Amperfy vs Finamp
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Amperfy | Finamp |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 74 · Good |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Swift | Dart |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,761 | ★ 4,279 |
| First released | 2021 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Spotify, Apple Music | Plexamp, Spotify |
What are Amperfy and Finamp?
Amperfy
Amperfy is a free and open-source iOS music streaming app that connects to Ampache and Subsonic-compatible servers. It supports offline playback, playlists, and CarPlay for self-hosted music libraries.
- Ampache and Subsonic support
- Offline playback
- CarPlay integration
- Playlist sync
Finamp
Finamp is a free and open-source music client for Jellyfin built with Flutter for Android and iOS. It allows downloading albums and playlists for offline listening and supports gapless playback and transcoding.
- Offline music downloads
- Gapless playback
- Transcoded streaming
- Cross-platform mobile
Amperfy vs Finamp: key differences
Amperfy is written in Swift, while Finamp is built with Dart. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Amperfy versus MPL-2.0 for Finamp. Amperfy is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Finamp. Finamp has the considerably larger community, at 4,279 GitHub stars versus 1,761.
Why pick each one
Choose Amperfy if…
- Native iOS experience
- Supports two server APIs
Watch out for
- iOS only
- Music only
Choose Finamp if…
- Reliable offline mode
- Active community
Watch out for
- Mobile only
- Requires Jellyfin server
Frequently asked questions
Is Amperfy or Finamp better?
Neither is universally better. Finamp has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Amperfy and Finamp free and open-source?
Yes. Amperfy is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Finamp under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Amperfy and Finamp with Docker?
Amperfy: check the project docs for container support. Finamp: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Amperfy or Finamp?
Amperfy has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Finamp. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.