Free and Cheaper Alternatives to Spotify - Top 13

Part 1. Free Spotify Alternative - Bandcamp

Looking for a Spotify alternative free? Check out the following Spotify-like software to listen to music without a subscription. Here we will introduce Bandcamp to you.

# Bandcamp

📌Best for: Discover new artists, indie music and niche genres

When it comes to Spotify alternative for free, some people think Bandcamp is the best one. In fact, Bandcamp users have come to refer to the app as the "anti-Spotify" in recent years. Spotify relies on third-party advertising for revenue and uses a complex formula to calculate artists' royalties. But Bandcamp does not collect any personal data from users and lets artists set their own prices. Unlike Spotify, Bandcamp also allows anyone to submit tracks to the platform.

If you have a passion for supporting independent artists who make quality music, then you'll enjoy using Bandcamp. This Spotify replacement without ads certainly has an exhaustive list of features and a good user experience for an app that doesn't use paid advertising. In Bandcamp, you can discover indie music and niche genres. Also, you can pre-order new albums before they become available, download files for offline listening, and see new live music streams every day.

😊 Benefits	✔ Ad-free ✔ User-friendly privacy policy ✔ Support independent artists, the purchase goes directly to artists
😞 Drawbacks	❌ You cannot create your own library ❌ You can only offline listen to your purchases and on mobile only ❌ Doesn't have a large and curated library
💰 Price	Free
🎺 Sound Quality	128 kbps, MP3, FLAC or Ogg Vorbis format
💻 Supported Platforms	Android, iOS
🏆 Recommends	⭐️⭐️

Part 2. Cheaper Alternatives to Spotify - Top 12

Besides Spotify alternative free, here are some cheaper alternatives to Spotify. Now, let's take a deeper look at the following tools.

#1. Apple Music

📌Best for: Great for Apple ecosystem users and audiophiles who want to enjoy lossless audio

Apple Inc. was the company that made music streaming possible when they introduced the iPod and iTunes in the early 2000s. As such, it means that Apple Music is one of the most important players in the music streaming industry. Apple Music gives you access to over 100 million songs whether you are using an iOS device or an Android one. And it offers spatial audio and lossless streaming.

It doesn't have a free version, but this cheaper alternative to Spotify Premium does give you a free one-month trial before you subscribe. It has a student version for just $5.99/month for college students around the world and an individual premium version for $10.99/month that opens up all features. Also, there is a family plan for $16.99/month that allows up to six members of a family to use the same premium account.

However, you can only enjoy Apple Music downloads within the Apple devices. If you want to break this limit, you can use AudFree Audio Converter to convert Apple Music to local files for offline playback anywhere.

😊 Benefits	✔ Has better sound quality than Spotify Premium ✔ Offline playback, lyrics available ✔ Has a CarPlay mode to play safely while driving ✔ Integrated with Siri and Apple ecosystem ✔ Lossless audio and spatial audio with Dolby Atmos
😞 Drawbacks	❌ The interface is not immersive ❌ No free plan ❌ Offer limited features for Android users
💰 Price	Voice: $4.99/month; Student: $5.99 /month; Individual: $10.99/month; Family: $16.99/month
🎺 Sound Quality	AAC format up to 256 kbps; ALAC up to 24 bits/192 kHz
💻 Supported Platforms	Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, smart TVs, etc.
🏆 Recommends	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

👉View also: Apple Music vs Spotify

#2. Amazon Music

📌Best for: Good for Prime members or Amazon Echo owners

Amazon Music is another alternative to Spotify that has invested heavily in the music streaming industry. With the Amazon Prime plan, you can access a huge library of movies, podcasts, TV shows and Amazon Prime Music. That's more than Spotify offers. In addition, you'll have access to millions of Audible audiobooks. That means you'll have more content than any other music streaming service has to offer.

If you are already an Amazon Prime subscriber, then Amazon Prime Music is free. However, if not, you must pay $14.99 per month as your Amazon Prime Music subscription to enjoy the service. Surprisingly, there are many download tools available in the market today such as AudFree Amazon Music Downloader to download Amazon songs locally without a subscription.

😊 Benefits	✔ Provides HD, ultra HD, and 3D audio ✔ Offline listening with unlimited skips ✔ Integrated with Alexa and Amazon Prime ecosystem ✔ Offer free plan; 3-months free trial of Amazon Music Unlimited
😞 Drawbacks	❌ Available to a limited number of countries ❌ Doesn't have much depth in user experience ❌ Fewer social features than Spotify
💰 Price	Free; Amazon Unlimited: $10.99/month; Amazon Prime: $14.99/month
🎺 Sound Quality	Standard: 320 kbps; HD: FLAC format up to 1411 kbps; Ultra HD: FLAC format up to 9216 kbps
💻 Supported Platforms	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, smart TVs, etc.
🏆 Recommends	⭐️⭐⭐️

👉View also: Amazon Music vs Spotify

#3. Tidal

📌Best for: High streaming quality, a nice choice for audiophiles

Tidal is the home of hip-hop music and a nice alternative to Spotify Premium. Owned by hip-hop heavyweights like Jay-Z and his wife Beyoncé, you can expect more from this app. The app has over 110 million songs from all genres, not just hip-hop. It's also known for offering the highest quality of songs, just as the artists themselves like it. If the highest sound quality is what you want, then this is your best bet outside of Spotify.

By the way, you can use third-party tools, like AudFree Tidal Music Downloader, to download Tidal music locally for offline playback whenever you want without the Tidal app.

😊 Benefits	✔ Offer CD-quality and high-res audio ✔ Music videos also available ✔ The interface is intuitive and modern ✔ There are playlists imported from Spotify, Deezer, etc.
😞 Drawbacks	❌ No free plan ❌ Fewer social and playlist sharing features
💰 Price	Individual: $10.99/month; Family: $16.99/month; Student: $5.49/month
🎺 Sound Quality	Low: up to 320kbps; High: FLAC, up to 16-bit, 44.1 kHz; Max: HiRes FLAC, up to 24-bit, 192 kHz
💻 Supported Platforms	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, smart TVs, etc.
🏆 Recommends	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

👉View also: Tidal vs Spotify

#4. Deezer

📌Best for: Listeners who want recommendations and a personalized experience

The main reason you are seeking an alternative for Spotify is probably because you live in a country where Spotify is not available. If this is the case, then Deezer is the best Spotify alternative for you. That's because Deezer can be accessed from 189 countries around the world. It is available in more countries than any other known music streaming service. This makes it a prime choice for frequent travelers or those looking to move abroad.

Deezer will give you access to over 120 million songs with lots of great features to enhance your listening experience. But this will cost you $11.99 per month for an individual premium plan to get CD-quality songs. If you are a student, then you will only need to pay $5.99 per month for the basic version, which is a huge discount.

Tips: If you want to enjoy Deezer music offline anywhere, then you can try AudFree Deezer Music Converter to download music from Deezer locally.

😊 Benefits	✔ Available in many countries ✔ A growing library of popular podcasts ✔ Users can create custom radio stations ✔ Ad-free, offline playback ✔ Lyrics available ✔ Offer free plan ✔ Deezer Flow feature to create personalized playlists based on users' listening habits
😞 Drawbacks	❌ Very similar to Spotify ❌ Free users can access only 30-second previews of tracks
💰 Price	Free; Premium: $11.99/month; Duo: $15.99/month; Family: $19.99/month; Student: $5.99/month
🎺 Sound Quality	Free: 128 kbps MP3; Premium: 1411 kbps FLAC
💻 Supported Platforms	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, smart TVs, etc.
🏆 Recommends	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

👉View also: Deezer vs Spotify

#5. Slacker

📌Best for: Listeners who like to listen to radios

Slacker (also called LiveXLive) is like Spotify in more ways, which makes it easy to transition from Spotify. It is one of the best music streaming alternatives to Spotify. If you're in the US or Canada, you'll love this app. It gives you access to over 20 million songs and endless features to enhance your music listening experience.

First, it is available on Roku, Android, and iOS, which means that you have a wide variety of devices you can use to listen to your songs. In fact, more devices than Spotify will allow you. Secondly, Slacker allows you to create albums, genres, songs, or artists. However, unlike Spotify, Slacker uses artificial intelligence to predict what songs you'll like to listen to based on your choices and previous history.

😊 Benefits	✔ Supports offline playback ✔ Informative DJs ✔ Unlimited skips ✔ Live ESPN Radio broadcasts ✔ No advertising
😞 Drawbacks	❌ No crossfade feature ❌ No Family plan
💰 Price	Free; Radio Plus: $3.99/month; Premium: $9.99/month
🎺 Sound Quality	320kbps(Plus, Premium)
💻 Supported Platforms	Android, iOS, smart TVs
🏆 Recommends	⭐️⭐️⭐

#6. JioSaavn

📌Best for: Listeners who want to enjoy music in exotic languages

If you want to listen to endless streams of music in exotic languages on a music streaming service, then JioSaavn is the best choice for you. This app allows you to listen to millions of songs from all over the world in English, Hindi and many other languages. With 80 million songs from all over the world, you will never get bored with this application.

Furthermore, the app lets you enjoy 7 days free trial. If you subscribe to this app, you can download an unlimited number of songs for offline listening. One of the advantages of this app is that it is available for both iOS and Android operating systems.

😊 Benefits	✔ Large music collection ✔ Offline listening ✔ Lyrics available
😞 Drawbacks	❌ Annoying setup ❌ No podcasts ❌ Has annoying ads
💰 Price	Pro: $5.99/month; $49.99/year
🎺 Sound Quality	Paid: 320 kbps
💻 Supported Platforms	Android, iOS
🏆 Recommends	⭐️⭐️

#7. Pandora

📌Best for: Listeners who want to enjoy radio-style music discovery

It will be a crime to talk about the best Spotify alternatives without mentioning Pandora. It is one of the oldest music streaming services in the world, founded in 2002, almost half a year before the birth of Spotify. Because of its history, it is better known as an online radio station than a music streaming service.

With over 75 million subscribers, Pandora has clearly been doing something right. For just $10.99 a month subscription, you get access to millions of songs.

😊 Benefits	✔ Lyrics available ✔ Display artist tour and ticket information ✔ Offers insightful album commentary
😞 Drawbacks	❌ Lacks Hi-Res audio tracks ❌ Intrusive listening requirement with a free tier
💰 Price	Free; Plus: $4.99/month; Individual Premium: $10.99/month; Family Premium: $17.99/month; Student Premium: $5.99/month; Military Premium: $8.99/month
🎺 Sound Quality	Low: 32 kbps AAC+; Standard: 64 kbps AAC+; High: 192 kbps MP3
💻 Supported Platforms	Android, iOS
🏆 Recommends	⭐️⭐️⭐

👉View also: Pandora vs Spotify

#8. Grooveshark

📌Best for: Users who want to discover music that is not available in other music streaming services

If you are looking for a Spotify substitute free, the Grooveshark app is also an option. But wait, it is not entirely free, right? There are two versions of this music sharing app, the free version and the paid version. Just like Spotify, the free version has ads and limited features.

However, this app offers you a chance to discover songs that are not available in many other music streaming services. That's because musicians love it and often use it to share their songs, some of which haven't been picked up by the mainstream media.

😊 Benefits	✔ Larger music catalog ✔ Direct customer support ✔ Available anywhere
😞 Drawbacks	❌ Many tracks are mislabeled ❌ Questionable legality
💰 Price	Free; VIP: $3/month
🎺 Sound Quality	320kbps
💻 Supported Platforms	Android, iOS
🏆 Recommends	⭐️⭐️

👉View also: How to Transfer Spotify to Grooveshark

#9. SoundCloud

📌Best for: Users who want to find new music and artists

If all you want is the ability to never listen to the same songs twice in the next decade, then SoundCloud is your best Spotify alternative. SoundCloud has over 200 million tracks from artists across the world. This means that you have access to more songs that you can listen to in your lifetime. If you are a student, this app offers huge discounts just like Apple Music. And you can take advantage of these discounts to keep enjoying your best songs whenever you want.

😊 Benefits	✔ Ad-free and offline playback ✔ Has wonderful discovery features ✔ Has unlimited song skips on mobile
😞 Drawbacks	❌ Cannot find popular artists' full discographies ❌ Some songs are not available in some countries ❌ Premium plans are only available in a few countries
💰 Price	Free; SoundCloud Go: $4.99/month for web/Android; $5.99/month for iOS; SoundCloud Go+: $10.99 /month for web/Android; $12.99/month for iOS; SoundCloud Go+ Student: $5.49/month
🎺 Sound Quality	Free: 128 kbps; Premium: 320 kbps MP3
💻 Supported Platforms	Android, iOS, Windows
🏆 Recommends	⭐️⭐⭐️

👉View also: SoundCloud vs Spotify

#10. YouTube Music

📌Best for: Users who want to enjoy music tracks and videos within one app

Music industry surveys and studies often conclude that YouTube is the first place people go to listen to music online. So, why is YouTube Music in the second tier? Largely because of Google's poor track record of maintaining long-term support for such services. YouTube Music is just the latest in a long line of Google Music services that users may feel Google has burned them too many times.

In terms of content, YouTube sometimes offers surprising examples of music content that you won't find on Spotify. But YouTube's podcast offerings don't even come close to Spotify's. YouTube Music, however, does a better job with music videos.

😊 Benefits	✔ An all-in-one video and music app ✔ Cheaper than Spotify ✔ Ad-free, offline listening
😞 Drawbacks	❌ Don't have sound quality tiers ❌ The free plan cannot lock the phone without music being interrupted
💰 Price	Free; Individual Premium: $10.99/month; Family Premium: $16.99/month; Student Premium: $5.49/month
🎺 Sound Quality	Standard/Free: 128 kbps, AAC format; Premium: 256 kbps, AAC format
💻 Supported Platforms	Android, iOS
🏆 Recommends	⭐️⭐️⭐️

👉View also: YouTube Music vs Spotify

#11. Qobuz

📌Best for: Listeners who want to enjoy music with Hi-Res audio quality

Qobuz is both a digital music store and a high-end streaming service. Its HD streaming plans are cheaper than Tidal's and don't require a specialized decoder. If you're looking for a Spotify alternative for the "big" streaming companies, this is your best bet.

Qobuz even focuses on Hi-Res, offering a subscription service for lossless music only. Thus, the entire catalog can be found on the platform, at least in CD quality. However, as Qobuz is associated with the availability of high-resolution music, its catalog is narrower in some places than that of larger providers such as Spotify and Apple Music.

😊 Benefits	✔ Has music magazine ✔ Lots of information about music ✔ Associated download shop
😞 Drawbacks	❌ Few extras ❌ No recommendation algorithm
💰 Price	Free; Studio Solo: $10.83/month; Sublime Solo: $14.99/month; Duo: $14.99/month; Family: $17.99/month; Studio Student: $4.99/month
🎺 Sound Quality	FLAC 24-Bit up to 192 kHz
💻 Supported Platforms	Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, smart TVs, etc.
🏆 Recommends	⭐️⭐️⭐

👉View also: How to Transfer Spotify to Qobuz

#12. iHeartRadio

📌Best for: Radio addicts and listeners who want a mix of music and talk radio

iHeartRadio is one of the most memorable names in all of music streaming services. iHeartRadio has one of the main advantages of live radio. For example, you can stream a New York Yankees baseball game on ESPN Radio through the iHeartRadio mobile app on your Android or iOS device.

iHeartRadio has a huge selection of radio stations, news, podcasts, talk shows, and of course music playlists by genre. They even have some cool partnerships with artists like Usher who hosts the iHeartRadio Music Awards. You can listen to iHeartRadio without creating an account, but you'll have to put up with the ads. If you upgrade to the paid version, you can enjoy unlimited skips, offline listening, and the ability to save your playlists.

😊 Benefits	✔ Informative news articles and event listings ✔ Many live and curated artist streams ✔ Available for podcasts
😞 Drawbacks	❌ Unable to rewind live radio ❌ Lacks videos and Hi-Res audio track
💰 Price	Free; Plus: $4.99/month; All Access: $9.99/month; Family: $14.99/month
🎺 Sound Quality	128 kbps
💻 Supported Platforms	Android, iOS, smart TVs, smart speakers, etc.
🏆 Recommends	⭐️⭐️

👉View also: iHeartRadio vs Spotify

Comparison Table of the Top 13 Alternatives to Spotify

This is our review of the 13 best Spotify alternatives. While some are similar to Spotify, others have completely different interfaces and features. Therefore, you have enough variety to find something you like. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative to Spotify (that offers similar features), you might consider Tidal. If you're looking for a free Spotify alternative, go with Bandcamp. For more comparison, you can view the table below.

	Free Trial Period	Music Library Size	Maximum Bitrate	Offline Listening	Podcasts	Music Videos
Bandcamp	Free	over 5 million albums	128kbps	✔	✔	✔
Slacker	30 days	over 20 million songs	320kbps	✔	✔	❌
Deezer	30 days	over 120 million	1,411kbps	✔	✔	✔
JioSaavn	3 months	80+ million	320kbps	✔	❌	✔
Apple Music	1 month	over 100 million	256kbps	✔(Mobile only)	✔	✔
Pandora	14 days	75+ million	192kbps	✔	✔	❌
Grooveshark	30 days	15 million	320kbps	✔	✔	❌
SoundCloud	30 days	over 200 million	320kbps	✔	✔	✔
Tidal	30 days	over 110 million	1,411kbps	✔(Mobile only)	✔	✔
YouTube Music	30 days	over 60 million	320kbps	✔(Premium and mobile only)	✔	✔
Qubuz	30 days	70 million	6,917kbps	✔(Mobile and desktop)	❌	❌
iHeartRadio	30 days	over 20 million songs	128kbps	✔	✔	❌
Amazon Music	30 days	100+ million songs	9216 kbps	✔	✔	❌

No matter what streaming music platform you decide to choose, you probably need to transfer your Spotify playlist to it, right? So we are here to provide you with a professional tool that helps you transfer Spotify playlists to Deezer, YouTube Music, Tidal, etc.

What you need is AudFree Spotify Music Converter. It allows you to download Spotify playlists, songs, albums, podcasts, etc. as local files. Also, you can choose to convert Spotify playlists to MP3 or any other common formats. Once downloaded, you can easily upload them to your new streaming music service. You'll be able to listen to them even without Spotify app.

View also:

How to Transfer Spotify to Deezer

How to Transfer Spotify to Tidal

How to Transfer Spotify to YouTube Music