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Head-to-head · Music Identification Apps

Shazam vs SoundHound

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Shazam #1 in Music Identification Apps 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Shazam
SoundHound #2 in Music Identification Apps 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit SoundHound

Shazam leads on 1 check, SoundHound on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreShazam · 9.3/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresShazam · 4 of 4

Shazam scores higher on our rubric for music identification apps: 9.3 against 8.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #2.

On platform support, Shazam gives you Cross-platform where SoundHound offers Mobile. Shazam offers offline identification; SoundHound doesn't.

Shazam is the better fit for most people wanting a full-featured identifier. SoundHound is the better fit for mobile users who hum or sing songs.

  • Shazam fits best

    Most people wanting a full-featured identifier

  • SoundHound fits best

    Mobile users who hum or sing songs

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Side by side

Feature Shazam 9.3/10 Visit ↗ SoundHound 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 8.8
Ranking #1 in Music Identification Apps #2 in Music Identification Apps
Best for Most people wanting a full-featured identifier Mobile users who hum or sing songs
Pricing model Free Free plan + paid
Starting price Free plan —
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Mobile, Browser extension Cloud, Mobile
Platforms Web, iOS, Android, Chrome extension iOS, Android
Support Docs Docs
Integrations 6 integrations 3 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business
Features Shazam 4/4 · SoundHound 3/4
Lyrics ✓ ✓
Identification history ✓ ✓
Offline identification ✓ (best) —
Listening links ✓ ✓
Specs
Platform support Cross-platform Mobile
Recognition limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Identifies songs from nearby audio, other apps, or a browser
  • Offline recognition syncs saved requests after reconnecting
  • Lyrics, charts, history, concert discovery, and listening links included
  • Recognizes songs playing nearby or sung and hummed by users
  • Provides real-time lyrics and keeps a personal identification history
  • Connects with Apple Music, YouTube and Spotify across iOS and Android
Cons
  • Offline matches require reconnection before synchronization
  • Browser extension support is limited to Chrome
  • Its free model has no paid tier for additional plan options
  • Identification searches require internet access for results
  • The free experience is ad-supported
  • Some playback and service availability varies by location
Our verdict

Shazam identifies songs playing around you, inside other apps, or in a web browser. It is designed for listeners who want more than a single song title: identified tracks can be saved to a library, lyrics can be viewed in time-synced or…

Read the review →

SoundHound is a mobile music identification and discovery app for people who want to recognize songs they hear, sing or hum. Available on iOS and Android, it returns song details and lyrics, saves identified songs to a personal history,…

Read the review →
  1. ShazamMusic Identification Apps 9.3Free plan
  2. SoundHoundMusic Identification Apps 8.8Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Shazam — where it wins

    • Identifies songs from nearby audio, other apps, or a browser
    • Offline recognition syncs saved requests after reconnecting
    • Lyrics, charts, history, concert discovery, and listening links included

    Where it doesn't

    • Offline matches require reconnection before synchronization
    • Browser extension support is limited to Chrome
    • Its free model has no paid tier for additional plan options

  • SoundHound — where it wins

    • Recognizes songs playing nearby or sung and hummed by users
    • Provides real-time lyrics and keeps a personal identification history
    • Connects with Apple Music, YouTube and Spotify across iOS and Android

    Where it doesn't

    • Identification searches require internet access for results
    • The free experience is ad-supported
    • Some playback and service availability varies by location

More comparisons

All music identification apps comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update