Ampache vs Lidarr
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Lidarr
Music collection manager and download automation tool
| Feature | Ampache | Lidarr |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,832 | ★ 5,679 |
| First released | 2001 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Spotify |
What are Ampache and Lidarr?
Ampache
Ampache is a web-based audio and video streaming application and file manager that lets you access your music from anywhere. It supports the Subsonic API, sharing, and a wide range of clients.
- Subsonic API support
- Audio and video streaming
- Sharing and playlists
- Many client apps
Lidarr
Lidarr is the music collection manager for the *arr suite, automating searches and downloads for your favorite artists. It monitors releases and integrates with download clients and media servers.
- Automated music collection management
- Release monitoring
- Download client integration
- Quality profiles
Ampache vs Lidarr: key differences
Ampache is written in PHP, while Lidarr is built with C#. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Ampache versus GPL-3.0 for Lidarr. Ampache is the more established project (first released 2001), while Lidarr arrived in 2017.
Why pick each one
Choose Ampache if…
- Long-established project
- Flexible catalog options
Watch out for
- Configuration can be complex
- Dated areas of the UI
Choose Lidarr if…
- Part of the popular *arr suite
- Strong automation
Watch out for
- Metadata accuracy varies
- Companion to a media server
Frequently asked questions
Is Ampache or Lidarr better?
Neither is universally better. Lidarr has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Ampache and Lidarr free and open-source?
Yes. Ampache is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Lidarr under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ampache and Lidarr with Docker?
Ampache: yes. Lidarr: yes.