Software · head to head
Spotify vs YouTube
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Spotify ad-free listening, offline downloads, lossless audio and unlimited skipping all require Premium at $12.99 a month; YouTube youTube Premium/Music subscriptions bill through the App Store with a stated auto-renewal clause: renewal charges are applied within 24 hours of the current period ending unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before that point, and no price figure is disclosed in the listing itself.
- They diverge on capability: Spotify covers Music streaming, YouTube covers Video hosting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Spotify and YouTube actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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 Spotify
- Music streaming
- Podcast streaming
- Playlist creation
- Music discovery
- Social sharing
- Offline downloads
- Cross-device sync
- Audio quality options
Only in YouTube
- Video hosting
- Live streaming
- Content discovery
- Creator tools
- Analytics
- Google services
- Social media
- Creator tools
Both cover
- Third-party apps
- Privacy controls
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Spotify
- Music listeningnot YouTube
- Podcast consumptionnot YouTube
- Playlist sharingnot YouTube
- Music discoverynot YouTube
- Background musicnot YouTube
YouTube
- Video sharingnot Spotify
- Content marketingnot Spotify
- Educationnot Spotify
- Entertainmentnot Spotify
- Live streamingnot Spotify
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
YouTube
- YouTube Premium/Music subscriptions bill through the App Store with a stated auto-renewal clause: renewal charges are applied within 24 hours of the current period ending unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before that point, and no price figure is disclosed in the listing itself.
Pricing, plan by plan
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
YouTube
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited video watching
- Basic video uploads
- Community features
- YouTube Premium$11.99/month
- Ad-free videos
- Background play
- YouTube Music included
Which should you pick?
Choose Spotify if
- You need music streaming.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Smart-speakers.
- You also want podcast streaming.
Choose YouTube if
- You need video hosting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Gaming-consoles.
- You also want live streaming.
Questions people ask
- Is Spotify or YouTube better?
- Neither clearly leads. Spotify starts at Free and YouTube at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Spotify or YouTube?
- Spotify starts at Free and YouTube at Free.
- Does Spotify or YouTube run on more platforms?
- Spotify runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Smart-speakers. YouTube runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Gaming-consoles.
- Can I use Spotify for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Spotify best used for?
- Spotify is most often used for music listening, podcast consumption, playlist sharing, music discovery. Of those, music listening and podcast consumption are not what YouTube is typically brought in for.
- What can Spotify do that YouTube cannot?
- Spotify covers Music streaming, Podcast streaming, Playlist creation, Music discovery. YouTube covers Video hosting, Live streaming, Content discovery, Creator tools. Both handle Third-party apps, Privacy controls, Web support.