Ampache vs Lyrion Music Server
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Lyrion Music Server
Open-source music server for Squeezebox and software players
| Feature | Ampache | Lyrion Music Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 81 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,832 | ★ 1,780 |
| First released | 2001 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Sonos, Spotify |
What are Ampache and Lyrion Music Server?
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
Lyrion Music Server
Lyrion Music Server, formerly Logitech Media Server, is an open-source streaming audio server for Squeezebox hardware and software players. It supports synchronized multi-room audio and a large plugin ecosystem.
- Multi-room synchronized audio
- Squeezebox player support
- Large plugin library
- Internet radio
Ampache vs Lyrion Music Server: key differences
Ampache is written in PHP, while Lyrion Music Server is built with Perl. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Ampache versus GPL-2.0 for Lyrion Music Server. Lyrion Music Server is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Ampache. Ampache has the considerably larger community, at 3,832 GitHub stars versus 1,780.
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 Lyrion Music Server if…
- Very mature project
- Active community
Watch out for
- Dated web interface
- Perl-based stack
Frequently asked questions
Is Ampache or Lyrion Music Server 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 Lyrion Music Server free and open-source?
Yes. Ampache is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Lyrion Music Server under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ampache and Lyrion Music Server with Docker?
Ampache: yes. Lyrion Music Server: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Ampache or Lyrion Music Server?
Lyrion Music Server has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Ampache. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.