SpotifyvsApple MusicvsYouTube Music
Spotify vs Apple Music vs YouTube Music: what listeners complain about
Spotify raised prices in many markets and added lossless audio in 2025, and YouTube raised Premium and Music prices in 2026. Which app do listeners fault for price, sound, recommendations or bugs?
Shared comparison by OneStar · updated Oct 29, 2026By OneStar
With the Spotify app, you can explore an extensive library of music and podcasts for free.
Store ratings: App Store 4.8 · Google Play 4.33,000 reviews read · Aug 26, 2026 to Oct 28, 2026Open the Spotify reportApple Music is all about the music, with the highest audio quality; exclusive, in-depth content and unparalleled access to the artists you love–all ad-free.
Store ratings: App Store 4.8 · Google Play 4.63,000 reviews read · Oct 29, 2025 to Oct 28, 2026Open the Apple Music reportConnecting you to the world of music:
Store ratings: App Store 4.8 · Google Play 4.53,000 reviews read · Oct 30, 2025 to Oct 28, 2026Open the YouTube Music report- Date overlap: The reports share 18% of the dates they cover between them.
Spotify leads on 3 of 7 measures; 4 are too close to call.
Scorecard
Each value comes with its 95% range. A leader is named only when the gap holds up to the test.
| Measure | Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| Store scoreThe App Store and Google Play rating from every star tap; the rows below come from written reviews | 4.55from 79.3 million ratings; written reviews average 3.7, below it | 4.80from 4 million ratings; written reviews average 3.6, below it | 4.54from 9.4 million ratings; written reviews average 3.0, far below it |
| ComplainShare of reviewers who complain about something, lower is better | 50%Leads95% range 48% to 52% | 53%95% range 51% to 55% | 71%95% range 70% to 73% |
| PraiseShare of reviewers who praise something, higher is better | 62%Leads95% range 60% to 64% | 58%95% range 56% to 60% | 45%95% range 43% to 46% |
| Said they leftShare of reviewers who say they quit or are leaving, lower is better | 1%Leads95% range 1% to 2% | 2%95% range 2% to 3% | 3%95% range 3% to 4% |
| Blame a changeShare of complaints tied to an update, redesign or price change, lower is better | 14%95% range 12% to 16% | 13%95% range 11% to 15% | 21%95% range 19% to 23% |
| SpecificShare of reviews that name something concrete | 95%95% range 93% to 96% | 94%95% range 93% to 95% | 97%95% range 96% to 98% |
| Ask for featuresShare of reviewers who ask for something new or something back | 7%95% range 6% to 8% | 12%95% range 11% to 13% | 18%95% range 17% to 19% |
| SentimentMean feeling in the review text, 0 very negative to 4 very positive, higher is better | 2.46 | 2.35 | 1.78 |
| Star ratingMean stars of the reviewers the sample stands for, higher is better | 3.72 | 3.59 | 3.06 |
| Developer repliesShare of reviews with a developer reply, unweighted, higher is better | 19%95% range 17% to 21% | 0%95% range 0% to 1% | No data |
Top findings
- Fewer Spotify reviewers complain: 50% against 53% for Apple Music.
- YouTube Music is weak on crashes and bugs: 24% of reviewers mention it against 9% for Spotify, and those reviews average 1.2 stars lower.
- Spotify is weak on ads: 17% of reviewers mention it against under 1% for Apple Music, and those reviews average 1.0 stars lower.
- YouTube Music draws more complaints about missing feature: 20% of reviewers against 5% for Spotify.
Where complaints differ most
Share of each app's complaints
Where praise differs most
Share of each app's praise
Made with OneStar's App Store and Google Play review analyzer. Run one on your own app or a competitor's, free with no card.