Deezer vs Spotify
Deezer and Spotify are the two full-catalogue European services with free tiers, from Paris and Stockholm. The difference is where the money goes and how big the library is. Deezer pays royalties on a user-centric model and streams Hi-Fi lossless. Spotify has the larger catalogue, more integrations and sharper recommendations. Principle favours Deezer, convenience Spotify.
Choose Deezer if
you want your subscription divided among the artists you actually played, want Hi-Fi lossless audio and lyrics, and can live with a somewhat narrower catalogue and fewer device integrations.
Read the Deezer reviewChoose Spotify if
the biggest library, the most refined recommendations and a presence in cars, speakers, consoles and fitness apps matter more to you than how the royalty pool is divided.
Read the Spotify reviewDeezer and Spotify side by side
| Deezer | Spotify | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Deezer SA | Spotify AB |
| Headquarters | Paris, France | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Founded | 2007 | 2006 |
| Jurisdiction | EU (France) | EU (Sweden), US-listed |
| Where the data sits | EU | EU (Sweden) |
| Pricing | Free tier / from about €10.99/month | Free with advertising / Premium subscription |
| Free tier or trial | Free tier | Free tier |
| Certifications and checks | GDPR | GDPR |
| Source code | Closed source | Closed source |
| Usually replaces | Spotify, Apple Music | Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music |
| Position in our Music Streaming guide | #1 of 12 | #6 of 12 |
Both are listed in our European Music Streaming guide. The table is built from the same directory data as those entries; how we check it is described in the editorial process.
Where Deezer and Spotify differ
Across the four points below, Deezer has the edge on 1 point, Spotify on 2 points and one is a tie. A count like that is a summary, not a verdict: the point that matters to you may be the one the other product wins.
Where the subscription goes
Deezer pioneered user-centric payment: royalties follow individual listening, so a month spent on one small band pays that band. The conventional pooled model divides revenue by total plays across the platform, and Spotify's per-stream payouts are described as low and widely criticised. This applies to every listener whatever their headphones, and it is Deezer's strongest argument.
Edge: Deezer
Catalogue and integrations
Deezer lists more than 90 million tracks, yet its catalogue and integrations are still rated narrower than Spotify's, which is the largest in the category. Spotify is also embedded in cars, speakers, consoles and fitness apps to a degree the other European services are not, although Deezer's own platform coverage is broad.
Edge: Spotify
Recommendations
Deezer's Flow is a personalised mix that learns from listening rather than only from playlists, the closest thing here to a radio that adapts. Its discovery algorithm is nonetheless rated less refined than Spotify's, which remains the best in the category at surfacing unfamiliar music. Flow also needs listening history before it works well.
Edge: Spotify
Lossless audio
Deezer offers Hi-Fi lossless audio. Spotify's audio quality is rated below Qobuz and TIDAL in our data, which does not say whether Spotify streams lossless, so a direct comparison cannot be made from what we hold. Deezer in turn sits below Qobuz on high resolution. Without both sides documented, this point stays open.
No clear winner on this point.
When neither Deezer nor Spotify fits
Listeners who pay for sound above everything should skip both: Qobuz streams up to 24-bit and sells downloads, and TIDAL offers Master quality with artist-centric payouts. Both need good equipment to be worth it, and neither has a free tier.
Deezer vs Spotify: questions
Deezer uses a user-centric system in which your subscription is divided among the artists you played. Under the pooled model most services use, revenue is divided by total plays across the platform, so a niche listener's money largely goes to the most-streamed acts. Spotify's per-stream payouts are described as low and disputed.
Not quite. Deezer's catalogue has more than 90 million tracks, but our directory rates its catalogue and integrations as narrower than Spotify's, which has the largest library in the category. Music is licensed from the same rights holders everywhere, so the two libraries are broadly similar for mainstream listening.
Not automatically. Third-party transfer tools can move playlists, and it is best done before cancelling. Listening history does not move, so Deezer's Flow will need time to learn your taste and recommendations will feel worse for the first month, an effect that leads many people to switch back too early.