YouTube Premium vs Spotify Price History
After both services' 2026 hikes, YouTube Premium costs $15.99 to Spotify Premium's $12.99. That's $3 more for ad-free YouTube plus a full music service versus audio only — if you watch YouTube at all, the bundle still wins on value per dollar. Every YouTube Premium and Spotify tier tracked, 2021–2026, with every price change sourced.
YouTube Premium
Better value4 plans + 1 retired · default: Individual
Spotify
4 plans · default: Premium Individual
Better value: YouTube Premium
After both services' 2026 hikes, YouTube Premium costs $15.99 to Spotify Premium's $12.99. That's $3 more for ad-free YouTube plus a full music service versus audio only — if you watch YouTube at all, the bundle still wins on value per dollar.
The Numbers Behind the Verdict
Individual vs Premium Individual — the default tier of each service, 2021–2026. A green tick marks the better number in each row.
| Metric | YouTube Premium Individual | Spotify Premium Individual |
|---|---|---|
| Current Price (2026) | $15.99 | $12.99 (better) |
| Total Change | +33% | +30% (better) |
| Number of Hikes | 2 (better) | 3 |
| Hike Frequency | Every 2.5 yrs (better) | Every 1.7 yrs |
| Avg Annual Change | $0.80/yr | $0.60/yr (better) |
Which Tier Costs What Today
Every YouTube Premium and Spotify plan in one list, cheapest first. First Tracked is each plan’s price when our tracking began — 2021, or its debut year if it arrived later. Retired tiers sit at the bottom with their final price.
| Service | Plan | Price Now | First Tracked | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSpotify | Premium Student | $6.99 | $4.99 (2021) | +40% |
| YYouTube Premium | Student | $8.99 | $6.99 (2021) | +29% |
| YYouTube Premium | Premium Lite | $8.99 | $7.99 (2025) | +13% |
| SSpotify | Premium IndividualDefault | $12.99 | $9.99 (2021) | +30% |
| YYouTube Premium | Individual (Annual) | $159.99/yr | $159.99/yr (2026) | 0% |
| YYouTube Premium | IndividualDefault | $15.99 | $11.99 (2021) | +33% |
| SSpotify | Premium Duo | $18.99 | $12.99 (2021) | +46% |
| SSpotify | Premium Family | $21.99 | $15.99 (2021) | +38% |
| YYouTube Premium | Family | $26.99 | $17.99 (2021) | +50% |