It’s easier than ever to listen to music, but true music connoisseurs rightfully demand more!
Offline listening, playlist customization options, curated content recommendations, and above all, audiophile-grade audio quality are just some of the things we’re all looking for when choosing our music streaming platforms.
Deezer and Tidal are both prime movers in the industry, but each platform offers something different to its free and paying users.
In this review, we’ll dive deep into Deezer and Tidal’s services, dissecting their ease of access, pricing, playlists, UI, and everything that made them the top names in this field.
- Deezer vs Tidal in a Nutshell: TLDR Version
- Deezer vs Tidal – Ease of Access
- Deezer vs Tidal – Pricing
- Tidal vs Deezer – Content Library
- Tidal vs Deezer – Podcasts
- Tidal vs Deezer – Original Content
- Deezer vs Tidal – User Interface & Navigation
- Deezer vs Tidal – Content Sharing
- Deezer vs Tidal – Sound Quality
- Deezer vs Tidal – Content Exploration & Radio
- Tidal vs Deezer: Declaring the Winner
- Final Ratings on Deezer vs Tidal Comparison
Deezer vs Tidal in a Nutshell: TLDR Version
If you prefer simplicity and ease of use, we recommend Deezer. It has a larger content library and a free version, so you’re not risking anything while trying it out.
Tidal, on the other hand, is ideal for hardcore music fans. It’s superior to Deezer in nearly all aspects of performance.
The free-trial mode called “Tidal Access” is somewhat weaker relative to Deezer Free since users only have access to a curated playlist with the lowest audio quality possible.
Tidal has no free mode, while free Deezer has ads, which are instantly removed as soon as you subscribe to a paid plan.
Deezer vs Tidal – Ease of Access
Both Tidal and Deezer went above and beyond to ensure their users can seamlessly access their music on any device. However, the list of devices Tidal is compatible with is a tad longer and covers more categories.
Starting with Deezer, this music streaming service is available on desktop and mobile devices, smart wearables, sound systems like Google Nest, Apple HomePod, and Sonos, as well as smart TVs and gaming consoles. You can also link Deezer to your car’s sound system via Google’s Automotive OS or Waze.
Tidal, on the other hand, works with everything Deezer does but expands the list of supported systems.
In terms of supported audio platforms, Tidal can be accessed from Bluesound, Ron, Naim, Denon, Onkyo, Cambridge Audio, Phorus, Lumin, and dozens of other systems. Similar to Deezer, it supports Google Chromecast and Roku, but it also supports Vizio, Fire TV, and Android TV through its proprietary Tidal app.
Drivers can enjoy Tidal with Tesla, Volkswagen, Android Auto, and CarPlay, but it only supports Apple and Samsung wearables, while Deezer works with Garmin and several other brands.
Both streaming services enable paid users to access their music offline and work with Amazon Alexa devices.
Winner: Tidal
Deezer vs Tidal – Pricing
As premium audio streaming platforms, Deezer and Tidal offer a variety of subscription plans, each with different perks. Both Deezer and Tidal have free trial versions for users to check their premium services for a month.
Deezer’s pricing structure is straightforward. Users can choose between Premium, Student, and Family plans, while those who commit to a yearly subscription can benefit from 8-25% discounts.
Tidal used to split its premium plans into “Hi-Fi” and “Hi-Fi Plus”. However, as of April 2024, the company ditched the Plus package and included all the pers in the regular package with no price hike.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | No | Yes |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes |
| Individual Premium Plan | $10.99 | $11.99 |
| Family Premium Plan | $16.99 | $19.99 |
| Student Plan | $4.99 | $5.99 |
| First Responder/Military Plan | No | No |
However, the price update also saw Tidal abandon its free version and remove the First Responder discount it once offered.
When all is said and done, Tidal wins this one. But if you’re in it for the long-haul, Deezer’s yearly subscription discounts are significant.
Winner: Tidal
Tidal vs Deezer – Content Library
Although they’re both primarily music streaming platforms, both Deezer and Tidal are treasure troves of other types of content like videos, live streams, and podcasts.
In terms of song quantity, Tidal officially boasts a comprehensive library filled with well over 100 million songs. According to Deezer’s data, their platform has upward of 100 million tracks, even after cleaning up over 20 million tracks in 2024. This “small” difference amounts to months’ worth of content for users to enjoy.
What about content exploration? Music streaming services are ideal places to look for fresh artists and content, and it’s baffling how different Deezer and Tidal are in this regard.
Deezer features dozens of recommended genres, including everything from new releases, top charts, rock, EDM, party, workout playlists, electronic music, and more.
Users can also preview most streamed albums, themed playlists, and dozens of other curated content, albeit more personalized recommendations are only available to premium users via Deezer Flow – an AI-powered algorithm that meshes the user’s favorite tracks and genres into brand-new recommended playlists.
Tidal’s My Daily Discovery feature is similar to Deezer’s Flow, but it’s more of an exploration tool than an organizing algorithm. My Daily Discovery keeps track of the user’s preferences and recommends a fresh batch of artists that strike a similar vein. Moreover, it updates every day and is a full-fledged playlist that can be played in order, shuffled, expanded, customized, downloaded, or shared.
We’re also aware that many users aren’t satisfied with Deezer and are moving to Tidal, or the other way around. Since neither platform supports a one-size-fits-all solution to migrating your playlists and favorite content, you may want to rely on reputable third-party music migration apps like TuneMyMusic.
Even though they’ve approached this field from opposing angles, Deezer and Tidal ultimately achieved the same goal – users have tons of content to explore and powerful features that ensure the journey is enjoyable and time-efficient.
Winner: Draw
Tidal vs Deezer – Podcasts
Themed long-format shows better known as podcasts soared in popularity in recent years as most users find them easy to enjoy on the go. Although both Tidal and Deezer feature a growing library of podcasts, Deezer currently has the upper hand in several fields.
First and most notably, Deezer boasts a selection of 300+ curated podcasts, and this does not include off-shoots and episodes in the making.
Moreover, Deezer boasts dozens of original podcasts that are exclusively streamed in multiple supported territories. On the other hand, Tidal has only a few dozen podcast titles, but more are being rolled quite frequently.
Besides having the numbers on its side, Deezer also wins this round because its compartmentalization of podcasts is superior to Tidal.
Winner: Deezer
Tidal vs Deezer – Original Content
Exclusives, live mixtapes, “behind the scenes” audio and video footage, premium tracks, and mountains of content that is unavailable on any other streaming platform is another field where both Deezer and Tidal proved that they’re among the best.
Let’s start with Deezer’s exquisite “Sessions”. This is a unique collection of content that artists have contributed to Deezer exclusively. From live EPs and jam sessions to brand-new originals, this section is a gateway to weeks’ worth of exclusive content made by both household names and up-and-coming artists.
Deezer Sessions is a mixed bag of original tracks, playlists, and non-descript recordings, but sadly, no sub-categories are available while the thumbnails reveal little information about what type of content is included. The fact that everything is simply dubbed “Deezer Sessions Originals” can make content exploration more thrilling, but searching for specific tunes may require more time.
Tidal strikes a similar vein with Tidal Originals – a compilation of exclusive interviews, podcasts, docu-series, and unique events. This particular category, however, doesn’t include exclusive tracks or playlists.
Live streaming is a huge part of Tidal’s services, and the majority of its exclusive content is found in its Live Sessions. Both established and emerging artists are using this feature to promote new content.
We believe Deezer wins this round simply because it has a slightly larger library of original content, but we should also highlight that both streaming platforms are formidable in this field.
Winner: Deezer
Deezer vs Tidal – User Interface & Navigation
With over a hundred million tracks on both platforms, it’s important to discuss features that enable users to find desired music and organize playlists quickly and easily.
Tidal and Deezer went with different approaches but ultimately achieved the same result – quick and easy track selection, album management, and discovery of new artists. Let’s have a quick look at Tidal’s interface first.
Similar to Spotify, Amazon Music, and other popular streaming platforms, Tidal designed a user interface with three main segments – a sidebar menu with shortcuts to its core functions, the highlights at the center of the screen, and customization utility tools at the top bar. These include navigation, playback, view, and more.
This versatility is a huge plus, but the UI can feel a bit cramped at times. Fortunately, as soon as the user opens any specific category, like playlists, videos, or music, the interface becomes more straightforward.
Even though recommendations will constantly fill your screen, these lists are carefully curated so that you’ll always see relevant content.
Let’s head over to Deezer’s UI now.
Clean, open, and easy to understand, Deezer’s UI is as user-friendly as can be. The general layout resembles Tidal’s interface in that the sidebar has shortcuts to its main functions while the main section of the screen lists the user’s history and recommendations.
This simply means that finding the content you are looking for is much easier than on Tidal, but exploring this massive platform might be a bit more time-consuming.
When it comes to UI, Tidal doesn’t offer extensive customization options while Deezer enables users to shift between Dark and Light mode, as shown below:
Overall, we can safely conclude that this Tidal vs Deezer round was evenly matched, so we’d call it a tie.
In one corner, we have the all-rounded but slightly complex Tidal with its plethora of tools and functions, while in the other, we have the plain, minimalistic Deezer with an ultra-basic layout. It’s a matter of personal preference whether you value simplicity over control or the other way around.
Winner: Draw
Deezer vs Tidal – Content Sharing
One of the main draws of audio streaming platforms is that you can share your favorite tunes with your friends and the rest of the world. Both platforms support native sharing across all mainstream social media platforms, but neither supports this option in the free trial version.
The quality of services like Deezer and Tidal can be gauged by how easy it is to share content with others, so let’s have a quick look at Deezer first.
Deezer used the same approach for content sharing as pretty much every other streaming service in the market. All you have to do is select a song or a playlist you want to share, tap More (the three dots), and select Share.
You can even go a step further and customize your experience by adding a message along with your share. Users can also copy the link and share it on their socials or use Deezer Widgets to embed the chosen playlist or track on the chosen site. Let’s see how Tidal fares in this aspect.
While its UI might be slightly more complicated than Deezer’s, Tidal kept its functions simple. Similar to Deezer’s platform, you’ll need to go to the track, playlist, or podcast you want to share and tap “more” to reveal your options.
Then, simply choose your preferred social media network (like Facebook or Twitter, for example) or copy the link to “manually” share content. This process is simpler than the approach Deezer went with since it allows for instant content sharing, making Tidal a winner of this round.
Neither Tidal nor Deezer currently have UI features that would allow users to seamlessly share their library and favorite playlists with users from other music streaming platforms. While they’re perfect for streaming and discovering new music, full-blown content sharing platform-free is made simple via TuneMyMusic’s built-in Share tool.
Both Deezer and Tidal users can effortlessly share desired playlists with anyone by simply uploading the playlist’s link on TuneMyMusic’s platform and creating a smartlink page for anyone to access and listen to your playlists.
A custom playlist page is automatically generated on TMM, enabling users to further customize the page by changing the title, uploading different content graphics, and more.
Winner: Tidal
Deezer vs Tidal – Sound Quality
Debatably one of the most important features that set different audio streaming services apart is audio quality.
More specifically, it’s the maximum audio quality and formats the platform supports. It should be noted that certain songs were mastered at lower quality and, as such, can’t be played at 24-bit, like homemade mixtapes and recordings from up-and-coming artists.
Since Deezer didn’t mention all audio quality options in its pricing segment, we went to its Help Center to find out more.
| Deezer Mobile Audio Quality | Basic | Standard | High quality | High Fidelity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bit rate | 64kb/s | 128kb/s | 320kb/s | 1411kb/s |
| Format | mp3 | mp3 | mp3 | FLAC |
| Deezer Desktop Audio Quality | Standard | Better | High Fidelity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bit rate | 128kb/s | 320kb/s | 1411kb/s |
| Format | mp3 | mp3 | FLAC |
As you can see, the options are different depending on which device you’re using Deezer from. To ensure people with older smartphones (and lower mobile data plans) can still enjoy its services, this company added “basic” audio quality of 64 kb/s while both mobile and desktop apps support Standard at 128 kb/s, Better at 320 kb/s and High Fidelity at 1,411 kb/s.
We should also mention that users of Deezer Free only have access to Basic and Standard audio quality settings. Now, let’s take a look at Tidal’s options.
As a platform originally owned by an artist, Tidal puts a strong emphasis on the quality of music being streamed on its apps. Ironically, its “lowest” option is the equivalent of Deezer’s “Better” sound quality – 320 kb/s.
The High-Fidelity option kicks things up a notch, delivering studio-grade audio quality that eclipses Deezer’s prime offering. Subscribers enjoy the best sound quality available – 24-bit music rendered at 192 kHz, embodying what “true” lossless audio stands for.
However, users must own and use high-quality gear like audiophile-grade headphones that work with surround-sound systems to fully realize the difference between offered pricing plans from both streaming services.
Another massive advantage in Tidal’s favor is the support for spatial audio. More specifically, this platform supports Sony 360 Reality, Dolby Atmos, and a range of other spatial audio technologies. Moreover, it even includes unique curated playlists that are meant to be enjoyed in a theater-like environment, such as Ben Gernon’s London Philharmonic Orchestra Classical Collection.
The winner in this round is obvious, but let’s make it official – Tidal!
Winner: Tidal
Deezer vs Tidal – Content Exploration & Radio
Having millions and millions of songs at your fingertips would mean little if there weren’t simple exploration tools to find tracks that fit your tastes and preferences.
Whether you’re looking for popular artists that resemble your favorite bands or want to dive a rabbit hole of old-school classics, both Deezer and Tidal have your back.
Searching for new content on Deezer is as simple as tapping Explore. After scrolling past the recommended playlists and the trendiest tunes, you’ll come across all categories this platform recognizes, including rap, chill, rock, summer, dance & EDM, party, workout, electronic, sleep, K-pop, and dozens of other types.
Tap any category you want, and Deezer’s system will instantly curate a personalized list that fits the desired genre or mood.
Tidal took a similar approach, although we’d be remiss if we didn’t praise the sleek thumbnails. Similar to Deezer, countless options are at your disposal, and selecting any “mood” will take you to a page with personalized recommendations.
Though different in approach, Tidal and Deezer stand on equal grounds in this field. On Deezer, you can use the Flow algorithm to seamlessly search for new content while Tidal’s My Daily Discovery fulfills the same purpose by providing you a new batch of recommended tracks on a daily basis.
The differences in terms of content exploration and radio between these platforms boil down to aesthetical dissimilarities and personal preferences, so we’ll have to call it a tie.
Winner: Draw
Tidal vs Deezer, Which Is Better: Declaring the Winner
Though remarkably different, Tidal and Deezer share quite a bit of similarities. They’re both phenomenal music streaming platforms equipped with an array of advanced features, but they’re simply meant for different types of users.
Tidal won more rounds, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s completely superior to Deezer. The latter is simply a more “casual” music-sharing platform that can be used for free indefinitely, while Tidal exists for diehard music fans who won’t settle for anything less than perfect audio quality.
Final Ratings on Deezer vs Tidal Comparison
As you can see, the winner of another streaming service comparison on TuneMyMusic is Tidal! It was a close match, but the platform has edged out Deezer in the sound quality department while maintaining a quality UI and a vast content library. Check out the full summary below.
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Access | 90 | 95 |
| Pricing | 92 | 80 |
| Content Library | 90 | 90 |
| Podcasts | 85 | 95 |
| Original Content | 80 | 85 |
| UI & Navigation | 90 | 90 |
| Content Sharing | 95 | 80 |
| Sound Quality | 100 | 85 |
| Content Exploration & Radio | 90 | 90 |
| Final Score | 90 | 88 |
And if you’re interested in alternatives, check out our Spotify vs. Deezer comparison or how Tidal performed when put up against Apple Music. Or you can go to our comparisons page with content evaluating the streaming platforms with each other so you can make the right choice for your musical taste. Stay safe and enjoy the music!