Spotify
The world's largest music streaming service, with a free ad-supported tier, podcasts and audiobooks.
- Verified facts
- 5 of 5
- Alternatives ranked
- 7
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About Spotify
Spotify is the Swedish streaming service that made on-demand music mainstream, and it remains the largest by users and subscribers. Beyond a catalogue of over 100 million tracks it carries millions of podcasts and, in some markets, audiobooks, and its biggest strength is personalisation: Discover Weekly, Daylist, DJ and other algorithmic playlists are why many people stay. The free tier lets you listen with ads and some restrictions on mobile, while Premium plans, Individual, Duo, Family and Student, remove ads and add offline downloads, and Spotify added lossless audio for Premium in 2025. It works almost everywhere, from phones and desktops to smart speakers, cars and game consoles, with Spotify Connect for handing playback between devices. Criticisms include low per-stream payouts to artists, a home screen increasingly filled with podcasts and audiobooks, and fewer hi-res options than Qobuz or Tidal. It runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, the web and many connected devices.
Best for: Most listeners who want a huge catalogue, great recommendations and apps on every device.
Pros and cons
What works
- Excellent personalised playlists and recommendations
- Free tier with ads
- Works on nearly every device via Spotify Connect
- Podcasts and audiobooks in the same app
Why people leave
- Low per-stream payouts to artists
- Lossless tops out at CD-level 24-bit/44.1kHz
- Home screen pushes podcasts and audiobooks
Top Spotify alternatives
See all 7- 1
Apple Music66.5Lossless and Dolby Atmos at no extra cost, and a natural fit on Apple devices.
- 2
Deezer57.2Similar catalogue and free tier, with easy playlist import and its Flow mix.
- 3
Qobuz55.3Hi-res streaming up to 24-bit/192kHz plus a download store.
- 4
Amazon Music53.6Already included in Amazon Prime, with an Unlimited tier for full access.
- 5
SoundCloud52.3Better for underground artists, remixes and music not on major services.
Why people left Spotify
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Reviews
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Spotify: common questions
Is Spotify free?
Spotify has a free plan and paid plans. Free plan: Yes, with ads (checked on Spotify's own site).
Is Spotify open source?
No, Spotify is not open source.
What platforms does Spotify run on?
Spotify is available for Web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
What are the best alternatives to Spotify?
The highest-ranked Spotify alternatives right now are Apple Music, Deezer and Qobuz. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.