Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Mixcloud vs SoundCloud

Mixcloud 4.8★ · Free to download 45
Winner SoundCloud
SoundCloud 4.8★ · Free + IAP 65

SoundCloud is the better choice for a broader range of music and artist discovery, despite its ad-heavy free tier, while Mixcloud struggles with significant app stability and feature issues.

Full reviews: Mixcloud · SoundCloud

SoundCloud offers a vast library of music, including unreleased tracks and independent artists, though its free version is plagued by frequent ads. Mixcloud excels in DJ mixes and curated content but is currently hampered by numerous technical bugs and a perceived degradation of features, even for premium users.

Head to head

Content & Discovery edge: SoundCloudR5R8R17R20
Mixcloud Mixcloud is praised for its extensive collection of DJ mixes, old school mixes, and the ability to find specific DJs and their archives, offering a 'final frontier' for music and a global link to various genres R5R8R17R20. Users appreciate finding lost classics and discovering new DJs .
SoundCloud SoundCloud is highly valued for its unique content, including unreleased music, sped-up/slowed-down versions of songs, and a platform for new and upcoming artists R64. Many users consider it superior to other streaming services for its diverse and open music library . It's also a heaven for amazing DJ sets .
App Reliability & Performance edge: SoundCloudR1R4R9R10
Mixcloud Mixcloud users report significant and frequent issues with app functionality, including connection problems, music not playing, constant glitching, freezing, and unresponsiveness R1R4R10R13. Login problems are common R10R13, and some users experience issues with playlists disappearing or jumping tracks . The app also has UI bugs like landscape mode not working on iPads R9.
SoundCloud SoundCloud generally receives positive feedback on its core functionality, with many users calling it the 'best app ever' R62. However, some recent reviews indicate issues like the app crashing, not loading, or profile access problems .
User Experience & Features tieR6R12R15R22
Mixcloud Mixcloud is criticized for a decline in user experience, with features like seeing current track info and 30-second skip buttons being removed or made premium R15R31. The search function is described as 'useless' . Some users also report issues with auto-playing music when the app is closed, tracks stopping when other apps are used, and repetitive show playback R6R12R22. CarPlay functionality is buggy, and it no longer restarts where you left off .
SoundCloud SoundCloud's free tier is heavily criticized for an excessive number of long and frequent ads, sometimes playing every 2-3 songs or even upon opening the app R63R66. The search feature is deemed non-existent or difficult to use, lacking filters and organization . Some users dislike having to follow/like tracks to see play counts .
Price & Value (Free vs. Paid) tieR11R14R16R28
Mixcloud Mixcloud is free to download, and some users appreciate the lack of pop-ups and ads in the free version R11R14. However, premium users express frustration over subscription issues, such as not being able to download or replay mixes, or features being stripped away despite paying R16R28R31R46. There are also complaints about charging for fast-forwarding and high subscription fees compared to other services .
SoundCloud SoundCloud is free to download with in-app purchases, but its free tier is heavily criticized for an overwhelming number of ads R63R66. Many songs are locked behind a 'Go Pro' or subscription paywall . Some users report being charged after canceling or being locked out of paid ad-free accounts .
Sound Quality edge: SoundCloudR30R62
Mixcloud One Mixcloud user specifically noted that the sound quality is 'often so poor' that they switch to Spotify R30.
SoundCloud SoundCloud is praised by some users for having 'better sound quality than any other app' R62.
Support & Creator Tools tieR55R61R70R99
Mixcloud One Mixcloud user reported a 'BOOST IS A SCAM!' experience, where paid promotion did not deliver as expected, and support explained it as only a 'chance' at promotion R55.
SoundCloud SoundCloud's support for artists is heavily criticized, with reports of abysmal distribution and discovery mechanics, long waits for email responses, and songs appearing on platforms after being taken down, even for paying Artist Pro members R70R99. There's also a complaint about inappropriate promo images for Artist Pro R61.
Pick Mixcloud if

you are primarily interested in discovering and listening to DJ mixes and curated shows, and are willing to tolerate significant app stability issues and a potentially degrading feature set R5R17R20.

Pick SoundCloud if

you want access to a vast and diverse library of music, including unreleased tracks and independent artists, and are prepared to either endure frequent ads on the free tier or pay for a premium subscription R64.

Evidence note: Mixcloud's recent reviews show a strong negative trend regarding app stability and feature removal, despite its high lifetime rating. SoundCloud's free tier is heavily criticized for ads, but its content library is consistently praised.

Frequently asked

Which app has better music variety for discovery?
SoundCloud has better music variety for discovery, offering a wide range of unreleased tracks, independent artists, and unique versions of songs that aren't found on other platforms R64. Mixcloud focuses more on DJ mixes and curated shows R5R17R32.
Are there many ads on the free versions?
SoundCloud's free version has a significant problem with ads, with users reporting ads every 2-3 songs or immediately upon opening the app, making the experience frustrating R63R66. Mixcloud, on the other hand, is praised by some for having no pop-ups or ads in its free tier R11R14.
Which app is more reliable?
SoundCloud appears to be more reliable in its core functionality, though some recent reports mention crashing and loading issues . Mixcloud has numerous and consistent complaints about connection problems, glitching, unresponsiveness, and login failures, indicating significant reliability issues R1R4R10R13.
Do premium features work as expected?
For Mixcloud, premium features like downloading and replaying mixes do not always work, and some features have been removed or made premium, leading to user dissatisfaction R16R28R31R46. For SoundCloud, some users report being charged after canceling or being locked out of paid ad-free accounts , and artists paying for 'Artist Pro' experience abysmal distribution and customer service R70.

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. [R5] Mixcloud 5/5 · US Righteous Mixes!: The BEST in old school mixes! Read RELENTLESS!
  2. [R8] Mixcloud 5/5 · US Jimmy Givens blues Cruise: So much fun excellent entertainment
  3. [R17] Mixcloud 5/5 · US Kenny K,Ty Boogie,Nelly Nell: I love that you can find just about any DJ you like in rotation!
  4. [R20] Mixcloud 5/5 · US Mil gracias: Agradezco infinitame a esta app por permitirme escuchar a los mejores djs con mucha música de todos los tiempos claro mi mejor época fue de los 80s y 90s y tiene bastantes mixes gracias totales
  5. [R1] Mixcloud 1/5 · US No connection: Every time I select music, it says there’s a problem with the connection
  6. [R4] Mixcloud 2/5 · US Good to Bad to Ugly: MixCloud was one of my favorite apps for many years. Unfortunately it has gone from, Good to Bad to Ugly. The basic functionality was excellent for many years. Then inconsistencies crept in and increased throughout 2025. Frustrating, it is and has been for several months of 2026. Often I would share links for streams, several times a day. Now it rarely works well for mo
  7. [R9] Mixcloud 3/5 · US Wide music choice ruined by faulty UI: Db radio and world wide DJ’s of every stripe a great plus. The fact that some times it works in landscape on my iPad, and then randomly will switch to portrait and not switch back. Frustrating to the point of not using the app any longer. It may seem minor, maybe it is, but it makes want to delete the app and sit in silence instead.
  8. [R10] Mixcloud 1/5 · US Can’t login at all!: Unexpected response from the server!!!!!!!!!
  9. [R6] Mixcloud 3/5 · US Love it but keeps force playing: I love the app but it does the same thing Apple Music does and just starts playing even when the app isn’t even opened or in the background. It’s getting to where I delete it and redownload it whenever I want to listen to it.
  10. [R12] Mixcloud 3/5 · US Initial thoughts…: Keeps stopping when I use other apps
  11. [R15] Mixcloud 3/5 · US Good service, rotting app: A decent service that hosts some great DJ sets. Unfortunately, the app is slowly being stripped of features. The ability to see what track is currently playing beyond a truncated title that might not even display the artist was made a premium feature a few months ago, and in a recent update the buttons for skipping forward and backward by 30 seconds were stripped out. I
  12. [R22] Mixcloud 1/5 · US Keeps play same shows: Once a show ends, I get a show playing automatically that I have already listened to. I prefer to hear other new shows from people I follow.
  13. [R11] Mixcloud 5/5 · US Mixcloud is great!: So many apps ruined by pop ups and ads. Not this one! If the genre’s of music featured are your cup of tea…it’s a really good app! I use it a lot and totally recommend it for anyone into ambient, house, etc. It’s awesome.
  14. [R14] Mixcloud 5/5 · US Super great: This app it’s so awesome. The best music app specially if you hate adds. 👌 totally 10/10
  15. [R16] Mixcloud 1/5 · US Subscription means nothing!: What’s the use of making people pay subscription if you’re not going to do anything about making it exclusive? Just paid and literally still can’t listen to anything!
  16. [R28] Mixcloud 1/5 · US Won’t let me replay favorites or downloaded mix: I’m a premium member and should be able to replay mixes regardless if it’s the only mix I listen to. No reason to cut me off.
  17. [R30] Mixcloud 3/5 · GB Sound Quality: The sound quality is often do poor that I often come off MixCloud after 5 minutes and go on to Spotify to listen to some music.
  18. [R62] SoundCloud 5/5 · US Best app ever: Get this for any age this is great and has better sound quality than any other app
  19. [R55] Mixcloud 1/5 · US BOOST IS A SCAM!: I paid to have a mix boosted for 5 days. For several of those days, my mix was not promoted at all. When I contacted support to ask why it wasn’t being promoted when I paid to boost it for those days, I was told that I was only paying for a CHANCE at being promoted, based on how many people boosted at the same time. If 5 people pay to be promoted in the same category for 5 days,
  20. [R61] SoundCloud 1/5 · US 👎: The Artist Pro paywall shows an official promo image of a model wearing "LETS SUMMON DEMONS" on their shirt. Including a weird and inappropriate image with some weird symbols. Inappropriate for a paid creator service used by all ages. There's no way to report official SoundCloud content, Help Center only allows reporting users. Please fix this.
  21. [R70] SoundCloud 1/5 · US Abysmal Distribution and Discovery Mechanics: Waiting months to get an email response about distributed tracks still appearing on platforms that I’ve had officially taken down through their website and they showed they were not “live” anymore but weeks to a month later songs that weren’t even up are now appearing as well. WHILE I PAY THEM FOR ARTIST PRO… utterly insane customer service. Zero help
  22. [R99] SoundCloud 1/5 · US Could be better: They know why but they don’t want to fix anything. Heading to another music uploader/distributor.
  23. [R32] Mixcloud 5/5 · US So Many: Every DJ you can think of is Available on this platform! Even their Archives 💯
  24. [R64] SoundCloud 1/5 · US AI Music Suffocating Human artist: A view SoundCloud for years to find new & upcoming artist and people learning how to express their creative processes for the world to see. This is the Place Billie Eilish gained acknowledgment, XXXTENTACION, Lil Peep, Ski Mask, etc., so how did one of the most creative applications for music turn so AI driven, Was it Money? Was our memberships not enough of a fe
  25. [R63] SoundCloud 3/5 · US Ads: I hate the length of the adds and the amount of them
  26. [R66] SoundCloud 3/5 · US Ads: I’ve had this app since I was in middle school. I understand the ads but if I just opened the app and get an immediate ad I just go to Apple Music or YouTube. Every 3 songs is annoying
  27. [R13] Mixcloud 1/5 · US BROKEN: Was Great Now the APP wont work wont let me do a Password reset. NOTHING. Unexpected error. Server issues.
  28. [R31] Mixcloud 2/5 · US High Quality of music, Low quality of life.: Downloaded the app a couple years ago now, you could download 2 or 3 tracks for free offline play, no fast forward restrictions, no subscription required. Now you’ve gotta pay if you want to use the skip ahead button more than 6 times a day. Sad how the app has fallen out of shape due to unfettered greed.
  29. [R46] Mixcloud 1/5 · US Premium???: Don’t bother this app is flawed, I upgrade to premium to be able to download and listen to music from my favorite DJ’s , but no dice. The download doesn’t work from the app first of all and after the last update you can’t play it from the website anymore. I’m cancel and would caution anyone looking to upgrade expect to listen to a stream without interruption Mixcloud Premium is not for

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