Amperfy vs Swing Music
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Swing Music
Self-hosted music player with a modern interface
| Feature | Amperfy | Swing Music |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Swift | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,761 | ★ 2,070 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Spotify, Apple Music | Spotify, Apple Music |
What are Amperfy and Swing Music?
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
Swing Music
Swing Music is a beautiful, self-hosted music player and streaming server for your local audio collection. It automatically organizes albums, artists, and folders and includes a polished web player.
- Modern web player
- Automatic library organization
- Folder browsing
- Single binary option
Amperfy vs Swing Music: key differences
Amperfy is written in Swift, while Swing Music is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Amperfy versus MIT for Swing Music. Amperfy is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Swing Music. Swing Music 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 Swing Music if…
- Attractive interface
- Easy to deploy
Watch out for
- Younger project
- No multi-user roles yet
Frequently asked questions
Is Amperfy or Swing Music better?
Neither is universally better. Swing Music has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Amperfy and Swing Music free and open-source?
Yes. Amperfy is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Swing Music under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Amperfy and Swing Music with Docker?
Amperfy: check the project docs for container support. Swing Music: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Amperfy or Swing Music?
Amperfy has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Swing Music. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.