Best Free Spotify Alternatives in 2020

Take a look at the best free Spotify Alternatives in 2020. These Spotify Alternative Apps are for both Android and iOS-powered smartphones.

As good as Spotify is, there are certain constraints that make us look for other music streaming services. This article goes through the best Spotify Alternatives (Music Streaming services) that fit the bill. The streaming quality on Spotify is limited and you may not always find the songs or artists that you’re looking for. Moreover, the free version comes with skip limit and ads. Lastly, Spotify is not available in lot of countries around the world. And therefore, users in those regions need to look for other music streaming apps like Spotify.

Before going into the list, let’s take a look at pros and cons, and how should a competitor stack up against it. The most important aspect of Spotify is the fact that it has amassed a huge music library since it launched. Almost every artist uploads their new albums and tracks on this platform. However, some artists may still opt for alternative streaming services depending on how much it benefits them. 

Lets go through the list of now and discuss pros and cons alongside.

Best Alternatives to Spotify

1: YouTube Music

Available on Android & iOS.

When we talk in terms of quantity and variety, then YouTube Music is definitely way beyond Spotify. YT has become the homepage of internet for all latest videos, music videos, covers, indie artists, remixes and what not. We do not only find the original tracks on YT Music. It is one of the best Spotify Alternatives.

It works on both Android and iOS. Moreover, the web users may just access their playlists on a Chrome tab. Lastly, the YouTube’s recommendation algorithm is pretty refined. It recommends songs and covers based on our listening habits, likes and dislikes. The free version of YT Music comes with ads of course. However, it is not a dealbreaker and it works quite well anyway.

2: Deezer

Available on Android & iOS.

Deezer is like a replica for Spotify with pretty much same kind of features and overall interface. It offers great collection of songs, albums and artists. Deezer is available in more regions around the world compared to Spotify. This reason alone makes it more suitable for a lot of people.

We can easily create our own playlists. Once the system starts analyzing listening habits, favorite songs and so on, it recommends new songs based on this learning. The recommended system is pretty decent to say the least. No recommendation system works as good as YT Music but it is still good enough. If you are looking for a song, artist or an album, the search functionality is robust and reliable.

The free version is good enough for basic listening. However, more enthusiastic audiophiles may get the premium subscription to unlock full range of features and take their experience to max level.

3: SoundCloud

Available on Android & iOS.

When talking about music streaming apps like Spotify or just in general, how can one not mention one of the oldest in the business. SoundCloud has been around since forever. The only downside to this streaming service is the face that most artists do not upload their original tracks here. However, a lot of now-famous artists gain initial recognition from here. One of the famous ones include Alan Walker who initially came through NCS on SoundCloud.

Similarly, SoundCloud is a cool place to discover podcasts, radio stations, indie artists, remixes, bootlegs and much more. Of course, there are still many official tracks on the site but it is not the focal point of this service. With over 130M tracks, you’re bound to find some amazing and untapped talents out there. 

4: Google Play Music

Available on Android & iOS.

If someone owns music offline and would love to store it online and stream anywhere, then Google Play Music is best alternative to Spotify. The most likeable feature is the fact that we can upload our music in personal account and then access it anywhere. Imagine having lot of premium CDs for music that you love. With Google Play Music, when it is uploaded, access and stream the music anywhere. It does not act like a cloud storage. The streaming is pretty straightforward.

However, in order to truly compete against Spotify, we need original music. And yes, Google Play Music is one of the top destinations for finding the latest music from artists all around the globe. It comes with both free and paid subscriptions. Therefore, you don’t have to break the bank to use this service. 

The recommendation algorithm of Google Play Music is also one of the reasons we’d recommend this. All music lovers eventually get bored of the songs they listen to everyday and want to discover new music. The recommendation algorithm makes music discovery a complete breeze. You get very similar recommendation according to personal music taste.

5: JioSaavn (Formerly Saavn)

Available on Android & iOS.

Saavn or JioSaavn is the biggest hub for all sorts of Indian and Pakistani music. It covers Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Marathi, Telugu and many more languages. However, this is not it. You can still find the mainstream English language artists on this service. However, the main user base for this app is from India, Pakistan and other neighbouring countries. 

The free version of JioSaavn works flawlessly and offers unlimited access to all songs. However, you cannot store the songs offline in free version. The sound quality on free version is also a little bit lower compared to the premium version. Thanks to its deep integration in its target countries, getting its subscription is not only cheap but super easy. 

Conclusion

All the streaming services compared to Spotify above offers some unique perks. Make sure to go through all of these and choose the best one for yourself. It is always a good idea to first test out the free version and then unlock the premium subscription. Feel free to let us know about your thoughts, experiences and queries in the comments section below.