Business Description and Organization - Additional Information (Details)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016 shares
Ownership structure of AB expressed as percentage of general and limited partnership interests
Limited partners or members ownership interest in Company (percent)	100.00%
General Partnership number of general partnership units owned in Holding Company (in units)	100,000
Percentage of General Partnership interest in company	1.00%
AXA and its subsidiaries economic interest in Company	63.70%
AXA And Its Subsidiaries [Member]
Ownership structure of AB expressed as percentage of general and limited partnership interests
Limited partners or members ownership interest in Company (percent)	1.50%

Economic interest in AllianceBernstein owned by specific named entity as a General Partner and Limited Partner in Holding and AllianceBernstein, expressed as a percentage of total.

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ablp_LimitedLiabilityCompanyLlcOrLimitedPartnershipLpMembersOrLimitedPartnersEconomicInterestInCompany
Namespace Prefix:	ablp_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of general partner units outstanding.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 4.F)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187171-122770

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GeneralPartnersCapitalAccountUnitsOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage investment held by the managing member or general partner of the limited liability company (LLC) or limited partnership (LP).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 272
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70478-108055

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LimitedLiabilityCompanyLLCOrLimitedPartnershipLPManagingMemberOrGeneralPartnerOwnershipInterest
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of units or percentage investment held by one or more members or limited partners of the LLC or LP.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LimitedLiabilityCompanyLLCOrLimitedPartnershipLPMembersOrLimitedPartnersOwnershipInterest
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LimitedLiabilityCompanyOrLimitedPartnershipBusinessOrganizationAndOperationsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	ablp_OwnershipstructureofABHoldingAxis=ablp_AxaAndItsSubsidiariesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: