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Music · head to head

Deezer vs Sibelius

Deezer logo

Deezer

Music

All the music you love

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sibelius logo

Sibelius

Music

Avid’s music notation software, now sold primarily on subscription with perpetual licences still available at higher upfront cost

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Deezer has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Deezer premium pricing displayed in AED currency only despite international availability; Sibelius a perpetual licence includes only one year of upgrades; staying current afterward requires a separate, recurring Annual Upgrade and Support Plan, undercutting the idea of a single one-time purchase.
  • They diverge on capability: Deezer covers Music streaming, Sibelius covers Score engraving.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Deezer and Sibelius actually diverge.

Attributes where Deezer and Sibelius differ
AttributeDeezerSibelius
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per year, or one-time purchase with a separate upgrade plan
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidmacOS, Windows, iOS
Founded2007Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Sibelius

  • Score engraving
  • Playback with sample libraries
  • Video sync
  • Dynamic parts
  • Flexi-time input
  • Cloud sharing

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 Sibelius
  • Multi-user household streaming via the Family plannot Sibelius
  • Two-person households via the Duo plannot Sibelius
  • Higher-fidelity/lossless audio streaming on Premiumnot Sibelius

Sibelius

  • A film composer needing frame-accurate video sync and realistic sample playback for scoring worknot Deezer
  • A publisher standardising on Sibelius for professional score engraving compatibility with existing house filesnot Deezer
  • A student or freelancer choosing the lower-cost subscription over a large upfront perpetual purchasenot Deezer
  • An institution buying perpetual licences with an ongoing upgrade plan to keep a lab current year over yearnot 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

Sibelius

  • A perpetual licence includes only one year of upgrades; staying current afterward requires a separate, recurring Annual Upgrade and Support Plan, undercutting the idea of a single one-time purchase.
  • Avid’s primary marketing push is now toward subscription, which nudges buyers away from outright ownership even though perpetual options still technically exist.
  • Dorico has taken meaningful market share among professional engravers specifically because it kept perpetual ownership as its default desktop model, a positioning Sibelius no longer clearly holds.
  • Cross-compatibility with Finale or Dorico files is imperfect, so score exchange with collaborators on different notation software can introduce formatting errors.
  • Educational and institutional site licensing terms have shifted with the subscription push, and older perpetual-licence assumptions about lab deployments do not always carry over cleanly.

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

Sibelius

On request
  • Sibelius Artist (perpetual)$149/month
    • One-time purchase, includes 1 year of upgrades and support
    • Ongoing Annual Upgrade Plan required to stay current afterward
  • Sibelius Ultimate (perpetual)$599/month
    • One-time purchase, includes 12 months of upgrades and support
    • Full feature set including video sync and advanced playback
  • Sibelius (subscription)$undefined/month
    • Monthly or annual subscription, lower upfront cost
    • Always current with the latest version while subscribed

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 Sibelius if

  • You need score engraving.
  • You work on macOS, Windows, iOS.
  • You also want playback with sample libraries.
Sibelius review

Questions people ask

Is Deezer or Sibelius better?
Neither clearly leads. Deezer starts at Free and Sibelius at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Deezer or Sibelius?
Deezer has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Deezer and On request for Sibelius.
Does Deezer or Sibelius run on more platforms?
Deezer runs on Web, iOS, Android. Sibelius runs on macOS, Windows, iOS.
Can I use Deezer for free?
Yes. Deezer has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sibelius starts at On request.
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 Sibelius is typically brought in for.
What can Deezer do that Sibelius cannot?
Deezer covers Music streaming, Podcasts, Radio, HiFi audio. Sibelius covers Score engraving, Playback with sample libraries, Video sync, Dynamic parts.

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
Sibelius: Is Sibelius subscription-only now?

No, perpetual licences are still sold, but subscription is positioned as the primary, lower-cost path to market.

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
Sibelius: Does a perpetual licence include lifetime updates?

No, it includes 12 months of upgrades and support; continuing to receive new versions after that requires a separate Annual Upgrade and Support Plan.

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
Sibelius: How does it compare to Dorico on pricing philosophy?

Dorico still sells perpetual licences as its default desktop model without pushing subscription first, which is the clearer distinction buyers should weigh.

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