Amperfy 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 | Amperfy | Lyrion Music Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 81 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Swift | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,761 | ★ 1,780 |
| First released | 2021 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Spotify, Apple Music | Sonos, Spotify |
What are Amperfy and Lyrion Music Server?
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
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
Amperfy vs Lyrion Music Server: key differences
Amperfy is written in Swift, while Lyrion Music Server is built with Perl. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Amperfy versus GPL-2.0 for Lyrion Music Server. Amperfy is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Lyrion Music Server. Lyrion Music Server is the more established project (first released 2002), while Amperfy arrived in 2021. Lyrion Music Server lists first-class Docker deployment; Amperfy does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Amperfy if…
- Native iOS experience
- Supports two server APIs
Watch out for
- iOS only
- Music only
Choose Lyrion Music Server if…
- Very mature project
- Active community
Watch out for
- Dated web interface
- Perl-based stack
Frequently asked questions
Is Amperfy or Lyrion Music Server better?
Neither is universally better. Lyrion Music Server has the larger community, while Amperfy is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Amperfy and Lyrion Music Server free and open-source?
Yes. Amperfy is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Lyrion Music Server under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Amperfy and Lyrion Music Server with Docker?
Amperfy: check the project docs for container support. Lyrion Music Server: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Amperfy or Lyrion Music Server?
Amperfy has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Lyrion Music Server. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.