Head-to-head
Apple Store vs Spotify
Apple Store
40
Winner
Spotify
Spotify
80
Spotify is the clear winner for music streaming due to its extensive library and user satisfaction, while the Apple Store app is primarily for managing Apple products and services, often facing criticism for payment and app management issues.
Full reviews: Apple Store · Spotify
Spotify excels as a music streaming service, offering a vast selection and personalized playlists, though its free tier is heavily criticized for ads. The Apple Store app, designed for purchasing and managing Apple products, struggles with user experience, payment processing, and app management, leading to lower user satisfaction.
Head to head
Apple Store Users appreciate the Apple Store app for viewing product models and finding suitable phones R17. Some users wish for easier management of installed apps and more control over device settings like Downtime blocks R30R27. There are also requests for specific apps or features, like a Hetalia dating sim or the ability to send entire text message threads R6.
Spotify Spotify is praised for its extensive music library, ability to create playlists, and personalized recommendations R95. Users enjoy discovering new music and the high audio quality R95R116. However, some users report a lack of variety, with the app playing the same 20 songs repeatedly from large playlists . There are also complaints about the inability to rewind or fast forward songs like podcasts .
Apple Store Some users find the Apple Store app easy to navigate and useful . However, many experience difficulties, such as issues updating payment information R7, problems with apps not opening R9, slow loading times R12, and challenges finding and managing installed apps R15R30. The app also forces updates to the latest iOS to function, which can be problematic for users with older devices .
Spotify Spotify is generally considered easy to use and navigate . However, some users find the user interface (UI) frustrating, especially with new features or in car mode . The app can also lose track of what's playing or through which speaker, requiring multiple clicks . Some users report slow loading times for songs and issues with the app going into offline mode despite having a connection .
Apple Store The Apple Store app has significant reliability issues, including payment processing failures R7, orders not being processed on time R46, and problems with gift card usage R13. Users also report apps not updating R11 or not being available in their country R16. Some experience general app dysfunction, with buttons not working .
Spotify Spotify generally performs well, with users enjoying its consistent music playback . However, some report glitches, such as music cutting in and out and the app closing sessions unexpectedly . There are also complaints about the app being slow to load songs and sometimes recommending the wrong music .
Apple Store The Apple Store app is free to download, but users express frustration over perceived hidden costs, such as a $30 upcharge if not immediately connecting to a major carrier R58. There are also complaints about having to pay for extra storage R52 and some prices for items being considered egregious R39. Some users mistakenly believe they should be able to download free apps without needing payment information R1.
Spotify Spotify is free to download, but its free tier is heavily criticized for an excessive number of long ads R64R76. Users also dislike limitations on the free tier, such as only 6 skips allowed R82 and the inability to choose song order or specific songs . Premium is seen as expensive, with users questioning price increases without innovation . Some users find the 15 hours of audiobooks on premium to be a rip-off .
Apple Store Apple's support receives mixed reviews. Some users report that Apple has tried to help them with issues like recurring charges R4. Others highlight positive experiences with in-store staff, like Max helping beginners with new phones R5. However, many users face unhelpful support, such as being unable to update payment information R7 or being given conflicting information regarding gift card usage R13. There are also complaints about difficulty contacting merchants for issues with third-party apps R4.
Spotify Reviews for Spotify do not directly mention customer support experiences. User feedback primarily focuses on app functionality, features, and the free tier limitations.
Pick Apple Store if
You primarily need to browse and purchase Apple products, or manage your Apple devices, and are willing to navigate potential payment and app management frustrations R17.
Evidence note: The Apple Store app's reviews are often mixed, with a significant portion expressing frustration over core functionalities like payments and app management. Spotify's reviews are overwhelmingly positive for its core service, with most negative feedback directed at the free tier's ad frequency and feature limitations.
Frequently asked
Is the Apple Store app good for buying products?
What are the main complaints about Spotify's free version?
The main complaints about Spotify's free version are the excessive number and length of ads, often playing multiple ads after just one or two songs R64R76R78. Users also dislike limitations such as only 6 skips allowed and the inability to choose specific songs or the order of songs in a playlist R82.
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.
- [R6] Apple Store Reasonable: Anyway, yeah I liked it. Please put the Hetalia dating sim on there if you have it or smth idk my mom deleted the App Store
- [R17] Apple Store Good app: It’s a good app. It’s very useful to see the models. I can now see what phone is best for me.ty for this app
- [R27] Apple Store Apple Family: Please set up the ability to create multiple Downtime blocks on Apple devices. This ability is very much needed!
- [R30] Apple Store Surprisingly annoying to find installed apps: It would be nice if it was easier to find and manage the apps I have installed instead of all of the main options pushing you to new downloads. I usually end up going to pending updates to find my installed apps.
- [R7] Apple Store This app sucks: I’ve been trying to update my payment information for weeks and can’t and they haven’t been able to help me 😡
- [R9] Apple Store Solitaire free?: My solitaire free is on my phone but it will Not open? Please help! Janet
- [R12] Apple Store Is ok I guess: It is alright but sometimes it takes forever for things to load personally I need something faster.
- [R15] Apple Store It’s not helping: I can not find apps that i want
- [R11] Apple Store Weird: The app won’t let me update the new version and I can’t use it
- [R13] Apple Store Very unethical in my opinion: Got price in app and then bought gift cards at grocery store (for fuel points) to make the purchase. App wouldn’t let me select pickup at store. Called support who said go to store. I did waste 4 hours of my time because store wouldn’t let me use gift cards either (ripped the laptop away from me) even though they verified the balance on their own website. Told me I co
- [R16] Apple Store Cloud power miner not available in my country: Real app worked daily withdrawals reset now not available do to fecal made up policies appple owes partial refund for taking my choice and account in that app from me no they are not sorry fake conveluted garbage and developers are legit. policies to protect rich and wealthy Apple are trash thanks for acting like google play and screwing people Apple
- [R1] Apple Store No money: Let me download free apps without money please!?!?!!!???!!??!!
- [R39] Apple Store Meh: It’s ok I guess some prices are egregious though
- [R52] Apple Store Storage: I despise apple for making me delete photos because I have too much storage when I already deleted almost half of my camera roll. You people are greedy charging for extra storage, this is absolutely absurd and selfish- what has humanity come to that we have to pay just to keep our memories? Not only the memories but to keep our phone going, this is insane and I will not allow it not on my
- [R58] Apple Store Deceptive: app forces a $30 upcharge if you do not want to connect to a major carrier immediately, making the advertised prices deceptive
- [R4] Apple Store Flex city: Please reconsider flex city being on Apple Store or App Store. You cannot reach the merchant through any type of contact information. It doesn’t work. No number. No email. No official way to contact them. I have a reoccurring charge from them through Apple that’s 118.00 everyday and cannot get it off. Please help me with this. And prevent other people from accessing the game. Especially
- [R5] Apple Store Apple phones for beginners: Max was great to help us old ladies get started with the main main focus of our new phones. But we ran out of time right when things were getting useful to me and he mention a next class on ..how to utilize the Cloud for our benefit! We need that class!
- [R46] Apple Store Orders: Placed an order and wasn’t even processed before the day it was supposed to be delivered. Taking a week and a half longer than advertised
- [R64] Spotify Too many ads: Spotify premium is way too expensive so I don’t have it but it’s so annoying how it says “30 mins of interrupted music” and it plays two songs and then 5 ads. It’s false advertising my songs typically last 3-4 mins so when two play it’ll only be like 6 or 8 mins and I’ll get 5 ads. It is so frustrating
- [R76] Spotify Ads.: Getting 3 ads after listening to a 1.5 MINUTES SONG IS ABSURD.
- [R78] Spotify Way too many ads: Every two songs there are then four to five adds to watch
- [R82] Spotify Spotify: Too much adds and I don’t like how there is only 6 skips aloud I don’t think there should be a limit
- [R95] Spotify Over the top: Been enjoying Spotify for years now, I think it’d be unfair to ignore reviewing it. Spotify audio quality is unmatched, I think they also remaster old songs aswell, might be wrong but hey I can go back in time and play a wide variety of favorite songs, this is unmatched, highly recommend giving Spotify a try
- [R97] Spotify Sound quality: sound quality sucks!! i've had spotify since 2013. Today 2026 i tried apple music for the first time and The Quality is way better!!! in apple music. Goodbye spotify Im out!!!
- [R116] Spotify Quality: I really enjoy using this app! It is high quality and it makes the experience of listening to new music AMAZING.
Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store