Melon vs Spotify comparison

By starting price alone, Melon is ₩3,300 cheaper. But price is not everything, so check the highlighted rows in the table below.

Melon and Spotify compared side by side in Music streaming.

CurrencyUSD KRW EUR

Melon

Kakao Entertainment's leading Korean music app. Biggest influence on K-pop charts

What is good

No. 1 influence on K-pop charts
FLAC high-quality pass available
Many bundle products such as SKT T Universe and Wavve

What could be better

The FLAC pass (₩13,200) and the offline pass (₩11,990) are separate, so no single pass does both
No family plan

Melon official site

Spotify

World's No. 1 music streaming service. Strengths are ad-supported free listening and recommended playlists

What is good

Free listening with ads
Lossless sound included in Premium at no extra charge
Student plan is cheap at ₩6,600

What could be better

No Family plan in Korea
Basic cannot save for offline

Spotify official site

At a glance

Highlighted rows are where they differ.

Item	MelonVisit site	SpotifyVisit site
Starting price	≈$6.54+ (₩8,690)External source	≈$9.03+ (₩11,990)Official price
Free tier	Paid only	Free plan available
Lossless audio	Supported	Supported
Best quality	FLAC 16bit/44.1kHz streaming (Hi-Fi pass), AAC 320kbps	Lossless FLAC up to 24bit/44.1kHz (Premium, excluding Basic) / Free up to about 160kbps
Offline playback	Some plans only	Some plans only
Family plan	None	None
Family plan details	No family plan (not confirmed officially)	No Family plan in Korea. Duo for 2 people at the same address is ₩17,985
Korean music	Very strong. The TOP100 and HOT100 charts are used as a benchmark by K-pop fandoms and the industry. Linked with Kakao	Average. Kakao Entertainment tracks were missing at the 2021 launch but were restored in March of the same year. Domestic chart features are weak
Number of tracks	More than 40 million tracks (Kakao official announcement, as of 2018. No latest figure)	More than 100 million tracks (official)
Good for	Fans who follow K-pop charts and new releases People who get Kakao or SKT bundle benefits	People who like international music and taste-matched recommendations University students People who want to try it free first
Type	Music streaming	Music streaming
Company	Kakao Entertainment, South Korea	Spotify, Sweden
Plans	Mobile Streaming Club ₩7,590 Streaming Club ₩8,690 Streaming Plus (offline) ₩11,990 Hi-Fi Streaming Club (FLAC) ₩13,200 MP3 10 Plus ₩15,950 (incl. VAT, outside sources)	Free ₩0 (with ads) Premium Basic ₩8,690 Premium Individual ₩11,990 Premium Student ₩6,600 Premium Duo ₩17,985 (all incl. VAT)
Pros	No. 1 influence on K-pop charts FLAC high-quality pass available Many bundle products such as SKT T Universe and Wavve	Free listening with ads Lossless sound included in Premium at no extra charge Student plan is cheap at ₩6,600
Cons	The FLAC pass (₩13,200) and the offline pass (₩11,990) are separate, so no single pass does both No family plan No free tier with ads (in preparation)	No Family plan in Korea Basic cannot save for offline Weak domestic charts and real-time ranking features

Prices and benefits may change. Check the official site before you pay.

Prices converted at 1 USD = ₩1,327.84 (2026-10-20). Original price shown in brackets. Taxes as listed by each provider.

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