Software · head to head
Apple Music vs Spotify
Apple Music
Software
All the ways you love music. All in one place.
- From
- $10.99/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Spotify has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Apple Music individual plan discount pricing (3 months for $1.99) applies only to new subscribers, then rises to $11.99 per month; Spotify ad-free listening, offline downloads, lossless audio and unlimited skipping all require Premium at $12.99 a month
- They diverge on capability: Apple Music covers Spatial Audio, Spotify covers Podcast streaming.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Apple Music and Spotify actually diverge.
| Attribute | Apple Music | Spotify |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $10.99/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Ios, Macos, Windows, Android, Web | Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Smart-speakers |
| Founded | 2015 | 2006 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Apple Music
- Spatial Audio
- Lossless audio
- Curated playlists
- Radio stations
- Siri
- HomePod
- Apple Watch
- CarPlay
Only in Spotify
- Podcast streaming
- Playlist creation
- Social sharing
- Audio quality options
- Spotify Connect
- Smart speakers
- Gaming consoles
- Car systems
Both cover
- Music streaming
- Offline downloads
- Music discovery
- Cross-device sync
- Cloud deployment
- Macos support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Apple Music
- Music listening
- Music discovery
- Playlist creationnot Spotify
- Offline listeningnot Spotify
- Family entertainmentnot Spotify
Spotify
- Music listening
- Podcast consumptionnot Apple Music
- Playlist sharingnot Apple Music
- Music discovery
- Background musicnot Apple Music
Both are used for music listening, music discovery, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Apple Music
- Individual plan discount pricing (3 months for $1.99) applies only to new subscribers, then rises to $11.99 per month
Spotify
- Ad-free listening, offline downloads, lossless audio and unlimited skipping all require Premium at $12.99 a month
- Lossless streaming tops out at 24-bit/44.1 kHz
- The Duo plan at $18.99 a month covers two people and the Family plan at $21.99 covers a household, with no per-seat option between them
Pricing, plan by plan
Apple Music
$10.99/month- Individual$10.99/month
- 100+ million songs
- Ad-free listening
- Offline downloads
- Family$16.99/month
- Up to 6 accounts
- Individual profiles
- Parental controls
Spotify
Free- FreeFree
- Ad-supported music
- Shuffle play
- Limited skips
- Premium$9.99/month
- Ad-free music
- Play any song
- Unlimited skips
- Family$15.99/month
- 6 Premium accounts
- Individual profiles
- Parental controls
Which should you pick?
Choose Apple Music if
- You need spatial audio.
- You work on Ios, Macos, Windows, Android, Web.
- You also want lossless audio.
Choose Spotify if
- You need podcast streaming.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Smart-speakers.
- You also want playlist creation.
Questions people ask
- Is Apple Music or Spotify better?
- Neither clearly leads. Apple Music starts at $10.99/month and Spotify at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Apple Music or Spotify?
- Spotify has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $10.99/month for Apple Music and Free for Spotify.
- Does Apple Music or Spotify run on more platforms?
- Apple Music runs on Ios, Macos, Windows, Android, Web. Spotify runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Smart-speakers.
- Can I use Spotify for free?
- Yes. Spotify has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Apple Music starts at $10.99/month.
- What is Apple Music best used for?
- Apple Music is most often used for music listening, music discovery, playlist creation, offline listening. Of those, playlist creation and offline listening are not what Spotify is typically brought in for.
- What can Apple Music do that Spotify cannot?
- Apple Music covers Spatial Audio, Lossless audio, Curated playlists, Radio stations. Spotify covers Podcast streaming, Playlist creation, Social sharing, Audio quality options. Both handle Music streaming, Offline downloads, Music discovery, Cross-device sync.