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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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Is it worth paying for

Spotify

70
Value score / 100 Worth paying? Depends It depends

Spotify is a highly-rated music streaming app, but its free version is heavily restricted by ads and limited functionality, making the premium subscription almost essential for a good user experience.

Free to download seen up to $54.99 4.8★ lifetime (40,857,858) since 2011

Spotify is widely loved for its vast music library and user-friendly interface, with many users considering it indispensable R1R9R11. However, the free version is plagued by frequent ads, forced shuffle, and inability to select specific songs, pushing many users towards the paid premium subscription R4R5R130. Recent reviews also highlight issues with app stability, repetitive shuffle, and rising subscription costs R12R103R568.

Free vs paid

The free version of Spotify allows users to listen to music and create playlists, with some users finding it awesome and better than alternatives like Apple Music R5R10R16. However, the free experience is significantly hampered by an excessive number of ads, often appearing after every song R3R6R167. Users on the free plan also face limitations such as forced shuffle, inability to choose specific songs, and limited skips R4R5R130. Many feel that the app is essentially unusable or "sucks" without paying for premium R4R130. The paid premium version removes ads, allows users to select specific songs, offers unlimited skips, and enables offline listening R5R130. However, even premium users have reported issues like app unreliability, playback problems, and repetitive shuffle R12R80.

Value complaints

  • The free version is severely limited with too many ads, forced shuffle, and no ability to choose specific songs, making it feel like a forced paywall.R4R5R130R167
  • Subscription prices have increased multiple times, making the service feel expensive.R84R103R195R568
  • Audiobooks are overpriced, and there's a desire for unlimited audiobook purchases or more free hours.R7R69R528
  • The app is perceived as money-hungry, with some users feeling that artists are not paid enough.R41R129R166R210

Where it delivers

  • Spotify offers a vast music library and is considered essential for many users' daily lives.R1R9R11R14
  • The app is generally user-friendly and good for discovering new music, making playlists, and following artists.R10R16R21R37
  • It is often preferred over other music services like Apple Music.R5R27
Worth paying if

The paid tier is worth it if you listen to music frequently and are bothered by constant ads, forced shuffle, and the inability to pick specific songs R4R5R130R167. It is also beneficial if you value an uninterrupted listening experience and offline access .

Skip / stay free if

You should skip paying for Spotify if you are on a tight budget and are willing to tolerate frequent ads, forced shuffle, and limited control over song selection R4. Users who are experiencing persistent bugs, playback issues, or find the shuffle algorithm repetitive even with premium might also consider alternatives R12R80.

Evidence note: The reviews provide a strong, consistent narrative regarding the free vs. paid experience, with numerous complaints about ads and feature limitations in the free tier. There is also consistent feedback on shuffle issues and price increases. Praise for the app generally focuses on its core functionality and music library, often from users who appear to be on premium or tolerate the free version's limitations.

Frequently asked

Is Spotify worth using for free?
Spotify is worth using for free if you can tolerate frequent ads, forced shuffle, and the inability to choose specific songs, as many users find these limitations make the free experience frustrating R4R5R130R167.
What are the main problems with Spotify's free version?
The main problems with Spotify's free version are an excessive number of ads, often appearing after every song, forced shuffle that prevents users from choosing specific tracks, and limited skips R3R4R5R6.
Are there issues with Spotify's shuffle feature?
Yes, many users report that Spotify's shuffle feature is repetitive, playing the same few songs from large playlists, and that the algorithm needs work R8R13R28R36.
Have Spotify's prices increased?
Yes, Spotify's prices have increased multiple times, with one long-time user noting at least four price hikes in the past 4-5 years R84R103R195R568.
Does Spotify have technical issues?
Yes, some users report technical issues such as the app stopping playback randomly, not connecting to the internet, glitching, getting stuck on loading, and playback issues even with premium R12R37R58R80.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R4] 1/5 · US Don’t get it free: This is so stupid. It basically doesn’t work unless you pay for it. It chooses songs for you that you don’t want to listen to. Only get this if you want to buy the premium!!!
  2. [R5] 4/5 · US It was great but the free version needed more perks: I specifically wish we could have unlimited skips and were able to choose what songs we wanted to play bc some people can’t afford the premium version. Other than that it was awesome, WAY better than Apple Music.
  3. [R130] 1/5 · US Bad update.: It’s like they are forcing us to get the monthly sub , for god’s sake they ruined the app , like what do you mean i can’t even choose the song I want to listen to and everything is random? And I can’t even skip songs , Whats the point if I can’t listen to what I want?
  4. [R167] 2/5 · US Hungry for an ad: Ad after ad after ad after AD! U load the app once, listen to one song… 1-5 ads. DAF IS THAT BRUH CAN I LISTEN TOO SOME TONES FIRST?? Yall be so HUNGRY to have someone listen to trash ad! Half the time idk what the hell the ad is even TALKING about!!
  5. [R84] 2/5 · US Price increases: Constant price increases
  6. [R103] 3/5 · US Long time user here: I love Spotify. I enjoy jam sessions, making my own playlists, listening to podcasts and more. However, I do want to take this moment to share my dislikes. First, the most important, the prices have increased at least 4 times the past 4-5 years. With everyone else in the world wanting consumers to subscribe to everything, it is past annoying and frustrating. Please do better.
  7. [R195] 2/5 · US just gets more and more expensive.: Wish there were other streaming options.
  8. [R568] 3/5 · CA Glitching: It’s glitching a tonne and the peice keeps getting higher for premium If I skip 15 or so seconds it has a risk of continuously skipping 15 seconds until I close the app then open it again
  9. [R7] 4/5 · US Everything: Spotify is overall really good! But there are a few cons. 1. there are too many ads. 2. there isn’t a wide selection on videos and podcasts with things of interest. 3. audiobooks. the audiobooks are SO overpriced! why not give people on the free plan like 6 hours every other day to listen to audiobooks? I think people on the free plan would be so much happier. But overall, i love Spoti
  10. [R69] 3/5 · US Unlimited: I feel like we should be able to purchase unlimited audio books a month, just give us a flat rate so we don’t have to keep paying $10 here. $15 here to get extra hours.
  11. [R528] 3/5 · CA Pay the Artists or Reduce the Monthly costs: Too expensive and the audiobook listening hours aren't enough. Or I could live with the prices of the artists were paid a lot more.
  12. [R41] 4/5 · US Pay: You don’t pay the artist enough
  13. [R129] 1/5 · US Spotify CEO can eat a dick: Pay artists better for their music
  14. [R166] 1/5 · US .: their greed sickens me
  15. [R210] 1/5 · US Fact: Every money hungry person deserves to die
  16. [R1] 5/5 · US Spotify is my life support: Can’t live without
  17. [R9] 5/5 · US Spotify is my whole LIFESTYLE: download it NOW💗
  18. [R11] 5/5 · US Music is life: I always believe that without music we can not possibly exist in happiness so I d like ti thank Spotify for making music all the more enjoyable
  19. [R14] 5/5 · US Peak: No podría desear una mejor app de música
  20. [R10] 5/5 · US Spotify 5 =D: I resently got Spotify and I to make playlists for different occasions and now I have one for every occasion I hope you enjoy Spotify as much as I do Ps:beware if you end up searching asmr for like asmr eating or wax cracking “18+asmr” will most likely pop up so be careful
  21. [R16] 5/5 · US AMAZING: Literally the best music app. You can listen to everything for free, follow all your favorite artists, and get updates when they’re about to release a song or album!! Love! Love! Love!
  22. [R21] 5/5 · US The best app: I just love Spotify LOOOVEEEE IT! Me encanta el DJ, me encanta la sugerencias de nueva música, amo que muestre los eventos que van a hacer los artistas. Me encanta escuchar música todo el día y que bueno que tenemos a Spotify para acompañarnos.
  23. [R37] 4/5 · US Great service but bugs: Spotify continues to get better as an app, in the realm of user interface and functionality. The issues I have are all to do with the app not functioning as intend. Laying, incorrect audio, not loading. The bugs you might expect to run into in such an app. Otherwise a very good and clean app! I hate how they pay artists and charge users more so frequently. So b++ on user in
  24. [R27] 5/5 · US Greatest ever!: I love this app so much! The only downside is that it has way too many advertisements. Still, I prefer this to anything else. Apple Music sucks!
  25. [R3] 3/5 · US Too many adds: I keep getting way too many adds
  26. [R6] 4/5 · US W: W Spotify just to many ads
  27. [R8] 2/5 · US Repetitive shuffle ruins an otherwise good app: Repetitive shuffle ruins an otherwise good app
  28. [R13] 1/5 · US Shuffle: Shuffle option sucks. It replays the same few songs.
  29. [R28] 3/5 · US Playlist: I make playlist a month long so I don’t have to hear the same song twice in a month but yet I find the list playing stuff I heard the same day or next. How is that possible? None to happy bout that.
  30. [R36] 1/5 · US Sadly we’re stuck with Spotify: The algorithm needs work!! Every playlist has 300+ songs but shuffle mode plays the same 20 songs everyday… Nothing like Pandora back in the day. Fix the algorithm, I’m sure it wouldn’t cost anywhere near 1/30th the CEO salary!
  31. [R12] 1/5 · US App has become unreliable: The app has become unreliable and will stop playing randomly or just won’t connect to the internet. I’m going to cancel my subscription because the updates seem to make it worse. And yes Spotify I’ve cleared the cache, closed the app, uninstalled reinstalled, restarted my iPad. The app is broken.
  32. [R58] 2/5 · US The: It won’t ply my playlist
  33. [R80] 2/5 · US Have to keep closing app so I can listen to music: I pay a monthly fee so I can listen to music… but I’ve been having to close the app for what feels like every 5 songs. It also stopped playing music for half an hour twice, once while I was on a walk.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store