Apple Music alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Apple Music: no free ad-supported tier, and android and Windows apps are less polished. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Apple Music, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Spotify currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#	App	Pricing	Open source	Platforms	Verified facts	Score
1	Spotify	Free plan + paid	No	Web, Windows, macOS +2	5 of 5	66.5
2	Qobuz	Paid	No	Web, iOS, Android +2	5 of 5	59.6
3	Amazon Music	Free plan + paid	No	Web, iOS, Android +2	2 of 2	55.3
4	IDAGIO	Paid	No	Web, iOS, Android	4 of 4	53.6
5	TIDAL	Paid	No	Web, iOS, Android +2	0 of 0	52.1
6	YouTube Music	Free plan + paid	No	Web, iOS, Android	0 of 0	46.7

1. SpotifyTop pick
Best for: Most listeners who want a huge catalogue, great recommendations and apps on every device
Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
66.5
score / 100
Why switch from Apple Music
Better recommendations, a free tier and the widest device support.
Pros
Excellent personalised playlists and recommendations
Free tier with ads
Works on nearly every device via Spotify Connect
Podcasts and audiobooks in the same app
Cons
Low per-stream payouts to artists
Lossless tops out at CD-level 24-bit/44.1kHz
Home screen pushes podcasts and audiobooks
Visit Spotify Compare with Apple Music Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.3100
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.1585
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Spotify a good Apple Music alternative?
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified
Users
788 million, 306 million subscribers
Checked Oct 25, 2026newsroom.spotify.com(opens source in a new tab)
Markets
184
Checked Oct 25, 2026newsroom.spotify.com(opens source in a new tab)
Free plan
Yes, with ads
Checked Oct 25, 2026spotify.com(opens source in a new tab)
Lossless
Up to 24-bit/44.1kHz FLAC
Checked Oct 25, 2026support.spotify.com(opens source in a new tab)
Premium plans
Individual, Duo, Family, Student
Checked Oct 25, 2026spotify.com(opens source in a new tab)
2. Qobuz
Best for: Audiophiles who want hi-res streaming and the option to buy albums to keep
PaidWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS
59.6
score / 100
Why switch from Apple Music
Higher-resolution streaming plus albums you can buy and keep.
Pros
Hi-res FLAC up to 24-bit/192kHz on every plan
Download store with discounts on Sublime
Rich editorial content and digital booklets
Cons
No free tier
Weaker recommendations and discovery than Spotify
No podcasts
Visit Qobuz Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.377
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.1585
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Qobuz a good Apple Music alternative?
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified
Starting price
From $10.83/month (US, annual)
Checked Oct 25, 2026qobuz.com(opens source in a new tab)
Audio quality
FLAC 24-bit up to 192kHz
Checked Oct 25, 2026qobuz.com(opens source in a new tab)
Catalogue
Over 100 million tracks
Checked Oct 25, 2026qobuz.com(opens source in a new tab)
Purchase discounts
Up to 60% (Sublime)
Checked Oct 25, 2026qobuz.com(opens source in a new tab)
Download store
Yes
Checked Oct 25, 2026qobuz.com(opens source in a new tab)
3. Amazon Music
Best for: Amazon Prime members and Alexa users who want music bundled with services they already use
Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS
55.3
score / 100
Why switch from Apple Music
Lossless included with Amazon Music Unlimited, with Alexa integration.
Pros
Free tier and some access included with Prime
HD and Ultra HD lossless on Unlimited at no extra cost
Excellent Alexa and Echo integration
Cons
Confusing mix of Free, Prime and Unlimited tiers
Prime tier is largely shuffle-only
Recommendations lag behind Spotify
Visit Amazon Music Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.363
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.1585
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Amazon Music a good Apple Music alternative?
Verified facts
2 of 2 verified
Free tier
Yes, no credit card required
Checked Oct 25, 2026music.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
Prime benefit
Amazon Music Prime included
Checked Oct 25, 2026amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
4. IDAGIO
Best for: Classical music lovers who want to search and compare recordings properly
PaidWeb, iOS, Android
53.6
score / 100
Why switch from Apple Music
Specialist classical service with search built around works and performers.
Pros
Search built for composers, works and performers
High audio quality and expert curation
Fair payout model based on listening time
Cons
Classical only, so you'll still need a general service
Apple Music Classical comes free with Apple Music
No free tier beyond the trial
Visit IDAGIO Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.357
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.1585
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is IDAGIO a good Apple Music alternative?
Verified facts
4 of 4 verified
Free trial
14 days
Checked Oct 25, 2026idagio.com(opens source in a new tab)
Premium Audio price
€9.99/month
Checked Oct 25, 2026idagio.com(opens source in a new tab)
Catalogue
Over 2.5 million tracks
Checked Oct 25, 2026idagio.com(opens source in a new tab)
Search
Designed for classical music
Checked Oct 25, 2026idagio.com(opens source in a new tab)
5. TIDAL
Best for: Listeners with good headphones or hi-fi gear who want hi-res streaming
PaidWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS
52.1
score / 100
Why switch from Apple Music
Hi-res FLAC up to 24-bit/192kHz and a strong focus on audio quality.
Pros
Hi-res FLAC included in the standard plan
TIDAL Connect works with many hi-fi devices
Detailed credits for producers and songwriters
Cons
No permanent free tier in most countries
Weaker recommendations than Spotify
No podcasts or audiobooks
Visit TIDAL Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.387
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.1515
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is TIDAL a good Apple Music alternative?
Verified facts
0 of 0 verified
No sourced facts yet.
6. YouTube Music
Best for: People who already pay for YouTube Premium or want music videos, covers and live versions
Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android
46.7
score / 100
Why switch from Apple Music
Free tier with ads and access to YouTube's live and user-uploaded music.
Pros
Access to live versions, covers and remixes from YouTube
Included with YouTube Premium
You can upload your own music files
Cons
No lossless or hi-res audio
Free tier restricts background playback on mobile
No official desktop app
Visit YouTube Music Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.369
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.1515
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is YouTube Music a good Apple Music alternative?
Verified facts
0 of 0 verified
No sourced facts yet.

The best Apple Music alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Best Apple Music alternative for most people

Spotify

Better recommendations, a free tier and the widest device support.

Best Apple Music alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Amazon Music

Lossless included with Amazon Music Unlimited, with Alexa integration.

Best Apple Music alternative for Mac

Qobuz

Higher-resolution streaming plus albums you can buy and keep.

Best Apple Music alternative for Windows

TIDAL

Hi-res FLAC up to 24-bit/192kHz and a strong focus on audio quality.

Best Apple Music alternative for iPhone and Android

IDAGIO

Specialist classical service with search built around works and performers.

Best Apple Music alternative for working in the browser

YouTube Music

Free tier with ads and access to YouTube's live and user-uploaded music.

Apple Music alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Apple Music?

Spotify ranks first right now. Better recommendations, a free tier and the widest device support. Qobuz and Amazon Music follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Apple Music?

Yes. Spotify (free plan + paid), Amazon Music (free plan + paid) and YouTube Music (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Apple Music?

None of the 6 alternatives in this list is open source.

Why do people switch from Apple Music?

The complaints we hear most: no free ad-supported tier; android and Windows apps are less polished; recommendations are weaker than Spotify's.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Apple Music, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.

Quick comparison

1. SpotifyTop pick

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

2. Qobuz

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

3. Amazon Music

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

4. IDAGIO

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

5. TIDAL

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

6. YouTube Music

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

The best Apple Music alternative for…

Best Apple Music alternative for most people

Best Apple Music alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Best Apple Music alternative for Mac

Best Apple Music alternative for Windows

Best Apple Music alternative for iPhone and Android

Best Apple Music alternative for working in the browser

Apple Music alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Apple Music?

Is there a free alternative to Apple Music?

Is there an open-source alternative to Apple Music?

Why do people switch from Apple Music?

How is this list ranked?