Apple Music vs Spotify Premium
Apple Music lists at $11.99/mo and Spotify Premium at $12.99/mo, so Apple Music costs $12 less a year at listed prices. Below: prices, free plans, whether AI can replace each one, and the free alternatives.
01Side by side
| Apple Music | Spotify Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Listed price | $11.99/mo | $12.99/mo |
| Per year | $143.88 | $155.88 |
| Plan compared | Individual | Premium Individual |
| Billing | monthly per user | monthly per user |
| Free plan | None listed | Yes: Free. 1 account; ad-supported listening; no numeric listening or skip cap is publicly stated. |
| Can AI replace it? | Nah | Nah |
| Build time with AI | closest consolation build: one sitting | closest consolation build: one sitting |
| Free alternatives listed | 6 | 6 |
| Prices checked | Aug 12, 2026 | Aug 12, 2026 |
Each column uses the plan that app's page lists. Plans include different things, so read both pricing pages before you switch.
02The short version
Apple Music NahA consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Apple Music, serve a legally owned personal music library across a private network. The hard boundary is licensed catalog, apple ecosystem, spatial audio, recommendations, rights, and global streaming, plus licensed content, rights, and distribution network.
Leaving means giving up: licensed catalog, Apple ecosystem, spatial audio, recommendations, rights, and global streaming, licensed music catalog, royalty and distribution relationships and global streaming infrastructure.
Free options: Navidrome, Jellyfin and Koel.
Full Apple Music verdict →
All free alternatives to Apple Music →
Spotify Premium NahA consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Spotify Premium, index and stream a legally owned personal music library with playlists and search. The hard boundary is licensed global catalog, royalties, recommendations, social graph, and delivery infrastructure, plus licensed content, rights, and distribution network.
Leaving means giving up: licensed global catalog, royalties, recommendations, social graph, and delivery infrastructure, licensed music catalog, royalty and distribution relationships and global streaming infrastructure.
Free options: Navidrome, Jellyfin and Koel.
Full Spotify Premium verdict →
All free alternatives to Spotify Premium →
03Free alternatives to both
Your music, your disk, your streaming server; the licensed catalogue is the part it cannot clone.
navidrome.org →A media server that also handles music, because apparently your albums can live beside your films.
jellyfin.org →The small, installable music server for people who do not want a media empire.
mstream.io →A prettier private jukebox with daily mixes; remote access still becomes your networking hobby.
github.com →A mature web jukebox with enough knobs to remind you it predates subscription fatigue.
ampache.org →04Questions
Is Apple Music cheaper than Spotify Premium?
Apple Music lists at $11.99/mo and Spotify Premium at $12.99/mo, so Apple Music costs $12 less a year at listed prices. The plans compared are Apple Music Individual and Spotify Premium Premium Individual; they don't include the same things, so check both pricing pages.
Can AI replace Apple Music or Spotify Premium?
Apple Music: Nah. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Apple Music, serve a legally owned personal music library across a private network. The hard boundary is licensed catalog, apple ecosystem, spatial audio, recommendations, rights, and global streaming, plus licensed content, rights, and distribution network. Spotify Premium: Nah. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Spotify Premium, index and stream a legally owned personal music library with playlists and search. The hard boundary is licensed global catalog, royalties, recommendations, social graph, and delivery infrastructure, plus licensed content, rights, and distribution network.
Are there free alternatives to Apple Music and Spotify Premium?
Yes. Navidrome, Jellyfin, Koel, mStream, Swing Music and Ampache are listed as free alternatives to both.
Prices change; confirm on the vendor's site before you decide.
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