The offer explained
A full year to decide.
The fairest price if you stay.
Every major competitor has cut their free tier or turned it into an ad machine. We went the other direction: twelve months free, full app, no card. Then $19.99 a year.
Why a full year
Seven days is not enough
A 7-day trial is enough time to install an app. It is not enough time to build a playlist library, explore the catalog for your genres, or decide if offline listening fits your commute. We want you to know the product before you pay for it. That takes a year.
Free tiers are designed to frustrate
Spotify's free tier runs ads and limits shuffle. Tidal removed their free tier in 2024. The industry treats free as a conversion mechanism: enough to taste, not enough to satisfy. We think that is the wrong relationship to start with a listener.
The price reflects what we think is fair
Spotify charges $155.88 a year. Apple Music charges $109.99. We charge $19.99. We keep costs low by staying independent and not running a label-negotiation arms race. The savings go to the listener.
Where the industry went
This is what streaming looks like in 2025 if you want to try before you pay.
| Service | Free option | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|
Tidal Killed free tier in 2024 | None | From $119.99/year |
Spotify Ads + feature limits forever | Ad-supported, restricted | $155.88/year |
Apple Music 3-month trial only | Trial only | $109.99/year |
YouTube Music Ads, no offline | Ad-supported only | $107.99/year |
Freerun Full app, one full year | 12 months, full app | $19.99/year |
Prices as of 2025. Individual plans billed annually.
What comes after the free year
At month 12, you choose a plan or you leave. No auto-charge, no dark patterns.
Annual
$19.99
per year
Under $1.67 a month
- ✓Everything from the free year
- ✓Ad-free, always
- ✓Offline listening
- ✓Priority support
6 months
$12.99
per 6 months
- ✓Full access for 6 months
- ✓Ad-free
- ✓Offline listening
Monthly
$9.99
per month
Cancel anytime
- ✓Month-to-month flexibility
- ✓Ad-free
- ✓Full catalog
No plan? Your playlists stay archived for 90 days so you can pick up where you left off.
The math
Spotify's annual plan is $155.88. That is $1,558.80 over ten years. Freerun's annual plan is $19.99. Over the same ten years, after your free year, that is $179.91.
The difference is $1,378.89. Not a rounding error.
We keep costs low by staying independent. We pay fair licensing rates, run a lean team, and don't maintain a record-label negotiation apparatus. The savings go to the price you see.
Common questions
Do I need a credit card to sign up?
No. You create an account with your email. No payment info until you choose a plan at month 12.
What happens at the end of the free year?
You get a plain email at month 10 and another at month 12. If you don't choose a plan, your account moves to read-only and your playlists stay archived for 90 days.
Is there really no ad-supported tier after the free year?
Correct. After the free year, it's one of the three paid plans or nothing. We don't run ads.
Can I switch plans?
Yes. Upgrade, downgrade, or cancel from your account settings. Prorated credit applies when you switch.
Why is the annual plan so cheap?
We are a small, independent company. We're not competing on catalog features with billion-dollar labels. We pass that structural saving on to the price.