Alternatives to Cider
Apple Music client for every platform
Cider ranks #9 of 9 in Music players, with an Alt Score of 46. It is proprietary, sold as a one-time purchase from $3.99 and available on Windows, macOS and Linux. 7 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Apple Music subscribers on Windows, macOS, or Linux who want a faster, more customizable desktop player than Apple's official app.
A native cross-platform client for Apple Music with a redesigned, skinnable interface and plugin support. It adds audio features like spatialization and equalizer controls, integrations with Discord and Last.fm, and remote control of playback via Cider Remote.
You install Cider and sign in with your existing Apple Music subscription, which the app uses to stream and browse the same catalog through its own interface; playback and library data are still provided by Apple Music.
Why people leave Cider
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
How Cider compares with its alternatives, feature by feature.
| Music players checklist | Cider | Strawberry | AIMP | Audirvana | foobar2000 | Roon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
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| Format support (FLAC, DSD) | ||||||
| Library management | ||||||
| Gapless playback | ||||||
| ReplayGain | ||||||
| Streaming service integration | ||||||
| Plugins / skins | ||||||
| Last.fm scrobbling | ||||||
| Open source | ||||||
| Remote server playback | ||||||
| EQ & DSP |
Every fact and feature listed for Cider is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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License Proprietary verified 2026-07-10
Cider-2 is distributed under a proprietary license. The source code is not publicly available.
https://github.com/ciderapp/Cider-2 -
Pricing model One-time verified 2026-07-10
where you can purchase Cider-2 for all platforms
https://github.com/ciderapp/Cider-2 -
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux verified 2026-07-10
Available for all users on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
https://cider.sh/downloads/client -
Starts at $3.99 verified 2026-07-10
price":3.99,"displayPrice":"$3.99""
https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9pl8wph0qk9m?hl=en-US&gl=US -
Status active verified 2026-07-10
© 2026 Cider Collective
https://cider.sh/changelogs/4.0.0 -
Format support (FLAC, DSD) No verified 2026-07-10
Lossless: Not currently possible in the MusicKit.js library due to there being no ability to decrypt the lossless music.
https://github.com/ciderapp/Cider-2 -
Library management Partial verified 2026-07-10
Seamless Library Browsing
https://v2.cider.sh/learn-more -
Streaming service integration Yes verified 2026-07-10
It provides a sleek and intuitive user interface to enjoy your favorite music from the Apple Music library.
https://github.com/ciderapp/Cider-2 -
Plugins / skins Yes verified 2026-07-10
Custom Themes and Plugins
https://v2.cider.sh/learn-more -
Last.fm scrobbling Yes verified 2026-07-10
Native Last.fm and Discord Integration
https://v2.cider.sh/learn-more -
Open source No verified 2026-07-10
No, the source code of Cider-2 is not open-source. It is distributed under a proprietary license.
https://github.com/ciderapp/Cider-2 -
EQ & DSP Partial verified 2026-07-10
Audio Enhancements through our cutting Audio Lab technology
https://cider.sh/downloads/client
FAQ
Yes. Strawberry, AIMP and foobar2000 have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Strawberry — every license claim links its source.