Ampache vs Polaris
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Ampache
Web-based audio and video streaming application
VS
Polaris
Music streaming server focused on speed and simplicity
| Feature | Ampache | Polaris |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,815 | ★ 2,715 |
| First released | 2001 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Spotify | Spotify |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Ampache or Polaris better?
Neither is universally better. Ampache has the larger community, while Polaris is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Ampache and Polaris free and open-source?
Yes. Ampache is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Polaris under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ampache and Polaris with Docker?
Ampache: yes. Polaris: yes.