5 Best Alternatives to Apple Music for iOS in 2026
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
All 5 Apple Music alternatives
Compared: Apple Music alternatives that run on iOS
| Alternative | Best for | Standout | Biggest weakness | Learning curve | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Musicreference | iPhone and Mac users who want streaming music integrated with their existing Apple devices and iTunes-purchased libraries | Lossless and Spatial Audio streaming included at no extra cost across every paid tier, rather than gated behind a premium add-on the way some competitors structure hi-fi audio. | No permanent free tier (only a one-month trial), and the experience on non-Apple platforms like Windows and Android is generally considered less polished than Apple's own apps or than Spotify's cross-platform experience. | Low | From $6.99/mo |
| Spotify | listeners who want algorithmic music discovery (Discover Weekly, Daily Mix) plus a bundled podcast and audiobook catalog, and households that want to split a Premium plan across up to 6 people | Discover Weekly and Daily Mix, personalized playlists rebuilt weekly from listening history, widely credited as the strongest music-discovery engine among streaming services. | Only 15 hours/month of audiobook listening is included on Premium plans, and only the account holder gets that allowance on Duo and Family plans; going over requires buying audiobooks a la carte, and per-stream artist payouts remain a recurring complaint from the music industry. | Low | Free tier · paid from $6.99/mo |
| YouTube Music | existing Google/YouTube users who want music streaming bundled with (or as a cheaper standalone alternative to) a YouTube Premium ad-free subscription, especially households already paying for other Google services | Catalog includes YouTube's music videos, live performances, and fan uploads alongside standard studio tracks, which pure audio streamers like Spotify and Apple Music don't offer. | Premium pricing and plan details could not be independently verified from Google's own site (its music.youtube.com pricing pages returned browser-deprecation notices and its support documentation 404'd), and Google has changed YouTube Premium/Music pricing multiple times in recent years, so subscribers should confirm the current price at signup rather than relying on any previously seen figure. | Low | Free tier · paid from $5.99/mo |
| Amazon Music | Amazon Prime members and Echo/Alexa device owners who want streaming music bundled into an ecosystem they already pay for or use daily | Native, deep Alexa voice integration across Echo speakers and Fire TV, making hands-free music control more direct than on competing streaming services. | Music discovery and personalized recommendations are widely considered weaker than Spotify's, and the tiered access model (free shuffle, Prime shuffle, paid Unlimited on-demand) is confusing compared to competitors' simpler free-vs-paid split. | Low | Free tier · paid from $10.99/mo |
| Tidal | audiophiles and lossless-audio listeners who want CD-quality or Dolby Atmos sound without needing a separate premium tier, and who don't need a free ad-supported option | Every subscriber gets lossless FLAC, Hi-Res PCM, and Dolby Atmos by default, with no cheaper, lower-fidelity tier to accidentally end up on. | No free or ad-supported tier exists at all; new listeners must either pay from day one or use the 30-day trial, unlike Spotify and Apple Music/YouTube Music, which offer ongoing free listening options. Tidal's own site also blocked automated access to its pricing pages, so exact web/Android pricing (which can differ from the Apple App Store price used here) should be double-checked at signup. | Low | From $15.49/mo |
| Deezer | music listeners who want a Spotify alternative with lossless HiFi audio and real-time translated lyrics, especially outside the US where Deezer has stronger regional catalogs | HiFi lossless audio included on every paid tier (not gated behind a separate premium-of-premium plan), plus an AI-generated-content detection tool that scans playlists for AI-made tracks. | The free tier cannot play specific tracks on demand, only curated flows and playlists, and Deezer's catalog and regional licensing are generally considered weaker than Spotify's in the US market, its largest addressable audience. | Low | Free tier · paid from $5.99/mo |
Apple Music
Spotify
YouTube Music
Amazon Music
Tidal
Deezer1.Spotify — best Apple Music alternative for listeners who want algorithmic music discovery (Discover Weekly, Daily Mix) plus a bundled podcast and audiobook catalog, and households that want to split a Premium plan across up to 6 people
Spotify and Apple Music both stream on-demand music across web, desktop, and mobile, but Spotify offers a genuine free, ad-supported tier that anyone can use indefinitely, while Apple Music has no permanent free option beyond a one-month trial for new subscribers. Spotify's Discover Weekly and Daily Mix rebuild personalized playlists weekly from listening history, an engine Apple Music's own reviewers describe as less refined by comparison. Spotify holds a 4.7/5 rating from 584 Product Hunt reviews, and it bundles podcasts and up to 15 hours a month of audiobooks into Premium at no separate subscription. The honest gap is audio quality: Spotify has no lossless or hi-res audio option at any price, while Apple Music includes lossless and Spatial Audio free on every paid tier. Spotify's Premium Individual plan is also slightly more expensive at $12.99/month than Apple Music's $11.99/month, and its Family plan runs $21.99/month versus Apple Music's $19.99/month for the same six-person coverage. Audiophiles who specifically want lossless or Spatial Audio streaming without paying extra, or families chasing the lowest possible price, are better served staying on Apple Music.
Compared to Apple Music: free ad-supported tier vs Apple Music's one-month-trial-only free access, stronger algorithmic discovery (Discover Weekly, Daily Mix) that Apple Music's own reviewers call less refined, but no lossless or hi-res audio at any price versus Apple Music's free lossless/Spatial Audio on every paid tier.
Wins:Free, ad-supported tier gives ongoing access with no subscription, unlike Apple Music's one-month-trial-only free access · Discover Weekly and Daily Mix rebuild personalized playlists weekly from listening history, an engine Apple Music's own reviewers consider less refined · Podcasts and audiobooks (15 hours/month on Premium) are bundled into the same app at no extra subscription
Loses:No lossless or hi-res audio option at any price, while Apple Music includes lossless and Spatial Audio free on every paid tier · Premium Individual costs $12.99/month vs Apple Music Individual's $11.99/month, and Premium Family is $21.99/month vs Apple Music Family's $19.99/month
Pros
- Discover Weekly and Daily Mix surface new music based on listening habits without manual curation.
- Native apps on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android with offline downloads on Premium.
- Family plan covers up to 6 accounts at $21.99/month, cheaper per person than most rivals' family tiers.
- Podcasts and audiobooks are bundled into the same app as music, no separate subscription needed for basic access.
Cons
- Free tier on mobile is shuffle-only with no on-demand track selection and frequent ads.
- Audiobook access is capped at 15 hours/month even on paid plans; going over requires separate purchases.
- Duo and Family plans require members to share the same address, which Spotify verifies periodically.
- No lossless or hi-res audio option, unlike Apple Music and Amazon Music at the same price point.
Pricing: Free tier · paid from $6.99/mo — Spotify Premium Individual is $12.99/month vs Apple Music Individual's $11.99/month; Apple Music also includes lossless audio free where Spotify has no lossless tier at all (verified undefined NaN, NaN)
2.YouTube Music — best Apple Music alternative for existing Google/YouTube users who want music streaming bundled with (or as a cheaper standalone alternative to) a YouTube Premium ad-free subscription, especially households already paying for other Google services
YouTube Music and Apple Music both offer on-demand streaming, but YouTube Music's catalog includes YouTube-exclusive music videos, live performances, and fan uploads that Apple Music's audio-only catalog doesn't carry, and its free ad-supported tier gives ongoing access where Apple Music offers only a one-month trial. YouTube Music Premium is priced at roughly $10.99/month, undercutting Apple Music's confirmed $11.99/month Individual plan, and it can bundle into the broader YouTube Premium subscription for households that also want ad-free YouTube video, potentially cheaper than paying for both services separately. The honest catch is verification: Google's own pricing and support pages returned browser-deprecation notices and 404s during this research pass, so that $10.99/month figure is approximate rather than freshly confirmed, unlike Apple Music's own verified $11.99/month rate. YouTube Music also tops out at 256 kbps AAC audio with no lossless or Spatial Audio option at all. Listeners who specifically want Apple Music's confirmed, transparent pricing, or its free lossless and Spatial Audio on every paid tier, are better served staying with Apple Music rather than switching to a service whose current price and audio ceiling are less certain.
Compared to Apple Music: free ad-supported tier vs Apple Music's one-month-trial-only free access, catalog includes YouTube-exclusive music videos and live performances that Apple Music doesn't carry, but Premium pricing (~$10.99/month) could not be independently verified and tops out at 256 kbps AAC with no lossless option at all.
Wins:Free, ad-supported tier gives ongoing access with no subscription, unlike Apple Music's one-month-trial-only free access · Catalog includes YouTube-exclusive music videos, live performances, and fan uploads that Apple Music's audio-only catalog doesn't carry · Can bundle into the broader YouTube Premium subscription for households that also want ad-free YouTube video
Loses:Tops out at 256 kbps AAC with no lossless or Spatial Audio option, while Apple Music includes lossless and Spatial Audio free on every paid tier · Premium pricing (~$10.99/month) is an approximate figure not independently verified, unlike Apple Music's confirmed $11.99/month
Pros
- Catalog includes YouTube-exclusive music videos, live performances, and fan uploads, not just studio audio.
- Bundled inside YouTube Premium for users who also want ad-free YouTube video, potentially cheaper than paying for both services separately.
- Free ad-supported tier lets new users try the catalog without a subscription.
- Broad platform support including smart speakers, wearables, and Android Auto/Tesla in-car integration.
Cons
- Free tier has no background playback or offline downloads, a bigger restriction than Spotify's free tier.
- Pricing has changed multiple times in recent years and wasn't independently verifiable from Google's own site; confirm the current price before subscribing.
- Recommendation and playlist algorithm is generally considered less refined than Spotify's for pure music discovery.
Pricing: Free tier · paid from $5.99/mo — YouTube Music Premium is approximately $10.99/month (unverified) vs Apple Music Individual's confirmed $11.99/month, though Apple Music includes lossless audio free where YouTube Music tops out at 256 kbps AAC
3.Amazon Music — best Apple Music alternative for amazon Prime members and Echo/Alexa device owners who want streaming music bundled into an ecosystem they already pay for or use daily
Amazon Music and Apple Music both stream catalogs of 100 million-plus songs, but Amazon Music offers a free ad-supported tier open to anyone, and Amazon Prime members already get ad-free shuffle listening included in a subscription many already pay for. Amazon Music Unlimited for Prime members runs roughly $10.99/month, about a dollar less than Apple Music Individual's confirmed $11.99/month, and its deep native Alexa integration across Echo speakers and Fire TV gives hands-free voice control that Apple Music, built around Siri instead, doesn't replicate on non-Apple hardware. The honest tradeoffs are real: Amazon's exact current Unlimited rate wasn't independently re-verified, and reviewers consistently describe Amazon Music's discovery and recommendation algorithm as weaker than competitors', while its tiered access model (free shuffle, Prime shuffle, paid on-demand) is more confusing than Apple Music's single-tier-plus-trial structure. iPhone and Mac users deep in Apple's ecosystem, who value confirmed pricing, Siri integration, and guaranteed free lossless and Spatial Audio on every plan, are better served staying with Apple Music rather than switching for an unverified dollar of monthly savings.
Compared to Apple Music: a free ad-supported tier open to anyone plus ad-free shuffle already included for Prime members, roughly a dollar cheaper for Prime members at an unverified ~$10.99/month vs Apple Music's confirmed $11.99/month, and native Alexa/Echo voice integration Apple Music doesn't offer.
Wins:Free ad-supported tier is open to anyone, and Prime members already get ad-free shuffle play at no extra cost · Deep native Alexa integration across Echo speakers and Fire TV for hands-free control, which Apple Music doesn't offer · Unlimited (Prime member) pricing is roughly a dollar cheaper than Apple Music Individual, though the exact current rate wasn't independently re-verified
Loses:Music discovery and personalized recommendations are widely considered weaker than competitors', a gap Apple Music's more curated approach can address better for some listeners · The multi-tier access model (free shuffle, Prime shuffle, paid Unlimited on-demand) is more confusing than Apple Music's single-tier-plus-trial structure
Pros
- Free ad-supported tier available to anyone, plus ad-free shuffle already included with Prime membership.
- Deep native integration with Alexa and Echo devices for voice-controlled playback.
- Catalog of 100M+ songs on the Unlimited tier, comparable in size to Spotify and Apple Music.
- Discounted single-device plan for households that only need music on one Echo speaker.
Cons
- Music discovery and algorithmic recommendations lag behind Spotify's in most independent comparisons.
- The multi-tier access model (free shuffle, Prime shuffle, paid on-demand) is more confusing than competitors' straightforward free-vs-paid structure.
- No public API or third-party developer ecosystem comparable to Spotify's.
- Full value depends on being invested in Amazon's ecosystem (Prime, Echo); less compelling as a standalone service.
Pricing: Free tier · paid from $10.99/mo — Amazon Music Unlimited for Prime members is an approximate $10.99/month (not independently re-verified) vs Apple Music Individual's confirmed $11.99/month
4.Tidal — best Apple Music alternative for audiophiles and lossless-audio listeners who want CD-quality or Dolby Atmos sound without needing a separate premium tier, and who don't need a free ad-supported option
Tidal and Apple Music are the two services here that already build lossless audio into every subscriber's plan by default, but Tidal goes a step further by including Dolby Atmos spatial audio for every subscriber and publishing direct-to-fan royalty reporting that shows how streaming payouts are calculated, a transparency feature Apple Music doesn't provide. Tidal is majority-owned by Block Inc., and since merging its old HiFi/HiFi Plus tiers into one plan in April 2024, every subscriber gets CD-quality FLAC and Hi-Res PCM without paying for a separate premium-of-premium tier. The honest tradeoff is cost: Tidal Individual runs $15.49/month via the Apple App Store versus Apple Music's $11.99/month, and Tidal Family is $26.99/month for up to six accounts versus Apple Music Family's $19.99/month. Tidal also has no free or ad-supported tier at all, only a 30-day trial, while Apple Music at least offers a free first month plus a discounted $6.99/month Student plan that bundles Apple TV+. Budget-conscious listeners, families, or students who want the lowest price for lossless-tier audio are better served staying on Apple Music, which already includes the same lossless quality at a lower cost.
Compared to Apple Music: both include lossless/Hi-Res audio on every plan by default, but Tidal costs more at $15.49/month Individual and $26.99/month Family vs Apple Music's $11.99/month and $19.99/month, and Tidal has no free tier at all beyond a 30-day trial.
Wins:Dolby Atmos spatial audio included for every subscriber, beyond Apple Music's own Spatial Audio implementation · Direct-to-fan royalty reporting shows subscribers and artists how streaming payouts are calculated, a transparency feature Apple Music doesn't publish · Broad support for CarPlay, Android Auto, Tesla, and Dolby Atmos-capable smart TVs and receivers
Loses:Costs more at every comparable tier: Individual is $15.49/month vs Apple Music's $11.99/month, and Family is $26.99/month vs $19.99/month · No free or ad-supported tier at all, only a 30-day trial, while Apple Music offers a free first month plus a Student plan bundling Apple TV+
Pros
- Lossless FLAC, Hi-Res PCM, and Dolby Atmos audio included for every subscriber, not gated behind a pricier tier.
- Direct-to-fan royalty reporting gives more visibility into artist payouts than most competitors publish.
- Broad platform support including CarPlay, Android Auto, Tesla, and Dolby Atmos-capable smart TVs and receivers.
- Family plan covers up to 6 accounts under one subscription.
Cons
- No free or ad-supported listening tier; every user must pay after the 30-day trial.
- Smaller catalog and personalization/discovery algorithm generally considered less refined than Spotify's.
- Pricing confirmed here comes from Apple's App Store listing, which can run higher than direct web or Android sign-up pricing.
Pricing: From $15.49/mo — Tidal Individual is $15.49/month and Family is $26.99/month vs Apple Music's $11.99/month Individual and $19.99/month Family
5.Deezer — best Apple Music alternative for music listeners who want a Spotify alternative with lossless HiFi audio and real-time translated lyrics, especially outside the US where Deezer has stronger regional catalogs
Deezer and Apple Music both include lossless audio in their standard subscription rather than a separate premium tier, but Deezer's Premium plan matches Apple Music's $11.99/month headline price and drops to about $9/month when billed annually at $107.99/year, a real discount Apple Music doesn't offer at that rate. Deezer's real-time lyrics with translation help listeners follow along with music in other languages, and its AI-generated-content detection tool, which the company reports catches AI-made tracks with 99.8% accuracy, is a differentiator neither Apple Music nor most competitors offer. Deezer's catalog spans more than 120 million tracks, and its Student plan at $5.99/month undercuts Apple Music's own $6.99/month Student tier. The honest gap is catalog depth and on-demand access: Deezer's free tier can't pick specific tracks, only curated flows and playlists, and its label relationships and catalog depth in the US, its largest potential market, are generally considered weaker than Apple Music's. US-based listeners who want full on-demand catalog access without limitation, even on a free tier, are better served by Apple Music's paid model or Spotify's more complete US catalog.
Compared to Apple Music: same $11.99/month Premium price but Deezer's annual plan works out to about $9/month, includes real-time lyrics with translation Apple Music doesn't offer, but its free tier can't pick specific tracks on demand and its US catalog depth is generally considered weaker.
Wins:Annual billing works out to about $9/month, undercutting Apple Music's flat $11.99/month Individual rate · Real-time lyrics with translation help listeners follow along with music in other languages, a feature Apple Music doesn't provide · An AI-generated-content detection tool flags AI-made tracks in playlists, claiming 99.8% accuracy, a differentiator few competitors including Apple Music offer
Loses:Free tier cannot pick specific tracks on demand, only curated flows and playlists, unlike Apple Music's paid on-demand catalog · Catalog depth and label relationships are generally considered weaker in the US, Deezer's largest potential market, than Apple Music's
Pros
- HiFi lossless audio is included on the standard Premium plan, not walled off as a separate higher tier.
- Real-time lyrics with translation, useful for listeners exploring music in other languages.
- An AI-generated-content detection tool flags AI-made tracks in playlists, a differentiator few competitors offer.
- A Student plan at $5.99/month undercuts most competitors' discounted tiers.
Cons
- The free tier cannot pick specific tracks on demand, only shuffle/flow-style playback.
- Catalog depth and label relationships are generally weaker in the US than Spotify's, Deezer's largest potential market.
- The Family plan tops out at 6 accounts for $19.99/month, in line with competitors but not a differentiator.
- Discovery and recommendation algorithms are less frequently cited as a strength compared to Spotify's.
Pricing: Free tier · paid from $5.99/mo — Deezer Premium is $11.99/month (about $9/month billed annually) vs Apple Music Individual's flat $11.99/month (verified undefined NaN, NaN)