7 alternativesSpotify: Free to start
The best Spotify alternatives
For most people the best alternative to Spotify is Doppler, and the best free one is Overcast.
DopplerPick it if you own MP3 or FLAC files and want a proper player for them on your iPhone and in the car.$9 onceCompare at a glance
Spotify is highlighted, so you can see what you give up and what you gain.
| App | Price | How you pay | Mac | iPhone | iPad | Watch | App Store | Developer | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Spotify | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | Too few ratings | ||||||
| Doppler | $9 once | Pay once | 4.6 | ||||||
 TuningMac | $14 once | Pay once | Too few ratings | ||||||
 Overcast | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | 4.5 | ||||||
 Pocket Casts | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | 4.5 | ||||||
 Audio Hijack | $69 once | Pay once | Too few ratings | ||||||
 Castro | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | 4.6 | ||||||
 Matter | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | 4.6 |
Swipe the table sideways to see more
The alternatives, in order
-
Pick it if you own MP3 or FLAC files and want a proper player for them on your iPhone and in the car.
A player for the music files you own, with offline playback, CarPlay and tag editing, for $9 once with no subscription.
-
Pick it if you want to turn Zoom down, Spotify up and fix thin laptop speakers without paying SoundSource prices.
A real 10-band EQ, a volume slider per app and AirPods noise controls in the menu bar, with no driver to install.
-
Pick it if you listen to hours of talk shows each week and want them shorter without sounding sped up.
The podcast player that trims dead air and evens out volume, built and run by a single developer.
-
Pick this if you switch between iPhone, Mac, Android or CarPlay and want your queue and progress everywhere.
A free podcast player whose queue and progress follow you to Mac, web, Android and CarPlay.
-
Pick it if you record podcasts, calls or app audio on your Mac and want one tool that captures all of it.
Record any app or mic on your Mac, $69 once.
-
Pick it if you follow lots of shows and want new episodes held in an inbox until you choose them.
A podcast player where new episodes wait in an inbox until you pick the ones worth hearing, so nothing piles up.
-
Pick it if you'd rather listen to saved articles read aloud than to more podcasts.
A read-later app that reads saved articles aloud in natural voices and turns podcasts into synced transcripts.
Spotify head to head
When Spotify is still the right pick
You already use Spotify on your phone and want the same playlists on your Mac.
Spotify prices and verdictFree to start