yala vs feature.fm.
feature.fm is a capable, ad-savvy incumbent, but it paywalls the audience data you collect and meters pre-saves across four tiers. yala puts your email list, analytics, and exports on every tier, including free.
no spin. no asterisks. line by line. last reviewed 2026-06 from public pricing pages + feature lists. spot something off? email hi@yala.la and we’ll publish the fix.
- you resent paying $39/mo just to read the emails you already collected
- you want a public API + webhooks without an enterprise sales call
- you want full analytics history + CSV export on a free or cheap plan
- you run heavy paid-ad campaigns and want feature.fm's mature ad-store + ESP-sync tooling
- you need a battle-tested incumbent at large-distributor scale
- you specifically want Spotify multi-follow pre-saves today
your data: who owns it
the difference that defines this comparison.
| what | feature.fm | yala |
|---|---|---|
| see your collected emails | free COLLECTS unlimited emails but won't let you VIEW them; access capped at 50/link (basic) → 200/link (artist); unlimited only at $39/mo pro. | every tier. capture + view + CSV-export your full list, free included (cap is on count: 500 free / 5k pro / 50k teams, never on access). |
| analytics history | time-boxed by tier: 7 days (free) → 28 → 90 → lifetime only at $39 pro. | full analytics dashboard on every tier, no time-box. CSV export everywhere. |
| data export on cancel | export, but you've been rationed all along. | self-serve CSV in-app on every tier; full REST export on teams + up. |
pre-save + email
| what | feature.fm | yala |
|---|---|---|
| pre-save (spotify) | rationed: 1 service (free) → 3 (basic) → all ($19+). spotify multi-follow is a paid upsell. | spotify pre-save free on every tier, no per-service metering. currently in capped beta while spotify approves production access. (apple music pre-save is roadmap: later in 2026, not shipped.) |
| pre-save email notifications | metered: ~50/mo on artist/pro, then $0.005 each. surprise per-use costs. | release-day broadcast to your whole list, on every tier. no per-email surcharge. |
| email capture | collect free, but view/export is the paywall. | on every tier; subscriber cap scales 500 → 5k → 50k → unlimited. |
smart links + landings
| what | feature.fm | yala |
|---|---|---|
| DSP scanner | smart links across major DSPs; some ad services discontinued/unavailable per reviews. | direct adapters for spotify · apple · deezer · youtube + music · pandora · tidal · amazon · qobuz · bandcamp · soundcloud + odesli long-tail. re-scan on demand. |
| redirect engine | their hosted stack. | cloudflare workers + KV, sub-50ms p99 edge routing. |
| landing design | customization is a higher-tier feature; branding stays on free. | palette-themed from your cover art by default; clean by default; no yala branding to remove until you want white-label (enterprise). |
| link types | release · pre-save · landing pages · custom stores. | 8 types: release · pre-release · podcast · playlist · ticket · bio · follow-me · content. |
retargeting + developer
| what | feature.fm | yala |
|---|---|---|
| retargeting pixels | strong ad tooling; unlimited pixels at pro. | 8 pixel integrations; unlimited on pro + teams. consent-banner-aware. |
| server-side conversions (CAPI) | ad-focused; varies by plan. | teams + up: server-side meta CAPI. signed + deduped against the pixel. |
| public API | enterprise / label 'Partners API' only. no self-serve REST on any artist plan. | teams + enterprise, at $45/mo. REST + signed HMAC webhooks. api keys via UI. |
pricing
| what | feature.fm | yala |
|---|---|---|
| tiers | free → basic ~$8 → artist ~$19 → pro $39 → label/enterprise (contact). pricing shifts often. | free $0 → pro $12 → teams $45 → enterprise (custom). flat, published. |
| the catch | cheap entry, but your data (emails, history) and the API are the upsell. | no data ransom. you pay for scale (more links, subscribers, workspaces, the API), never for access to what you made. |
questions.
Yala's free tier does more than Feature.fm's (you can view and export your collected emails and see full analytics, which Feature.fm paywalls). Yala Pro is $12/mo and Teams is $45/mo, flat. Feature.fm's cheapest paid tier is lower (~$8) but rations pre-saves, email access, and analytics history until its $39 Pro tier.
Yes. On every Yala tier including free you can view and CSV-export your full subscriber list. The free cap is on the number of active subscribers (500), never on your ability to access them. Feature.fm collects emails on free but makes you upgrade to view them.
Yes, and it's far more accessible. Yala ships a public REST API + signed webhooks on the Teams tier ($45/mo). Feature.fm's Partners API is enterprise/label-only; there's no self-serve API on any artist plan.
Not yet: Apple Music pre-save is on Yala's roadmap for Q3 2026. Spotify pre-save is live (Pro and up). We'd rather say so than overclaim it.
feature.fm is a real, mature platform with deep ad-campaign tooling, ESP sync, and large-distributor scale. if you live in paid ads and want that machinery, it earns its place. yala's bet is simpler: your audience and your numbers are yours on day one, on every tier, and the API is a $45 feature, not a sales call. honest caveats: yala has no annual billing, no free trial, and apple music pre-save is still on the roadmap (later in 2026).