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Music · head to head

Deezer vs Shazam

Deezer logo

Deezer

Music

All the music you love

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shazam logo

Shazam

Music

Apple-owned song identification app, free with no ads or in-app purchases

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Deezer premium pricing displayed in AED currency only despite international availability; Shazam the app has no revenue of its own and exists structurally to drive Apple Music engagement, so its continued investment and feature direction depend entirely on how useful Apple finds it as a funnel rather than on its own standalone business case.
  • They diverge on capability: Deezer covers Music streaming, Shazam covers Audio fingerprint matching.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Deezer and Shazam actually diverge.

Attributes where Deezer and Shazam differ
AttributeDeezerShazam
Pricing modelsubscriptionFree, no ads and no in-app purchases; funded as an Apple Music discovery funnel
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web
Founded2007Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Music).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Deezer

  • Music streaming
  • Podcasts
  • Radio
  • HiFi audio
  • Smart speakers
  • Car systems
  • Family controls
  • Private sessions

Only in Shazam

  • Audio fingerprint matching
  • Offline tagging queue
  • Apple Music integration
  • Shazam charts
  • Lyrics display
  • Shazam widget and Control Centre integration

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Deezer

  • Ad-free on-demand music streaming with offline downloadsnot Shazam
  • Multi-user household streaming via the Family plannot Shazam
  • Two-person households via the Duo plannot Shazam
  • Higher-fidelity/lossless audio streaming on Premiumnot Shazam

Shazam

  • Someone hearing an unfamiliar song in a shop, cafe or on the radio and wanting to identify it instantlynot Deezer
  • A user wanting identified songs automatically saved into an Apple Music library or playlistnot Deezer
  • Someone using the offline tagging queue while without signal, resolving matches laternot Deezer
  • A listener browsing Shazam trending charts to discover what is being identified most in their citynot Deezer

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Deezer

  • Premium pricing displayed in AED currency only despite international availability
  • Free tier does not support offline listening and includes advertising
  • Family plan limited to 6 accounts maximum

Shazam

  • The app has no revenue of its own and exists structurally to drive Apple Music engagement, so its continued investment and feature direction depend entirely on how useful Apple finds it as a funnel rather than on its own standalone business case.
  • Identification requires either a live audio sample or a stored recording, and it performs poorly on very quiet, heavily remixed, or non-commercially released audio where no fingerprint match exists in the database.
  • Saved tags and playlists are tied to an Apple ID even on Android, meaning non-Apple users still create Apple ecosystem account data by using the app.
  • It offers no music playback of its own beyond short previews or an Apple Music handoff, so a non-Apple Music subscriber cannot play a full identified track inside the app itself.
  • As an owned subsidiary of Apple rather than an independent company, there is no separate roadmap transparency or company reporting, so its longevity and feature set are subject to Apple's wider strategic priorities rather than its own user base.

Pricing, plan by plan

Deezer

Free
  • Premium$23.99/month
    • 1 account
    • Ad-free
    • Pick any track
  • Duo$29.99/month
    • 2 accounts
    • Ad-free
    • Pick any track
  • Family$35.99/month
    • 6 accounts
    • Ad-free
    • Pick any track
  • FreeFree
    • 1 account
    • Ad-supported
    • Over 120 million tracks

Shazam

Free
  • ShazamFree
    • Unlimited song identification
    • No ads shown within the identification experience
    • No premium tier exists

Which should you pick?

Choose Deezer if

  • You need music streaming.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want podcasts.
Deezer review

Choose Shazam if

  • You need audio fingerprint matching.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want offline tagging queue.
Shazam review

Questions people ask

Is Deezer or Shazam better?
Neither clearly leads. Deezer starts at Free and Shazam at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Deezer or Shazam?
Deezer starts at Free and Shazam at Free.
Does Deezer or Shazam run on more platforms?
Deezer runs on Web, iOS, Android. Shazam runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Deezer for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Deezer best used for?
Deezer is most often used for ad-free on-demand music streaming with offline downloads, multi-user household streaming via the family plan, two-person households via the duo plan, higher-fidelity/lossless audio streaming on premium. Of those, ad-free on-demand music streaming with offline downloads and multi-user household streaming via the family plan are not what Shazam is typically brought in for.
What can Deezer do that Shazam cannot?
Deezer covers Music streaming, Podcasts, Radio, HiFi audio. Shazam covers Audio fingerprint matching, Offline tagging queue, Apple Music integration, Shazam charts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Deezer: How many accounts are included in each Deezer subscription plan?

The Free plan includes 1 account. Premium plan includes 1 account. Duo plan includes 2 accounts. Family plan includes 6 accounts maximum.

Source
Shazam: Is Shazam free?

Yes, fully free with no ads, subscription or in-app purchases.

Deezer: What is the monthly cost of Deezer Premium if paid annually?

When paid annually, Premium costs AED 17.92 per month (AED 214.99 per year), representing a 25% discount compared to the monthly rate of AED 23.99.

Source
Shazam: Do I need Apple Music to use Shazam?

No, identification works without an Apple Music subscription, though full track playback of an identified song requires either Apple Music or another music service.

Deezer: Can I access offline listening on the free Deezer plan?

No. The free plan offers ad-supported streaming with over 120 million tracks but does not include offline listening capability. Offline access is available only on the Premium, Duo, and Family subscription tiers.

Source
Shazam: Who owns Shazam?

Apple, which acquired it in 2018.

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