Spotify vs Apple Music vs Amazon Music: $11.99 to $12.99 a month, and the family math

Spotify Premium Individual costs $12.99 a month in the U.S., or $155.88 a year. Apple Music is $11.99 a month, $12 a year less. Amazon Music Unlimited is $12.99, or $11.99 for Prime members. For families the gap is wider: Apple Music Family is $19.99 a month against $21.99 for Spotify, a $24 difference over a year.

If you're thinking of gifting a subscription, or tidying up your own before the new year, here's how the plans compare. Prices are from each service's own U.S. page, checked on November 8, 2026.

At a glance

All prices are per month. Free trials are for new subscribers only. Amazon's page didn't show family or student prices when we checked, so they're not in our table.

Spotify

Spotify has the most plan types. Premium Individual is $12.99 a month after a one-month $0 trial for people who haven't had Premium before. Duo is $18.99 for two Premium accounts for a couple under one roof, and Family is $21.99 for up to six Premium accounts for a family at the same address.

Individual, Duo and Family include 15 hours a month of listening from Spotify's audiobooks subscriber catalog, though on Duo and Family only the plan manager gets it. Premium Student is $6.99 a month for students at eligible accredited colleges, and Spotify says it currently includes access to a Hulu plan, subject to eligibility. There's also a free, ad-supported version of Spotify.

Apple Music

Apple Music Individual is $11.99 a month, with the first month free for new subscribers. It includes more than 100 million songs, Spatial Audio and lossless audio, and the Apple Music Classical app. It works on iPhone, Mac and Apple TV, and also on Android, Windows, Sonos speakers, Amazon Echo, Google Nest and smart TVs.

Family is $19.99 a month and lets you share with up to five people through Family Sharing, each with their own library and recommendations. Student is $6.99 a month and comes with Apple TV at no extra cost. There's no separate two-person plan, so couples use Family.

Amazon Music Unlimited

Amazon Music Unlimited costs $12.99 a month, or $11.99 for Prime members, after a 30-day free trial for new subscribers. It includes 100 million songs ad-free, HD and Spatial Audio, and, as Amazon puts it, "Audible is now included": you can listen to one audiobook from Audible each month. You'll find it on Amazon, which also lists Amazon Music Prime and Amazon Music Free.

Worked example: what a year costs

• One person: Spotify $155.88, Apple Music $143.88, Amazon Music Unlimited $155.88, or $143.88 with Prime.
• A couple: Spotify Duo $227.88, Apple Music Family $239.88. Two separate Apple Music plans would be $287.76.
• A family of four: Spotify Family $263.88, Apple Music Family $239.88. Apple saves $24 a year.
• A college student: $83.88 a year on either Spotify or Apple Music, with Hulu or Apple TV included respectively.

Bundles: Apple One

If you already pay for other Apple services, Apple One can be cheaper. Apple One Individual is $21.95 a month for Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade and 50GB of iCloud+. Apple lists those four separately at $34.96 a month, so the bundle saves $13 a month. Family is $27.95 a month (with 200GB of iCloud+) against $44.96 separately, and Premier is $39.95 a month for all six Apple subscriptions and 2TB of storage, shared with up to five people.

A bundle only saves money if you'd use the other services anyway. If you just want music, Apple Music Individual at $11.99 is $9.96 a month cheaper than Apple One Individual.

Where the others have the edge

• Spotify is the only one here with a two-person plan, which makes it the cheapest for couples at $18.99 a month. Its free tier is also a fallback if you cancel.
• Apple Music is the cheapest for one person and for families, and includes lossless audio and Apple Music Classical at no extra cost.
• Amazon Music Unlimited includes an Audible audiobook each month, which suits audiobook listeners, and matches Apple's price for Prime members.

Our verdict

For one person or a family, Apple Music is the cheapest of the three, at $11.99 or $19.99 a month, and it isn't limited to Apple devices. Couples pay least with Spotify Duo. Prime members who listen to audiobooks get the most for their money from Amazon Music Unlimited at $11.99. Students should pick whichever free extra they'd use more, Hulu with Spotify or Apple TV with Apple Music. And before paying, check whether you already have a music plan bundled with something else, such as Prime or Apple One.

FAQs

What about YouTube Music and Tidal? We left them out. YouTube's page showed us non-U.S. prices from our location, and Tidal's blocked our check, so we couldn't confirm their U.S. prices.

Can I share Spotify Family with relatives elsewhere? Spotify says Family is for up to six members residing at the same address, and Duo is for couples under one roof.

Does Apple Music work on Android? Yes. Apple lists Android, Windows, Sonos, Amazon Echo, Google Nest and smart TVs among the places you can listen.

Is Amazon Music Unlimited cheaper with Prime? Yes, $11.99 a month instead of $12.99.

When you shop through Promo Magpie, part of the commission the shop pays us goes to the charity or club you pick. You pay the same price.

Sources: Spotify, Premium plans (U.S.), Apple, Apple Music, Apple, Apple One, Amazon, Amazon Music Unlimited, all checked November 8, 2026

Ad: affiliate links. The codes and deals below link to the stores, and we may earn a commission if you buy, at no cost to you. How we make money.