Pandora vs Spotify
Pandora is built around radio stations and works best if you like to press play and let it choose. Spotify is better if you want to pick exactly what you hear, build playlists, and listen to podcasts.
- Individual
- $10.99/mo
- Duo
- Not offered
- Family
- $17.99/mo
- Student
- $5.99/mo
- Max quality
- 320 kbps AAC
- Lossless
- No
- Hi-res
- No
- Catalog
- Radio-first, US only
- Free tier
- Yes, radio with ads
- Podcasts
- Yes
- Lyrics
- Yes
- Social
- Limited
- Artist payout
- Pro-rata
- Individual
- $12.99/mo
- Duo
- $18.99/mo
- Family
- $21.99/mo
- Student
- $6.99/mo
- Max quality
- Lossless up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz
- Lossless
- Yes
- Hi-res
- No
- Catalog
- 100M+ tracks, large podcast and audiobook library
- Free tier
- Yes, with ads
- Podcasts
- Yes
- Lyrics
- Yes
- Social
- Jam, Blend, shared playlists
- Artist payout
- Pro-rata, 1,000-stream minimum per track
Price
Pandora has three tiers: free with ads, Pandora Plus, and Pandora Premium. Only Premium gives full on-demand play like Spotify, and it costs $10.99 a month on Pandora's website (Pandora). Spotify is $12.99 a month for one person.
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
Pandora Premium streams up to 192 kbps (Pandora). Spotify Premium includes lossless up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz (Spotify).
Catalog and features
Pandora's Music Genome Project powers some of the best radio-style stations around, and thumbs up or down tunes them over time. It's US-only. Spotify is available worldwide and has a much bigger podcast library, better playlist tools and far more device support.
Verdict
Pick Pandora if you mostly listen to stations and like the lean-back experience. Pick Spotify for on-demand listening, playlists, podcasts, and use outside the US.
Pick where your music is now.