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Best karaoke apps in 2026: 7 free and paid options compared
QUICK ANSWER
The best karaoke app depends on how you use it. For a party at home on the TV, for free, Karaoque is the most practical: it opens at karaoque.com/tv, everyone's phone becomes a microphone and you get a score at the end, with nothing to install. To record and share your voice, Smule and StarMaker are better. For a licensed catalog with backing vocals, KaraFun and Singa (paid). YouTube works for singing alone but has no queue or score.
Searching for a karaoke app today means wading through app store lists with inflated ratings, hidden subscriptions and catalogs that do not have the song you wanted. We looked at the most popular options and sorted them by one simple question: what will you use it for? A party at home on the TV, recording to post, practicing your voice or just singing alone in your room each call for a different app.
Quick comparison
| App | Price | Voice scoring | On the TV | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karaoque | Free to sing | Yes, 0 to 100 (voice + audience) | Yes, in the browser | House parties, groups |
| YouTube | Free with ads | No | Yes | Singing alone |
| KaraFun | Subscription (free sample) | Yes | Yes | Licensed catalog |
| Singa | Subscription (free trial) | Not the focus | Yes | Studio-quality tracks on TV |
| Smule | Limited free + VIP | Pitch guide | Not the focus | Recording and duets |
| StarMaker | Limited free + VIP | Not the focus | Not the focus | Recording with effects |
| Home karaoke machine | Buy the device | Yes (basic) | Yes | Fans of the classic setup |
1. Karaoque: best for a party at home, for free
Karaoque was made for one specific moment: friends together in the living room wanting to sing. The TV becomes the stage, with video and lyrics, and each person's phone becomes a microphone and remote. Nobody installs anything: you open karaoque.com/tv on the TV, a QR code appears and whoever arrives points their camera at it and joins the queue.
What makes it different
- Honest scoring: while you sing, your phone measures your pitch. At the end, that score is combined with the audience vote (cast with cat faces from their phones) for a 0 to 100 score on the TV. We explain it all in how karaoke scoring works.
- A fair queue: turns rotate automatically. Someone who requested three songs does not sing three in a row ahead of someone who requested one.
- No song limit: it plays any karaoke video on YouTube, so pop, rock, country, R&B and musicals are all there.
- No sign-up: each person joins with a nickname and, optionally, a photo.
Things to keep in mind
It needs internet, and the catalog depends on what karaoke videos exist on YouTube (in practice, almost everything). It is built for people in the same room, not for recording or singing from different houses.
Who it is for: birthdays, game nights, holidays, office parties, any get-together with a TV. See the step by step in how to do karaoke at home for free.
2. YouTube: free, but no game
Searching "song name karaoke" on YouTube is the most common way people sing at home. It works, it is free and the library is huge. The problem shows up when there is more than one person: no queue, no score, no turns. Someone gets stuck with the remote typing letter by letter, and the party cools down between songs. Plus ads in the middle.
Who it is for: singing alone or practicing a song. For groups, Karaoque uses the same videos and adds a queue, phones as mics and a score on top.
3. KaraFun: licensed catalog, paid
KaraFun is a subscription karaoke service with tens of thousands of songs produced for karaoke (instrumental versions with optional backing vocals and key changes). It has apps for phones, computers and TVs, scoring modes and a plan for bars.
Things to keep in mind: the free version is a sample; the full catalog requires a subscription.
Who it is for: people who sing often and want studio-quality tracks.
4. Singa: karaoke streaming for the TV
Singa is another subscription karaoke streaming service, with a large licensed library, lyrics on screen and apps for smart TVs and streaming devices. It offers a free trial before you subscribe.
Who it is for: people who want a polished karaoke app on the TV and do not mind paying monthly.
5. Smule: for recording and duets
Smule is a singing social network. You record your version with voice effects and can do duets with people around the world: someone records one part and you complete the other. It has a pitch guide on screen and a huge community.
Things to keep in mind: on the free tier you mostly join existing duets; recording solo, starting duets and unlocking the full catalog require the VIP subscription. And it is not built for parties: one phone, one person, one pair of headphones.
Who it is for: people who like to record, post and get likes.
6. StarMaker: recording with effects
Similar to Smule: voice and video recording with effects, competitions and collaborations between users. It also has a VIP plan to unlock advanced features.
Who it is for: people who want polished covers recorded on their phone. For singing with friends in the same room, it is not the best pick.
7. Home karaoke machines: the classic
A karaoke machine with wired mics and built-in speakers still has fans. The sound is good and some work without internet. But the device costs money, song libraries depend on the model and the scoring is usually very basic, as we explain in how karaoke scoring works.
Today you can get the same experience with what you already have at home: a TV and phones. See how to connect a smart TV, Chromecast, Google TV or laptop.
How to choose yours
- Party or get-together with a TV: Karaoque. Free, everyone sings from their phone and the audience joins in.
- Singing with friends far away: a recorded duet on Smule, or a video call with a shared screen, as in our guide to online karaoke with friends.
- Recording and posting: Smule or StarMaker.
- Studio-quality catalog: KaraFun or Singa.
- Alone, no strings: YouTube.
Tip for your first party
Once you pick the app, what makes the night work is the song list. Start with karaoke songs everyone knows, bring in the shy ones with easy songs and, for a birthday, plan a cake moment as in our birthday karaoke party guide. To try it now, open karaoque.com/tv on your TV.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free karaoke app?
For singing as a group on the TV, Karaoque: it is free, with no song limit, no sign-up and nothing to install. For singing alone and recording, Smule and StarMaker have free versions, but features and songs are limited without a subscription.
Which karaoke app gives you a score?
Karaoque scores from 0 to 100 by combining pitch measured by the phone's microphone with the audience vote. KaraFun also scores your voice. YouTube gives no score at all.
Can I do karaoke on my TV without downloading an app?
Yes. With Karaoque you open karaoque.com/tv in the browser of a smart TV, a laptop on HDMI or a Google TV, and everyone joins by scanning the QR code with their phone. Nothing to install.
Do I need to buy a microphone to use a karaoke app?
No. On Karaoque the phone becomes the microphone and sends your voice to the TV. Smule, StarMaker and KaraFun also use the phone's own microphone, ideally with headphones.
Which karaoke app has the most songs?
Apps that play YouTube karaoke videos, like Karaoque, reach almost any song because they do not depend on a licensed catalog. Licensed services like KaraFun and Singa have tens of thousands of professionally produced tracks.
Can I use a karaoke app with friends far away?
Smule lets you record duets with people anywhere: one sings, the other completes it later. For a live session, a video call where one person shares karaoque.com/tv with sound works, taking turns one singer at a time.