Spotify is cheaper than YouTube Premium in USD on every fair reading of the dated rows: the cheapest Spotify Individual price is ₦1,600 / $1.18 in Nigeria, while the cheapest YouTube Individual price is ₦2,200 / $1.63, also Nigeria. Both figures were checked August 29, 2026.
In the United States the gap depends on which YouTube checkout you used. Our App Store table says $20.99 for YouTube Individual versus $12.99 for Spotify. Google’s web Individual price after the April 2026 hike is $15.99 — still more than Spotify, but five dollars a month less than tapping Subscribe in the iPhone app. A lot of “YouTube vs Spotify 2026” pages quote $15.99 and never mention Apple billing. That is how you accidentally pay $60 extra a year. We wrote the checkout split up here: Is YouTube Premium cheaper on iOS or web?.
These are also not the same product. YouTube Premium is a video plan that happens to include YouTube Music. Spotify is a music plan. The comparison is fair only if you were going to pay for ad-free YouTube anyway.
Raw board (App Store rows): YouTube vs Spotify.
Which is cheaper, YouTube or Spotify?
Dated Individual rows, verified August 29, 2026. YouTube column is App Store / billed-by-Apple unless noted.
| Product | Cheapest verified country | Local | USD | vs US (App Store) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify Individual | Nigeria | ₦1,600 | $1.18 | −91% |
| YouTube Individual | Nigeria | ₦2,200 | $1.63 | −92% |
US checkout split:
| Plan | Spotify | YouTube web | YouTube App Store |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Individual | $12.99 | $15.99 | $20.99 |
| US Family | $21.99 | $26.99 | $34.99 |
Same-country App Store snapshots:
| Country | Spotify Individual | YouTube Individual (App Store) | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | ₦1,600 = $1.18 | ₦2,200 = $1.63 | Spotify |
| Pakistan | Rs 379 = $1.37 | Rs 649 = $2.34 | Spotify |
| India | ₹139 = $1.45 | ₹289 = $3.02 | Spotify |
| Turkey | ₺99 = $2.07 | ₺159.99 = $3.34 | Spotify |
| Philippines | ₱169 = $2.73 | ₱629 = $10.17 | Spotify, badly |
| United Kingdom | £12.99 = $17.61 | £16.99 = $23.03 | Spotify |
| United States | $12.99 | $20.99 | Spotify |
The Philippines YouTube IAP row is the one that should scare iPhone subscribers: ₱629 versus ₱169. That is not a music-vs-video argument. That is a billing-rail argument.
Full tables: YouTube and Spotify.
Are these the same product?
No. Spotify playlists, Wrapped, podcasts, Duo, and a real free music tier. YouTube Premium is ad-free video, background video, offline video, YouTube Kids without ads, and YouTube Music. TechCrunch confirmed the April 10, 2026 US hike: Premium Individual $13.99 → $15.99 on Google’s own checkout, Music-only $10.99 → $11.99, Family $22.99 → $26.99. Our August 29 App Store check is the higher billed-by-Apple ladder.
If you watch YouTube every day, the bundle can beat “Spotify + sitting through video ads.” If you barely open YouTube, Premium is an expensive way to buy a second music app.
Where each one is genuinely cheap
Both still do extreme regional pricing, unlike the $20 AI plans. Nigeria, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Turkey — music and YouTube IAP are pocket change in dollar terms. The UK and much of Western Europe are the surcharge.
The lever most people can pull without changing country is YouTube’s web checkout. India: ₹149 web versus ₹289 in-app. US: $15.99 versus $20.99. Spotify does not offer that fork; it pulled iOS in-app signup rather than run two prices.
How do you actually pay for each one?
Spotify: country site, cards, UPI in India. No Spotify gift cards anymore. Residency clause since September 2025.
YouTube: Google account. Pay on youtube.com unless you enjoy Apple’s cut. Premium follows the Google login into the iOS app either way. Family on Apple billing is $34.99 US versus $26.99 web.
What a VPN can and cannot do here
A VPN does not create UPI or a Nigerian card, and it does not turn an Apple-billed YouTube sub into a web sub. To leave Apple billing you cancel in iOS Settings, wait out the paid period, then subscribe at youtube.com. That is a checkout change, not a country change.
The bottom line
Music only: Spotify is cheaper on every dated Individual row we hold, including the US.
You watch a lot of YouTube: price web Premium ($15.99 US) against Spotify, not the $20.99 iOS default. If the ads were the whole problem, the bundle can make sense. If they were not, you just bought a video plan.
iPhone users in the Philippines: do not subscribe to YouTube inside the app. The IAP row is a different planet from Spotify’s ₱169.
Live table: YouTube vs Spotify. Worth-it pages: Is Spotify Premium worth it · Is YouTube Premium worth it.
Our methodology, sources, and refresh schedule: methodology.