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Music · head to head

Shazam vs Suno

Shazam logo

Shazam

Music

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Suno logo

Suno

Music

Generative AI service creating full songs with vocals and instrumentation from text

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Suno free tier capped at 10 daily creations and includes no commercial rights
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shazam and Suno actually diverge.

Attributes where Shazam and Suno differ
AttributeShazamSuno
Pricing modelFree, no ads and no in-app purchases; funded as an Apple Music discovery funnelfreemium
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android

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 Shazam

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

Only in Suno

Nothing recorded that Shazam does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Shazam

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

Suno

  • Background music for videos, podcasts, and content creationnot Shazam
  • Prototyping music for games and interactive medianot Shazam
  • Royalty-free music library building for creatorsnot Shazam
  • Experimentation and music composition without production expertisenot Shazam
  • Commercial music licensing for content creators and studios (Pro/Premier only)not Shazam

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Suno

  • Free tier capped at 10 daily creations and includes no commercial rights
  • Commercial rights unavailable on free tier; even Pro plan requires upgrade to Premier for premium uses
  • Audio uploads limited to 8 minutes maximum length
  • Quality depends on textual description clarity; vague prompts produce lower-quality results

Pricing, plan by plan

Shazam

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

Suno

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 4 concurrent generations in shared queue
    • v4.5-all model only
    • No commercial rights
  • Pro$8/month
    • 2,500 monthly credits (approximately 500 songs)
    • Advanced models access
    • 10 concurrent generations in priority queue
  • Premier$24/month
    • 10,000 monthly credits (approximately 2,000 songs)
    • All advanced models available
    • 10 concurrent generations in priority queue

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Suno if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
Suno review

Questions people ask

Is Shazam or Suno better?
Neither clearly leads. Shazam starts at Free and Suno at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Shazam or Suno?
Shazam starts at Free and Suno at Free.
Does Shazam or Suno run on more platforms?
Shazam runs on iOS, Android, Web. Suno runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Shazam for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Shazam best used for?
Shazam is most often used for someone hearing an unfamiliar song in a shop, cafe or on the radio and wanting to identify it instantly, a user wanting identified songs automatically saved into an apple music library or playlist, someone using the offline tagging queue while without signal, resolving matches later, a listener browsing shazam trending charts to discover what is being identified most in their city. Of those, someone hearing an unfamiliar song in a shop, cafe or on the radio and wanting to identify it instantly and a user wanting identified songs automatically saved into an apple music library or playlist are not what Suno is typically brought in for.
What can Shazam do that Suno cannot?
Shazam covers Audio fingerprint matching, Offline tagging queue, Apple Music integration, Shazam charts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Shazam: Is Shazam free?

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

Suno: How much does Suno cost?

Suno offers a free plan and two paid tiers. Pro costs $8 per month with 2,500 monthly credits. Premier costs $24 per month with 10,000 monthly credits. Both paid plans offer a 20% discount when billed annually.

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.

Suno: Does Suno offer commercial use rights?

Commercial use rights are not included in the free plan. Both Pro ($8/month) and Premier ($24/month) tiers include commercial rights for newly created songs.

Source
Shazam: Who owns Shazam?

Apple, which acquired it in 2018.

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