Spotify review
Music, podcasts and audiobooks with standout discovery
- Spotify
- Free + paid plans
- iPhone & iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, Web
Does it deserve #1?
The verdict
Spotify is the best all-round music app. Its recommendations, Discover Weekly and daylist keep surfacing music you actually like, and Spotify Connect makes switching between phone, speaker and car painless. Premium adds lossless audio, offline downloads and ad-free listening. The catch is the free tier's ads and the data collection behind them. Get it if discovery and device support matter most to you.
- Personalized playlists and daylist
- Spotify Connect across devices
- Podcasts and audiobooks in one app
- Lossless audio on Premium
Score breakdown
Overall = features 30% · design 20% · speed 20% · value 15% · privacy 15%. Why these weights?
What we like
- Best-in-class recommendations and playlists
- Works on nearly every phone, speaker, console and car
- Free tier lets you listen without paying
What could be better
- Free tier has ads and playback limits on mobile
- Ad-supported model relies on data collection
Music fans who want great recommendations on every device they own
you want hi-res audio first or dislike ad-driven data collection
Questions about Spotify
Is Spotify free?
Yes, the free tier lets you stream music and podcasts with ads and some playback limits on mobile. Premium removes ads and adds offline downloads, on-demand playback in any order and lossless audio.
Does Spotify have lossless audio?
Yes. Spotify rolled out lossless streaming to Premium subscribers in many markets in 2025, and you can switch it on in the app's audio quality settings.
What are the best alternatives to Spotify?
The closest alternatives are Apple Music, YouTube Music and TIDAL. See all of them ranked on our Spotify alternatives page.
Where does Spotify rank?
Spotify ranks #1 of 8 in our Music & Podcasts ranking, with an overall score of 9.0 out of 10.