Amazon Music vs Apple Music
Both include hi-res at no extra cost. Apple Music is cheaper for one person unless you have Prime. Amazon wins in Alexa homes.
- Individual
- $12.99/mo
- Duo
- Not offered
- Family
- $21.99/mo
- Student
- $5.99/mo
- Max quality
- Ultra HD up to 24-bit/192 kHz
- Lossless
- Yes
- Hi-res
- Yes
- Catalog
- 100M+ tracks
- Free tier
- Limited, with ads; Prime includes a shuffle tier
- Podcasts
- Yes
- Lyrics
- Yes
- Social
- Limited
- Artist payout
- Pro-rata
- Individual
- $11.99/mo
- Duo
- Not offered
- Family
- $19.99/mo
- Student
- $6.99/mo
- Max quality
- Hi-res lossless up to 24-bit/192 kHz
- Lossless
- Yes
- Hi-res
- Yes
- Catalog
- 100M+ tracks
- Free tier
- No, trial only
- Podcasts
- Limited
- Lyrics
- Yes
- Social
- Shared playlists, friend activity
- Artist payout
- Pro-rata
Price
Apple Music is $11.99 a month. Amazon Music Unlimited is $12.99 without Prime and a dollar less with it (iTechGuides). Family is $19.99 and $21.99.
Price calculator
Not checked yet: SoundCloud. Left out until we confirm current prices.
US prices, checked Sep 26, 2026. Yearly figure is 12 months at the monthly rate.
Sound quality
Both stream up to 24-bit/192 kHz and include spatial audio.
Catalog and features
Amazon Music Unlimited includes one Audible audiobook a month and works best with Echo speakers. Apple Music is built into iPhone and has synced lyrics and Apple Music Classical.
Verdict
Pick Apple Music on iPhone. Pick Amazon Music Unlimited if you have Prime and use Alexa.
Pick where your music is now.