- The four Spotify Premium plans at a glance
- What a Premium account gets you
- Individual: the plain choice for one listener
- Student: the cheapest way in, with a hurdle
- Duo versus Family for a shared home
- Is there a cheaper plan than Individual?
- How to choose a Spotify plan in six steps
- My verdict on the Spotify Premium plans
- Frequently asked questions
Spotify Premium has four plans in the US as of Nov 2026: Individual at $12.99 a month, Student at $6.99, Duo at $18.99 and Family at $21.99. Pick by how many accounts you need. I'm Lilach Bullock, and I checked Spotify's US plan page on 2 Nov 2026 for every figure here.
That's the short version. The longer version is that each plan comes with a condition or two that Spotify's plan cards mention in a line you can easily skim past: who qualifies, who has to live where, and who gets the audiobook hours. Those small lines decide which plan suits you far more than the headline figures do.
One thing to be clear about up front. Everything on this page comes from Spotify's US Premium page. Plans and prices differ by country, so if you're not in the US, treat these figures as a guide to how the plans are built, not to what you'll pay. I've gathered Spotify Premium prices by country on a separate page.
The four Spotify Premium plans at a glance
Here's how the four plans line up on the US page, as of Nov 2026:
| Plan | US price per month | Accounts | Free trial | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | $12.99 | 1 | 1 month free, only if you haven't tried Premium before | Nothing to share; it's one account |
| Student | $6.99 | 1 verified account | 1 month free, only if you haven't tried Premium before | You must be enrolled at an eligible accredited higher education institution |
| Duo | $18.99 | 2 Premium accounts | None listed | For couples at the same address; audiobook hours go to the plan manager only |
| Family | $21.99 | Up to 6 Premium accounts | None listed | Everyone at the same address; audiobook hours go to the plan manager only |
The trial column is the one people miss. Spotify lists a free month for Individual and Student, but only if you haven't had Premium before, and it doesn't list a free trial at all for Duo or Family. If you've used Premium in the past, assume you'll pay from day one.
What a Premium account gets you
Spotify's US page lists these features against the Individual plan:
- Ad-free music listening
- Lossless audio up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz
- Offline listening, so you can download and play without a connection
- Play songs in any order, rather than shuffle only
- 15 hours a month of audiobook listening
- Cancel anytime
Duo and Family are made up of Premium accounts, so each person gets their own Premium account rather than a shared login. The difference that matters is the audiobook allowance. On Duo and Family, Spotify lists the 15 hours a month of audiobooks for the plan manager only. Everyone else on the plan gets the music side, not the audiobook hours. If two or three people in your house listen to audiobooks, that one line changes the maths.
Individual: the plain choice for one listener
Individual is $12.99 a month as of Nov 2026, for one account. It's the plan the feature list above is written for, and it's the simplest one to run: no address rules, no verification, nobody else's listening history leaking into your recommendations.
The honest downside is that it's the dearest way to pay per person. If anyone else in your home pays for their own Individual plan too, you're very likely better off on Duo or Family. The real pro is freedom. You can cancel anytime, and you're not relying on anyone else to keep paying or to stay at the same address.
Student: the cheapest way in, with a hurdle
Student is $6.99 a month as of Nov 2026, for one verified account, with a free month if you haven't had Premium before. Spotify's page also lists Hulu access, subject to eligibility, so check what you qualify for rather than assuming it's included.
The hurdle is the word verified. You have to be enrolled at an eligible accredited higher education institution, so school pupils and people taking a short online course won't qualify. If you do qualify, it's the best value on the page for one person. If you're a student who lives with a partner who doesn't qualify, compare one Student plan plus one Individual plan against a single Duo plan before you decide, because Duo covers you both for less than that pair. For the detail on who qualifies, see how Spotify Premium Student works.
Duo versus Family for a shared home
This is where most of the head-scratching happens, so here are the two side by side, as of Nov 2026:
| Duo | Family | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per month | $18.99 | $21.99 |
| Premium accounts | 2 | Up to 6 |
| Who it's for | Couples at the same address | Family members at the same address |
| Parental controls | Not listed | Yes |
| Members under 13 | Not listed | Get Premium benefits |
| Audiobook hours | 15 a month, plan manager only | 15 a month, plan manager only |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
Duo is the obvious pick for two adults. Two Individual plans at $12.99 each cost more than one Duo plan at $18.99, so if you're a couple paying separately, you're paying for the privilege. Family only costs a little more than Duo, and it adds room for up to six accounts plus parental controls. So the moment a third person joins the household, or you've got children who want their own account, Family is the plan to look at.
Both plans have the same condition: everyone has to be at the same address. That's the catch for anyone hoping to split a plan with a friend across town or a grown-up child who's moved out. The plans are built for one household, and you should treat them that way. I've written more about how the Spotify Family plan handles accounts and controls if you're weighing it up for children.
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Is there a cheaper plan than Individual?
Not on the US page I checked. There's no Basic or Lite plan listed there, so if you've read about one, it isn't something Spotify was offering on that page as of Nov 2026.
What Spotify does list separately is Audiobooks Access: 15 hours a month of audiobooks, with music on the free ad-supported service. Spotify's page doesn't show a price for it, so I can't tell you what it costs. It's worth a look if you mainly want audiobooks and you're happy to put up with ads on music. If you mainly want music without ads, it's the wrong plan.
And the free tier is still there. You get music with ads and without the Premium features, which is fine for background listening and frustrating for anything else.
How to choose a Spotify plan in six steps
- Count the people in your home who want their own account. One person points to Individual or Student, two points to Duo, three or more points to Family.
- Check whether everyone shares one address. If they don't, Duo and Family are off the table, whatever the savings look like.
- If you're on your own, check whether you're enrolled at an eligible accredited higher education institution. If you are, Student is the lowest figure on the page.
- Work out who listens to audiobooks. On Duo and Family, only the plan manager gets the 15 hours a month, so make the heaviest audiobook listener the manager.
- Check whether you've had Premium before. The free month on Individual and Student is only for people who haven't, and Duo and Family list no trial at all.
- Look up the figures for your own country before you sign up, because everything here is the US page only.
If you change your mind later, Individual lists cancel anytime, and I've laid out the steps to cancel Spotify Premium so you're not stuck hunting through settings.
My verdict on the Spotify Premium plans
I'd pick Duo for any couple who live together and are both paying for Individual today; it's the clearest saving on the page. I'd pick Family the moment a third person or a child wants an account, because the step up from Duo is small and parental controls come with it. I'd pick Student if you qualify, and Individual if you don't and you live alone or like keeping your account to yourself.
I'd skip Family if it's really just two of you, because you're paying for spare seats you won't fill. And I'd skip any plan that relies on people at different addresses, because that's against how Spotify describes Duo and Family.
Frequently asked questions
What Spotify Premium plans are there?
On Spotify's US page as of Nov 2026 there are four: Individual at $12.99 a month, Student at $6.99, Duo at $18.99 for two accounts and Family at $21.99 for up to six accounts.
Is Spotify Duo cheaper than two Individual plans?
Yes. Duo is $18.99 a month for two Premium accounts as of Nov 2026, while each Individual plan is $12.99, so two Individual plans cost more. Both people on Duo need to live at the same address.
Does Spotify Family need everyone at the same address?
Yes. Spotify describes Family as up to six Premium accounts for family members at the same address, and Duo has the same rule for couples.
Is there a Spotify Premium Basic or Lite plan?
Not on Spotify's US page as of Nov 2026. It lists Individual, Student, Duo and Family, plus Audiobooks Access separately, with no Basic or Lite plan.
Which Spotify plan should I get for my family of four?
Family is the plan built for that: up to six Premium accounts at one address, with parental controls and Premium benefits for members under 13. Only the plan manager gets the 15 hours a month of audiobooks.
Does the Spotify free trial work on Duo or Family?
Lilach Bullock checked Spotify's US page on 2 Nov 2026 and found no free trial listed for Duo or Family. Individual and Student list one month free, but only if you haven't tried Premium before.
