Smule vs UltraStar Deluxe

Smule is a singing platform for karaoke, recordings, duets, and musical collaboration, available on Android, iOS, and the web. Its catalog includes more than 15 million songs across genres such as pop, rock, R&B, country, K-pop, and musicals. Singers can shape recordings with reverb, filters, vocal effects, pitch guidance, and key adjustment, then make videos with visual effects and lyric overlays; optional AI-powered voice tools are also available. Users can host or join live karaoke sessions for real-time audiences. Smule describes its singer community as spanning more than 190 countries. The free plan allows users to join existing duets. VIP All Access Pass costs $19.99 a month and adds solo recording, personal duets, group performances, and unlimited catalog access. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. The iOS app requires iOS 15 or later. Smule says accounts cannot currently be made private, though privacy settings for posted recordings can be changed.

UltraStar Deluxe is a free, open-source karaoke game for Windows, Linux and macOS. Players sing and score points based on pitch and rhythm, and can create their own songs. Party mode supports 8–12 players divided into two or three teams. The maker says more than 10,000 songs are available; players can also use DRM-free audio files or music stored on their computers. SingStar microphones work with the game. Users can create themes and download community plugins, free songs and code patches. Lua plugins are supported, with the .usdx extension and placement in the plugins directory required. The Official UltraStar Song Format is shared with partner games and song editors. Listed minimum requirements include a 1GHz CPU, OpenGL 1.2, 512MB free RAM and 200MB disk space, plus room for songs and videos. The downloads page lists version 2026.9.0 and links to an installer, release notes and source; Flathub and AUR are alternative installation methods. Audio devices do not have plug-and-play support, so the game must be restarted after a new device is connected.