Ping Fm Logo ping.fm
Roman Kropachek Photo
Written by:

Last update on

Spotify vs Pandora (best free music apps / software)

Compare
Winner
Ease of Use
Music Library
Sound Quality
Interface
Features and Tools
Playlist Curation
Ads in Free Version
Price of Premium Version
Podcast Availability
Radio Station Availability
FREE / PAID
Pandora has a free, ad-supported tier and two Premium tiers: Plus ($4.99/month) with ad-free listening and unlimited skips, and Premium ($9.99/month) which allows on-demand listening.
Spotify offers a free tier with ads and a Premium tier at $9.99/month. The latter offers ad-free listening, offline play, and unlimited skips.
Conclusion

Pandora offers a unique music experience thanks to its music genome project , but contains ads on free tier .

Spotify nails it with an extensive music library and personalized playlists . However, its free tier is somewhat limitative .

Pandora Pros & Cons

Top Pros
  • Personalised radio stations

  • Unique features and tools ️

  • Good sound quality

  • Easy to use

  • Variety of podcasts ️

Spotify Pros & Cons

Top Pros
  • Extensive music library

  • Excellent sound quality

  • Podcast availability

  • Good playlist curation

  • Premium version reasonably priced

  • User-friendly interface

Top Cons
  • Fewer songs compared to competitors

  • Ads in free version

  • No option to play specific songs in free version ⛔

  • Limited skips per day in free version ⏩

  • No lyrics feature

  • Not as user-friendly as competitors

Top Cons
  • Ads in the free version

  • Limited features in the free version

  • Requires internet for free version

  • No lyrics feature

  • Cannot play offline on free version

Other best free music apps

3

SoundCloud is an excellent platform for discovering independent artists and tracks that aren’t mainstream 🎤. However, the interface could use improvements 🛠️.

4

iHeartRadio is perfect for those who love radio stations and podcasts 💖 📻, but lacks in catalog depth compared to others 😞.

5

TuneIn Radio boasts a vast amount of radio stations worldwide 🌍, yet the app interface could be more intuitive 😕.

FAQ

Spotify, Pandora, SoundCloud, Apple Music, and Amazon Music are some of the highly recommended free music apps available today.

Spotify‘s free service allows users to access all playlists and discover new music. These users experience occasional ads and can’t download songs for offline listening. For more details, you can visit their official site here.

Pandora‘s free service offers customizable radio stations based on user preferences with occasional ads. Users doesn’t have the ability to download for offline listening. Detailed information can be found on the official Pandora website.

Yes, Spotify Free users can certainly create their own playlists. But there will be ads inserted between songs.

Yes, Pandora Free users can customize their radio stations based on their favorite artists, songs or genres. However, they may experience ads during playback.

Spotify and Pandora have audio ads and banner ads that are displayed or played periodically throughout the user’s music listening experience.

Spotify Premium offers benefits like ad-free listening, unlimited skips, playing any song any time, and offline listening. Detailed information can be found on Spotify’s official site.

Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium offer ad-free listening, high quality audio, unlimited skips/replays, and offline listening, among other features. For more details, check out Pandora’s official site.

As of now, Spotify is available in 93 countries, while Pandora is only available in the United States.

Yes, both Spotify and Pandora allow users to follow their favorite artists and receive updates on new releases.

Spotify and Pandora are compatible with platforms such as Android, iOS, PC, and various smart home devices.

As for now, Spotify does not announce a limit to the number of songs users can add to their playlists. However, the overall library limit is 10,000 songs.

Yes, Pandora Premium users have the ability to create their own playlists. However, free users can only customize stations, not playlists.

Indeed, both Spotify and Pandora can be linked to Facebook, enabling users to share their music choices with friends.

Yes, both Spotify and Pandora offer a wide range of podcasts and radio shows in various categories.

Yes, new music is quickly updated on both Spotify and Pandora, often the same day of the album or single’s release.

The frequency of ads is variable, but typically, free users of Spotify and Pandora can expect an ad after approximately 2-3 songs.

No, offline listening is a premium feature and not available in the free versions of either Spotify or Pandora.

The default sound quality for Spotify is typically 160kbps for free users and up to 320kbps for Premium users. For Pandora, it ranges from 64kbps for free users to 192kbps for Premium users.

Yes, both Spotify and Pandora have algorithms in place to recommend songs and create personalized playlists based on your previous listening choices.

There are multiple great free music apps such as Spotify, Pandora, and iHeartRadio. Each app offers vast music libraries and personalized playlists to suit the user’s preferences.

Spotify functions as a music streaming app that allows users to listen to songs, podcasts, and live shows. It offers a free version with ads or a premium version with added features and no ads.

No, you don’t have to pay to use Pandora. This music streaming service offers both a free version with ads and a subscription-based version that eliminates ads and offers added benefits.

Yes, Spotify has a broad range of music genres – pop, country, hip-hop, classical, jazz, etc. The app caters to diverse musical tastes and preferences.

Yes, on Pandora you can create personalized playlists based on your music preferences. The platform uses its Music Genome Project to understand and cater to user’s individual music tastes.

Yes, Spotify offers a download option for offline consumption, but it’s only available for Premium subscribers.

The radio feature on Pandora allows you to select a song, artist, or genre and the platform generates a radio station based on your selection. This feature is available for both free and subscribed users.

Yes, free users on Spotify can only skip six songs per hour per station while premium users have unlimited skips.

Yes, Pandora offers an ad-free experience in its Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium subscription options.

Yes, Spotify does offer a family subscription plan. Up to 6 family members can enjoy Spotify Premium benefits under one reduced price subscription.

Yes, Pandora offers high-quality audio but it’s available only for its Plus and Premium subscribers.

Yes, Spotify is available in over 170 countries around the globe.

Yes, Pandora can be used across multiple devices using the same account. However, active listening across multiple devices simultaneously requires a Pandora Plus or Premium subscription.

Yes, besides music, Spotify host a wide variety of podcasts across multiple themes and genres.

Yes, Pandora is known for its music discovery capabilities, it suggests new songs and artists based on your listening habits.

Yes, Spotify lets users share playlists with their friends and others via social media or direct messages.

Yes, Pandora offers the lyrics feature for a majority of its songs. You can see them as you listen to the song.

Yes, offline listening is available on Pandora but only for Plus and Premium subscribers.

Yes, Spotify can be easily integrated with multiple smart devices like Amazon Echo, Google Home, and others.

Yes, you can block certain artists on Pandora. This feature allows you to customize your listening experience even more.