Ampache vs LMS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Ampache | LMS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 85 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,832 | ★ 1,680 |
| First released | 2001 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Spotify |
What are Ampache and LMS?
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
LMS
LMS is a lightweight, self-hosted music streaming server with a focus on performance and a built-in recommendation engine. It exposes the Subsonic API for compatibility with a wide range of clients.
- Subsonic API compatible
- Music recommendations
- Low resource use
- Scrobbling support
Ampache vs LMS: key differences
Ampache is written in PHP, while LMS is built with C++. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Ampache versus GPL-3.0 for LMS. LMS is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Ampache. Ampache is the more established project (first released 2001), while LMS arrived in 2014. Ampache has the considerably larger community, at 3,832 GitHub stars versus 1,680.
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 LMS if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Web UI is functional but plain
Frequently asked questions
Is Ampache or LMS better?
Neither is universally better. Ampache has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Ampache and LMS free and open-source?
Yes. Ampache is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and LMS under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ampache and LMS with Docker?
Ampache: yes. LMS: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Ampache or LMS?
LMS has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Ampache. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.