Spotify is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.3. Spotify wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Qobuz on 1.
Music fans who want great recommendations on every device they own
Audiophiles and album listeners with good headphones or a hi-fi system
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Spotify | Qobuz |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Music & Podcasts | Music & Podcasts |
| Category rank | #1 of 10 | #7 of 10 |
| Developer | Spotify | Xandrie SA |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Subscription |
| Usable for free | Yes | No |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linux | ✓ | — |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Spotify better than Qobuz?
Spotify is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.3. Spotify wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Qobuz on 1.
Which is cheaper, Spotify or Qobuz?
Spotify: Free with ads; Premium Individual $12.99/month in the US after a free trial. Qobuz: Studio Solo is $12.99 a month, or $10.83 a month billed yearly; students pay $4.99. On value for money, Spotify scores higher.
Do Spotify and Qobuz work on the same devices?
Only Spotify runs on Linux.
Which is more private, Spotify or Qobuz?
Qobuz scores higher on privacy (7.0/10). App Store label lists contact info and identifiers as used to track you, plus email, device ID and usage data linked to you for marketing and analytics.
Strengths and weaknesses
Spotify
- Best-in-class recommendations and playlists
- Works on nearly every phone, speaker, console and car
- Free tier lets you listen without paying
- Free tier has ads and playback limits on mobile
- Premium now costs more than Apple Music in the US
- Its App Store label lists data used to track you
Spotify is still the best all-round music app. Discover Weekly, daylist and the new Prompted Playlist keep surfacing songs you'll actually like, and Spotify Connect hands playback between phone, speaker and car without fuss. Premium now includes lossless audio, but it also costs more after the 2026 US price rise. The free tier still works, with ads and the tracking that pays for them. Get it if discovery and device support matter most.
Full Spotify review
Qobuz
- Hi-res lossless audio on every plan
- Rich credits, reviews and liner notes
- Buy downloads you keep forever
- No free tier, only a trial
- Catalog can be thin for lesser-known artists
- App Store label lists tracking identifiers
Qobuz is the streaming service for people who care how music sounds and who made it. Every plan streams lossless FLAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz, and the app is packed with credits, reviews, digital booklets and editorial writing. You can also buy hi-res downloads to keep. Qobuz Connect controls hi-fi gear from brands like Naim and Denon. There's no free tier, and some listeners find the catalog thin for lesser-known artists.
Full Qobuz review
