Spotify is great, but it's not perfect for everyone.
Maybe you tired of Spotify's limitations, or you're searching for a free spotify alternative without ads.
In this guide, I'll take you through top 6 Spotify alternatives, covering both free and paid options. I'll also show you how to choose the best one for your needs and even how to create your own music with Tunesona.
Let's dive in!
Part 1. Top 6 Alternatives to Spotify in 2026 [Free & Paid]
1 YouTube Music
Site: https://music.youtube.com/
If you enjoy watching videos while listening to music, or are a frequent YouTube user, YouTube Music could be your ideal alternative to Spotify.
Its massive catalog of over 300 million tracks, including studio recordings, live performances, remixes, covers, and even unofficial content you won't find anywhere else.
For me, the best thing about YouTube Music is that it's bundled with YouTube Premium, which gets rid of those annoying ads on YouTube.
- Creates custom radio by describing what you want to hear.
- Identifies songs by humming, singing, or playing background music.
- Switches between audio-only mode and music videos with a single tap.
- Customizes taste match playlists based on your listening habits.
- Speed Dial can pin frequently played songs and albums.
- Premium members can download music offline.
- Massive music and video library.
- Powerful music discovery features.
- Free available with decent function.
- Seamless integration with YouTube videos.
- Display cannot be turned off while listening to music.
- Playlists limited to 5,000 songs.
- Recommendations less accurate than Spotify.
Pricing
| Plan | Price / month |
|---|---|
| Free | $0 (Includes ads) |
| Individual | $10.99/month or $109.99/year |
| Family | $16.99 |
| Student | $5.49 |
2 Apple Music
Site: https://www.apple.com/apple-music/
If you own an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, Apple Music is probably the most obvious Spotify alternative. With over 100 million songs in lossless audio and flawless integration across all your Apple devices, it just works effortlessly.
What I truly love about Apple Music is that all tracks are available in lossless quality, without any extra charge.
- Includes Apple Music Classical with 5+ million classical tracks.
- Dolby Atmos for immersive 3D sound.
- Seamless Apple Ecosystem Integration.
- Offers live radio and replay features.
- Human-curated playlists and radio stations.
- High-quality lossless and spatial audio.
- Excellent integration with Apple devices.
- Student plan includes Apple TV+ for free.
- Clean and intuitive interface.
- No free tier available.
- Less robust on non-Apple devices.
- Recommendations not as accurate as Spotify.
Pricing
| Plan | Price / month |
|---|---|
| Individual | $10.99 |
| Family | $16.99 |
| Student | $5.99 |
| Apple One | $19.95 (includes Apple Music, iCloud+, Apple TV+, and more) |
3 Amazon Music
Site: https://music.amazon.com/
Amazon Music offers various plans to suit your needs. If you're already a Prime member, you get 100 million songs included, but only in shuffle mode.
Upgrade to Unlimited to unlock full on-demand features and free lossless lossless HD and Ultra HD audio.
Plus, if you've got Alexa devices scattered around your home like Echo or Fire TV, the voice control is really convenient—just ask Alexa to play something and you're good to go.
- Creates playlists from text, emojis, and emotions.
- Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio.
- Seamless Alexa integration.
- Offline downloads available in best quality for Unlimited subscribers.
- Wide device compatibility.
- Support lossless HD and Ultra HD audio.
- Huge discount for Prime members.
- AI playlist generator with Maestro.
- Multiple tiers to fit different budgets.
- Prime tier only offers shuffle mode.
- Free version has limited features and track selection.
- Interface less polished than Spotify or Apple Music.
Pricing
| Plan | Price / month |
|---|---|
| Prime Music | $14.99/month or $139/year |
| Music Unlimited (Individual) | $10.99 ($9.99 for Prime members) |
| Music Unlimited (Student) | $5.99 |
| Music Unlimited (Family) | $16.99 ($15.99 for Prime members) |
| Single Device | $4.99/month (for Echo devices) |
4 Tidal
Site: https://tidal.com/
If audio quality is your top priority or genuinely care about supporting artists, Tidal deserves serious consideration as an alternative to Spotify.
With over 110 million tracks available in lossless and hi-res FLAC formats up to 24-bit/192kHz, it's built for audiophiles who want studio-quality sound.
But here's what really sets Tidal apart: it pays artists approximately $0.013 per stream, which is more than triple what Spotify offers.
- Offers three levels of sound quality.
- Supports HiRes FLAC and Dolby Atmos Sound.
- Pays artists 3x more than Spotify per stream.
- DJ Extension add-on integrates with DJ software.
- Exclusive releases and artist-curated content.
- Provide offline download function.
- Superior lossless and hi-res audio quality on all tiers.
- Higher artist payouts.
- Detailed music credits and editorial content.
- DJ-friendly features with BPM and key data.
- Smaller music library than Spotify.
- Recommendations algorithms are weaker.
- Higher price point.
- Limited podcast selection.
Pricing
| Plan | Price / month |
|---|---|
| Individual | $10.99 |
| Student | $4.99 |
| Family | $16.99 (up to 6 members) |
| DJ Extension Add-on | $9 (Individual & Student only) |
5 Deezer
Site: https://www.deezer.com/us/
Honestly, Deezer might be the dark horse winner here. With 120 million songs and lossless FLAC audio since 2017.
What really hooked me is the "Flow" playlist—it plays personalized songs you might love without telling you what's next. You just flow with it.
Best of all, you can upload your own MP3 files from your computer and play them on phone. Each account gets 2,000 upload slots, which is perfect for adding rare tracks or personal recordings that streaming services don't have.
- Flow playlist creates personalized and endless.
- Upload your own MP3s with up to 2,000 personal tracks.
- Customizable recommendation algorithm.
- Allow sharing tracks with friends on Spotify or Apple Music.
- Identifies AI-created tracks.
- High Fidelity sound.
- Competitive pricing.
- Customizable recommendation system.
- Compatible with multiple devices and platforms.
- Free version includes ads.
- Interface feels dated compared to Spotify.
- Music discovery feature is somewhat unstable.
Pricing
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | $0 (With ads and limited features) |
| Premium | $11.99/month or $107.99/year |
| Duo | $15.99/month or $174.99/year |
| Family | $19.99/month or $218.99/year |
6 Qobuz
Site: https://www.qobuz.com/
If you're a true audiophile who never compromises on sound quality, Qobuz is for you.
Over 100 million tracks are available in high-resolution FLAC format, and even DSD and DXD formats, ensuring a near-studio-quality listening experience.
Unlike other platforms, you can truly buy and own lossless albums, which you can keep permanently even after if you cancel your subscription.
- Streams in hi-res FLAC up to 24-bit/192kHz.
- Purchase and own albums permanently.
- Rich editorial content with album reviews and artist interviews.
- Qobuz Connect for seamless Hi-Fi device streaming.
- Offline downloads available for subscribers.
- Exceptional hi-res audio quality.
- Extensive library of classical and jazz music.
- Highest artist payment rate.
- Rinch human-curated playlists.
- Higher price point than mainstream services.
- Dolby Atmos not supported.
- Search function not as refined as Spotify's.
- Music discovery algorithms less.
Pricing
| Plan | Price / month |
|---|---|
| Studio | $10.83 |
| Sublime | $14.99 |
Part 2. How to Choose the Best Alternative to Spotify for You
There are many excellent Spotify alternatives on the market and the choice depends on your specific listening habits and needs. Here are some recommendations:
1. For audiophiles who prioritize sound quality
If sound quality is your top priority, Tidal and Qobuz offer the best high-fidelity listening experience. Both offer lossless FLAC streaming that captures every studio detail.
Apple Music also worth consideration with its lossless audio at no extra charge.
2. For listeners on a budget
Want to save money without sacrificing too much? YouTube Music and Deezer both offer good free plans with ad support.
For students, almost all platforms offer discounted prices around $5-6 per month, and Apple Music even bundles Apple TV+ for free.
3. For multi-device flexibility
Need your music to be everywhere? Amazon Music works seamlessly with Alexa devices, making it perfect for smart home setups.
Tidal and Deezer offer powerful apps across all major platforms (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Web).
4. For supporting artists
If fair artist compensation is important to you, Tidal and Qobuz pay significantly more per stream than most competitors.
Choosing these platforms means your subscription will directly support your favorite artists.
5. For users who enjoy listening podcasts and offline streaming
If you enjoy both music and podcasts, platforms like YouTube Music and Apple Music offer both content types within a single app.
Part 3. Create Music That Matches Your Taste with Tunesona
The platforms mentioned above can help you discover and appreciate music created by others, but if you want to create tracks that perfectly match your own preferences, then I recommend Tunesona.
Tunesona - Create Music by Chatting
Tunesona is an ai music agent can generates original songs that match your creative needs. It's not a traditional AI music generator, more like your music creation partner.
Through simple dialogue, it can help you gradually create your own music. Whether it's melody, rhythm, or lyrics, you can adjust and customize them according to your preferences.
You can use Tunesona to:
- Generate lyrics. For example, when you enter "I want to generate lyrics for my daughter's birthday," Tunesona will provide 3 different versions of the lyrics.
- Recommend styles. For example, when you enter "I want some rock music," Tunesona will recommend 3-6 music styles to inspire you.
- Create music. Tunesona can generate instrumental music and music with lyrics based on your description.
- Audio references. You can upload audio as style, melody, or vocal references.
- Freely expand audio. You can freely choose where and how to expand uploaded or generated audio.
- Automatic mixing. Tunesona can automatically balance different parts, add instrument tracks, etc., based on your description.
Part 4. FAQs About Spotify Alternatives
1 Can I transfer my playlists from Spotify to other platforms?
Yes, you can easily transfer playlists using free tools like Soundiiz, Tune My Music, or FreeYourMusic. These services support most major platforms and transfer your playlists in just a few clicks.
2 What's the best Spotify alternative for iPhone users?
Apple Music is the best choice for iPhone users thanks to seamless iOS integration, Siri voice control, and lossless audio at no extra cost.
3 Are there any Spotify alternatives with better artist payments?
Yes, Tidal pays approximately $0.013 per stream, while Qobuz offers around €0.018 per stream—both significantly higher than Spotify's rates.
4 Why are people quitting Spotify?
Rising subscription costs, lack of lossless audio, low artist payments, and frequent ads on the free tier.
Conclusion
Finding the best alternative to Spotify doesn't have to be complicated.
These Spotify alternatives offer everything from superior sound quality to better artist payments, proving there are plenty of excellent alternatives to Spotify in 2026.
And if you're feeling creative, explore Tunesona to create personalized tracks that match your unique taste.
