States | 9/10 |
| Pipeline | Serialized | United Kingdom | 9/10 |
| The Missing Cryptoqueen | Serialized | United Kingdom | 9/10 |
| Spotlight: Snitch City | Serialized | United States | 9/10 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What podcasts are similar to S-Town?
The best alternatives to S-Town are podcasts that share its Investigative, Psychological Crime focus and serialized format. We've matched alternatives based on case types, storytelling format, and community ratings from our database.
Why do people love S-Town?
S-Town is known for its novelistic, immersive, compelling approach to Investigative and Psychological Crime. It scores 9/10 on our binge factor rating, reflecting how compulsively listenable listeners find it. It has earned a "Must Listen" rating from our editorial team.
How long are episodes of S-Town?
Episodes of S-Town are typically 45-60 min long. It follows a serialized format, covering one story across multiple episodes.
Where can I listen to S-Town?
S-Town is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify. You can find it by searching the show name on any of those platforms.
What is the best episode of S-Town to start with?
New listeners are recommended to start with Chapter I. As a serialized podcast, it's best to start from the beginning of a season.